MHS earns chance for third title

Cougars top Ridge to reach Group III lax final

By: Justin Feil
   By the time Ridge High put a new defender on Kevin Hover, it was too late.
   The Montgomery High School junior scored his fourth and fifth goals of the game to snap a 7-7 tie, and the Cougars were never tied again in a 13-11 win in the Group II state semifinals Tuesday. With the win, the top-seeded Cougars will face third-seeded Randolph 7 p.m. tonight at finals host Ridge.
   "We always seem to find our way there," Hover said. "Last year, we found our way there to the championship. It’s almost our second home this year. We seem to play a lot of games there this year. No one really likes a home team for a state championship."
   MHS doesn’t mind the Ridge turf as they go for a first state title. They have already won the Somerset County Tournament there, beating Ridge in the process. It was that win just nine days earlier that set the stage for the third meeting of the season between MHS and Ridge. MHS lost in overtime to the Red Devils during the regular season.
   "The emotion part was tough," said MHS head coach Tim Sullivan after his team improved to 17-3. "They were pissed, you could see it in their eyes, about what happened last game. It’s a county championship and they’re hosting it and watching another team dancing on your team celebrating victory, you never know what that’s going to do to them. They’re a great team.
   "The key today was I thought Kevin Watson came up strong right in the beginning, Kevin Hover came up really big in the middle and (Greg) Ives came up big in the third and fourth quarter. He had a quiet first half and he was able to get two or three goals in the third and fourth quarter when we were able to turn the corner. That’s what I like, again, there’s a number of different kids that can do it."
   Kevin Watson got the Cougars rolling with two goals before his brother Steve scored a third. Hover’s first goal of the game gave MHS a 4-3 lead going into the second quarter. Hover scored twice in the second quarter but Ridge stayed close and trailed just 7-6 at the half.
   "Of course it gave us confidence because we beat Ridge for a championship at their home place," Hover said. "It gave us confidence but we knew we couldn’t come out soft like, we’re going to beat them. We had to come out hard, knowing we had to step up right away or they were going to put it right down our throats.
   "Second halves are always the time when we come out if we come out a little slow," he added. "Our defense seems to catch their wind and just comes in and plays hard."
   Ridge scored 30 seconds into the second half to tie the game for just the second time Tuesday. Then Hover scored twice before Ridge could change its coverage and put a shortstick defender on the high-scoring forward.
   "When it comes down to that, I know I have to step up," Hover said. "Everyone’s been looking to me this year. If I didn’t come out, the team might fall down. It might have been 8-7, 9-7, maybe a two-goal lead for them and I had to step up and set the tone for the rest of the game.
   "They put a shortie on me just because they thought I was hot," he explained. "What that does is open up other key players like Mike (Yetter) and Steve and Ives and Kevin. They don’t know we have more than one power. Everyone can do everything."
   This year, Hover is doing a little more than he did last season. Part of it is a change of positions for him, and the rest is the anticipated maturation of a talented player.
   "Last year, I was just a complement player," Hover said. "I came in playing middie, that’s not my normal position. I just had to step in for the team. This year, I’m one of the go-to guys. Teams are trying to shut me off, like they did in the second half today."
   Added Sullivan: "He’s fun to watch. There are a lot of brother combinations and you see a lot of maturing year to year. Having that helps. Last year I was fortunate enough to see him in the summer. He did the MVP camp and he really showed his true colors there. I saw something that was really promising, where he became the go-to guy. The best part of all is that there’s just so many people."
   After Ridge cut the lead to 9-8 following Hover’s final goal of the game, the Cougars responded with three straight goals to open a 12-8 lead. The four-goal advantage is almost unheard of in the hotly contested rivalry.
   "You can’t really give them any space," Hover said. "Once you think you have a lead, they just come right back and score a goal. You just have to keep going, never stop, keep pushing it, keep scoring because you never know what they’re going to do."
   Ridge was able to answer with back-to-back goals, but more than seven minutes elapsed between them and they never got closer than 12-10. MHS was able to win the rubber match to continue its season tonight.
   "I’m happy the team was able to step up," Sullivan said. "This was a challenge. A team that you beat, you never want to play again because sometimes you think, ‘OK, we’ve got them.’ But they came out real strong. They were able to hold the emotion with Ridge."
   The Cougars are returning to a state final for the second straight year. They lost last year to Ramapo in the Group II final. MHS scrimmaged Randolph early in the season and found them to be an athletic squad. Randolph won the Group III crown in 2004 and 2005 and topped 2006 champion Ridgewood to return to the title game.
   "We’re not getting back. This year is the first time," Sullivan said of MHS. "Last year was Group II. This year is Group III. It’s a different situation, different teams. We scrimmaged Randolph early in the season. It’s a totally new situation for us. Randolph won it two years in a row two years ago.
   "It helps, but every year it’s a new situation. The scenarios are different. You really have to come out ready for that game. Anything can happen when you come out and you’re playing teams in the Top 10. All the teams, they’re great programs. And all the teams would like to have a state championship. It’s going to take a lot of work from now until Friday to get there."
   The Cougars already have won two of the titles they were after. They captured the SCT and the Bianchi Division crowns. Now they carry their title hopes into another game at Ridge High.
   "Going in being the No. 1 seed, everyone expects everything out of you," Hover said. "You have to go in and prove you deserved that No. 1 seed, show everyone that you are the team in the conference. Compared to last year, we came in off a huge win over the No. 1 seed. This year, we’re expected to be there but coming off last year’s win, we didn’t think we’d be right back to where we were because we had a good team last year."
   The Cougar boys’ squad has a chance to prove this one is just a little better tonight.