MHS girls’ soccer win in penalty kicks

Cougars advance to semifinals

By: Justin Feil
   Standing before the ball as the final penalty kick shooter Thursday, Brianna Miller looked a picture of confidence.
   And why not? The Montgomery High School junior had been in shootouts before, and the Cougars had been taking practice kicks ever since the start of the Somerset County Tournament. This one, however, carried greater weight as it came in the Central Jersey Group IV quarterfinals against East Brunswick.
   "I’ve been in a couple before," Miller said. "This one was pretty big. I was the last kicker. I’ve never been in that spot before.
   "During practice, we always had an order. In practice, I was calm about it. When it came to the game, I realized it was all up to me and I was pretty nervous."
   She didn’t show it as she sent the shot home for a 5-3 advantage in the penalty kicks to put the second-seeded Cougars into Monday’s scheduled semifinals against No. 14 Brick Memorial, which pulled a second straight upset, 3-0, against No. 11 Old Bridge on Thursday.
   "As soon as it got to Brianna," said MHS head coach Jeremy Beardsley, "I had no doubt she would bury it. All five were cool and collected."
   Miller followed Lauren McClintic, Micaela Collins, Marcia Voigt and Alex Vazquez, all who made their shots and had to in order to beat East Brunswick and improve to 18-2. The seventh-seeded Bears made three of their first four shots.
   "When you’re going against a team that’s also burying them, there’s pressure on every shooter," Beardsley said. "I like to put a little pressure on, so the first and second are a little important. But when they make their first two, then the third is just as important. It’s tough to say what’s the most important."
   Miller was happy to be the one who could end it. She had had plenty of success in practice but there was a different feel to it Thursday, even though it was on the same field she had practiced it many times before.
   "In practice, we’re all goofing around and having a good time and no one is watching," Miller said. "During the game, with the fans watching and all the pressure of the game on your shoulders, I was really nervous.
   "It helped a little that I knew if I missed, we’d keep going. If I knew my shot could make us lose (if she missed), that would be a lot of pressure. I just wanted to get it over."
   Miller was also instrumental in helping the Cougars get into the shootout. MHS started slowly on Thursday, but picked it up as the game went on and came away with a victory.
   "She brought another level in the second half," Beardsley said. "I am really pleased with the way she responded to the first half, which was way below her standard. I was really happy with her in terms of her second-half play."
   Beardsley has been pleased to see how Miller has handled herself all year. After playing a forward for last year’s Group III state co-champions, she moved to the midfield. It’s an adjustment that she has embraced.
   "It changes a lot," she said. "Last year, I would always be attacking. This year, I have to worry about attacking and defending, but I like it. I’m trying to do my best."
   Beardsley didn’t want to take away her biggest asset, her aggressiveness in going forward, in moving her to the midfield. But he needed her experience and skill in the midfield. She’s become an even more dangerous part of the team in her new spot.
   "She’s an attacking midfielder," Beardsley said. "She’s one of the most dynamic attacking players I’ve coached. She has a lightning-quick first step. She’s a blazer with or without the ball. She’s good at distributing the ball too. When we get her playing well, we are a tough team to play.
   "If you key on her, she’ll find Lauren or find Alex. You have to be careful as an opponent and not pay too much attention to her. But at the same time, she’ll run by you before you know who it was if you don’t watch her. She gives us a nice dimension."
   Beardsley went into Monday’s game hoping to see the Cougars’ best again after a sluggish start to the East Brunswick game. If MHS has succeeded in getting by upset-minded, it could face No. 1 Steinert. The two scrimmaged in the preseason with Steinert coming away with a lopsided win. Having gotten past one tight test in East Brunswick, the Cougars are one win away from a rematch.
   "We were expected to win by a lot more," Miller said of Thursday. "It was kind of surprising that we were going to PKs and realizing our season could be over. When you go to PKs, it’s not about soccer anymore. It’s about who can put the ball in the net. I think we were as calm and composed as possible and did what we needed to do.
   "I don’t think we were up for the game like we usually are. We didn’t seem that energized. We still kept it and could have scored. In the second half, it hit us that we weren’t winning and really needed to win this game. The clock was ticking and we knew we had to win."
   Finally the game clock did run out, and it put the pressure on the Montgomery shooters. One by one, they took their turn and scored. Finally it came down to Miller and she came through for the win.
   "I have her at No. 5 because she’s a big one for us," Beardsley said. "And she came up big for us."