Montclair got to play at home for Round 2 of CIF against Lakewood, the program’s first Round 2 appearance since 2024, when it made an underdog run all the way to the finals.

First quarter

Montclair opened strong, winning the sprint to take possession, and Landon Pleitez (#10) quickly opened the scoring to put Montclair up 1-0 on the first drive of the game. Lakewood went looking for an equalizer right away, but goalkeeper Micheal Calderon (#1) made the save, and Montclair turned it into a second goal, once again from Pleitez.

Lakewood pushed again to get back into the game, and again Calderon came up with the stop. Montclair gave Lakewood its first goal after Angel Hernandez (#13) was excluded, but Marco Banuelos (#7) found the net to restore a two-goal lead, 3-1, at the end of the first quarter.

Second quarter

Montclair drew a penalty to open the second quarter, and Hernandez converted it to make it 4-1. Down three, Lakewood flipped the script. Despite some huge blocks and saves from the Montclair defense, Lakewood scored three straight to tie the game 4-4 at halftime.

Third quarter

Looking to reclaim the lead, Montclair opened the third quarter with four shots on goal, and Marigi Ndicu (#12) converted to put them back in front. The lead didn’t last long, as Lakewood equalized again.

Lakewood’s momentum faded when its goalkeeper was excluded after a defensive error. Montclair took advantage of the shorthanded Lakewood side, and Dominic Pedraza (#11) scored to put Montclair ahead once more. Lakewood pressed hard to get back into it, but Pleitez had other plans, making a huge block that led to another Montclair goal, this one from Sebastian Pleitez (#2), for a 7-5 lead heading into the fourth.

Fourth quarter

Pedraza added Montclair’s final goal to stretch the lead to three, 8-5. From there, Montclair controlled the clock and slowed the game down rather than pressing for more. Lakewood scored twice late but couldn’t convert on the final drive, and Montclair held on for an 8-7 win.

Coach Valdez’s run continues

Since Coach Natalie Valdez took charge, she has led the Montclair boys to their first CIF match in 11 years and took them all the way to the finals in 2024. Can Coach Valdez’s team make another run to the finals?

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