Montville boys soccer team completes wild run to sectional title
· Yahoo Sports
LEONIA – Montville never believed it belonged as the No. 15 seed.
Now the rest of the state won’t either.
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Sophomore Gianni Marucci converted the winning penalty kick in the fourth round of a shootout, lifting No. 15 Montville to a 4-2 victory over No. 8 Leonia in the North 1, Group 2 final after a scoreless game.
The Mustangs converted all four of their attempts, with Matt Chioccariello, Lucas Brynczka, Elijah Kaiser and Marucci finding the net. Montville’s Rowan Baines made two saves in the shootout before Marucci rolled his shot to the left for the clincher.
It capped an improbable postseason run for Montville (13-7-3). The Mustangs won all four of their state tournament games by one goal, including a penalty-kick victory over Ramsey in the opening round.
For a team that was hovering around .500 just a few weeks ago, the timing couldn't have been better.
“Our record is shows that we're a 15 seed, but we play in one of the hardest conferences in New Jersey,” Marucci said. “And it's just the heart that all of us have with the person to the left and to the right of you. You just care about them so much. You're not going to give up on them.”
Nor should they.
The Mustangs have a proven three-year goalie in Baines, a defense that had steadily become one of the team's biggest strengths and a schedule that tested them against some of the best teams in the state.
They also had depth. Injuries forced coach Kevin Brown to shuffle his lineup throughout the season, but the players coming off the bench gave him confidence that the team wouldn't miss a beat.
"We're not the best going forward, it's no secret," Brown said. "That's why we've preached defense wins championships all season."
On Saturday, neither team generated many dangerous opportunities. Most of the game was played in the middle third, with few balls finding their way into the penalty area.
That suited the Mustangs just fine.
Montville has posted five shutouts in its last six games, leaning on a defensive group of Christian Avila, Kaiser, Sam Mauceri and Brody Manheim in front of Baines. Brown said a recent change to move Kaiser into the back helped solidify the defense.
"We're fine with it being 0-0," Baines said. "I'm confident in all my pen takers, and I think they're confident in me. So, you know, going to pens is kind of a privilege for us."
Marucci was originally scheduled to take the fifth penalty, but circumstances changed and Montville needed someone to step up in the fourth round.
He did.
Marucci had also converted a penalty kick against Ramsey. Missing that attempt would have ended Montville's season.
“Ever since I was young, I've always just thought about winning my high school championship or doing something to impact my school,” Marucci said. “But it's not because of me, it's this entire team. We have the best keeper in the state, best defense in the state. I'll stick by that. I give all credit to them.”
The sectional championship is Montville's first since 2020, when the state held a regional tournament because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mustangs also won the sectional crown the year before in 2019.
Their postseason surge has come after a challenging schedule that included a tie with Delbarton, a victory over Randolph and a split with Mendham. All three opponents have reached or won sectional championship games.
Montville will now face either Mendham or Harrison in Wednesday's Group 2 semifinal.
"If we defend and we have Rowan in goal, we can do anything," he said. "Simple as that."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Montville boys soccer team completes wild run to sectional title