Montville boys soccer anxious to return to winning ways
MONTVILLE – Ethan Grossman would rather not talk about the 2014 soccer season. In fact, nobody at Montville even wants to think about it. The only context in which bringing up 2014 is acceptable is to mention how far the team has come since then.
The Mustangs have a proud tradition just a few years off, with double-digit victories and NJSIAA Tournament appearances aplenty. Montville midfielder Dilly Duka, who played two years at Rutgers, is starting for Major League Soccer’s Montreal Impact.
The Mustangs are coming off a three-win season, a struggle in the rugged NJAC-United. They welcomed their third coach in as many seasons, former Montclair State defender Kevin Brown.
A physical education teacher at Montclair, his first test was to convince the current players — and their parents — he was invested in the program, not the paycheck.
“My goal was to get all the guys together and rekindle the fire,” Brown said. “That gives the guys a breath of fresh air, having someone come in and care about them. I said, ‘I’m not going to come in here and make crazy changes.’ They seem to be responding pretty positively.”
Hired in early May, Brown met with the Mustangs on the first day it was permitted after spring sports ended, and the parents about a week later. He also reached out to Montville Soccer Club, trying to smooth the relationship with the youth program which produced many of the current high school players.
The older Mustangs will help to mentor the younger kids, with middle-school players visiting the locker room and serving as ball boys for Montville home games. About a dozen from the high school team, including most of the seniors, were part of the same travel team in middle school, a plus for the present varsity.
Grossman, a junior who has started on varsity since he was a freshman, will once again be the Mustangs’ playmaker, alongside junior Adam Elias. Senior goalkeeper Kamil Rebisz got a bit too much experience under pressure last fall, but matured quickly. Sophomore striker Justin Moreira and defender Luke Elias are expected to contribute immediately.
“Coach brought us all together, and when we played our first scrimmage, we saw the difference,” said senior striker Tyler Mackay, who is in his third full season on varsity. “Everyone’s happy with his play and the team’s play. ... We’re focused again, and we got our confidence back.”
With a dozen seniors, Montville still has links to its more gloried days — and a goal to reestablish the program’s legacy. All three levels attended a week-long summer camp at Montclair State together, and the varsity also participated in a two-day tournament. The Mustangs will play their sixth scrimmage today against Caldwell.
Montville has already faced Saddle Brook, Roxbury, West Essex, Newark East Side and Wayne Valley in a very busy preseason. The Mustangs visit defending North 1 Group IV champion Morristown to open the regular season on Wednesday.
“Even after loss after loss, we kept fighting,” Grossman said. “When we’re in a game for once, instead of getting blown out, you just push yourself. That’ll help us this year. ... At all aspects of the field we look better. We’ll be able to scratch out some wins, and be better than most teams think.”
Staff Writer Jane Havsy: 973-428-6682; jhavsy@gannettnj.com; www.dailyrecord.com/writerjane/