Throughout the season, Christian Cuccinello and the Mountain Lakes offense have put up strong numbers, and the few things have slowed them down.
When the team takes the field on Wednesday, it will face a whole new challenge: cracking Summit‘s vaunted zone defense.
Cuccinello and company will lead third-seeded Mountain Lakes, No. 4 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, into a clash with second seeded and No. 2 Summit in the semifinals of the Tournament of Champions at 5 p.m. on Wednesday in Bridgewater.
Mountain Lakes has averaged 11.5 goals per game while compiling a 22-3 record, but it will need to solve a Summit defense allowing just 3.3 goals per game, which has helped power a 22-1 season and a 20-game winning streak.
“Obviously it’s a huge challenge. Summit’s just an unbelievable team that’s had an unbelievable season,” Cuccinello said. “But we’re going to watch some film, study up on them, correct our mistakes. Hopefully we’ll be able to come out and put some goals in the back of the net and stop their offense. It should be a really exciting game and we’re really looking forward to it.”
Who will win in the T of C semifinals?
Mountain Lakes won’t have to many mistakes to fix from its last performance, when it topped Westfield, 13-6, in the T of C first round. The team scored nine unanswered goals over the second and third quarters to pull away.
But Summit will be led by senior defenders Matt Muller and Matt Sajer, along with junior Sean Andrews, and backed up by senior goalie Sam Bebout. Add in a strong and deep core of midfielders featuring Andrew Helmer, Jarrett Ross, Chris Zanelli and others, and it equals a solid rotation across the field.
During the five games in its Group 2 title run, Summit allowed 10 goals, and it surrendered three goals in just one game.
“We scrimmaged them earlier in the season, but I’m not sure that will do anything for us. We just have to come out with the momentum we had in the second quarter (Sunday),” Mountain Lakes junior Brad Smith said. “Control the game, hopefully will win faceoffs like (John) Becker did (Sunday), and really come out firing and do what we’ve been doing all year, and hopefully we’ll be able to get it done.”
Summit will be making its first appearance in the T of C since 2011, when it reached its third straight final. Mountain Lakes will aim to reach its first final since winning it all in 2008.
Both teams have reached the final four times, and the winner will make its fifth trip, good for second all-time behind Delbarton’s seven appearances.
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