Late Comeback Lifts Bridgewater to Field Hockey Sectional Title

It took the Bridgewater-Raritan High School field hockey team a little more than a minute-and-a-half of overtime to knock off pesky Montclair, to win the North Jersey Group IV sectional crown, Tuesday.

Montclair, the 2012 state champions, had been aggressive throughout the game, gaining a lead before the Panthers would score. Things looked bleak for the Panthers when the ball rolled up over a stick and drifted into the goal with 12:32 left to play in the second half.

But Head Coach Kathie DeBonis used the opportunity to rally her team, urging them to "step it up" in the game's final minutes. Mackenzie Knouse stepped up for the challenge, rolling in the ball at 2:05 to tie the game at 4-4.

The Panthers sounded confident as the regulation time expired, and came out string in overtime. With 8:44 left in the 10-minute OT period, Emily Miller rolled the ball into the goal, sealing the game for Bridgewater-Raritan at 5-4.

Samantha Giordano launched the team's scoring, hitting the goal at the 20:20 mark of the first period. Miller also notched a first period goal, at the 12:51 mark, and Knouse also scored a goal early in the second period.