On the Defensive: OJR’s Montes Mercury All-Area Player of Year

[dropcap]H[/dropcap]er skills have taken her to some amazing places.

Similarly, she’s taken her skills to some equally amazing places, including two summer trips to play on the Puerto Rico National team.

Though her game is hardly flashy or statistically-driven, Nettie Montes played a major role in leading Owen J. Roberts to its first Pioneer Athletic Conference Championship in four seasons.

Her leadership on defense helped Owen J. Roberts bring home the PAC-10 championship last year and also earned her the title of the 2015 Mercury All-Area Field Hockey Player of the Year.

Montes, a three-year starter, relished her role as a senior team captain this season. Gaining varsity experience over the years, she became a force on the OJR defense.

Still, she’d come a long way from when she first put on the varsity uniform.

“When I became a starter during my sophomore season, I’ll admit it, I was intimidated every single game,” said Montes. “I was a baby on the varsity field, surrounded by older girls and learning as I went. My biggest fear was making a mistake and it costing the team.”

As time went on, her fear turned into determination as she constantly worked to sharpen her skills. She stopped playing lacrosse after her freshman year and focused all of her time and energy on field hockey year-round.

She continued playing with the X-Calibur Field Hockey Club during the winter months, attended open training sessions throughout the spring under former Owen J. Roberts head coach Clarence Janelle and spent the summers conditioning with her Wildcat teammates.

The past two summers, she’d also been a part of the Puerto Rico National Team, where the team competed in the Women’s FIH Hockey World League around the world.

So by the time the regular season rolled around in the fall, Montes would hit the ground running.

“I knew that field hockey was the sport I was supposed to be playing,” she said. “The harder I worked, the better my game developed. If I wanted to take it seriously, I’d need to commit all of myself to field hockey. And that’s what I did.”

Her dedication paid off.

Montes committed to Division I Hofstra University in New York where she’ll continue her field hockey career next fall. In her eyes, her college commitment serves as a tribute to the efforts she’s put in throughout her around field hockey.

“I’m a much different player now than I was (freshman year),” she said. “As I progressed in high school, things sort of clicked. When I was younger, I didn’t really understand the game as much as I do now. I didn’t always know what to do and where to be on the field.”

This past season, Montes was right where she needed to be. Her role on the defense was a major part in the Wildcats’ PAC-10 Championship run and she eventually helped take her team to the PIAA Class AAA tournament.

On the season, OJR went 11-2 in the PAC-10 and finished 19-7 overall, winning 11 of its first 12 games. The team reached the third round of the district tournament, falling to eventual champion Unionville. After reaching the state tournament — a task Montes and the Wildcats hadn’t accomplished since her sophomore season — they fell to state runner-up Palmyra on a freezing, rainy night at Milton Hershey Stadium.

“That was our goal all year,” said Montes, “to make it all the way to states. After everything we accomplished during the season and how much we grew as a team — we deserved to be there. I think this was a season that all of us will always remember.”

Montes’ defensive prowess didn’t go unnoticed throughout the team’s unforgettable run.

“She’s such a powerful leader to the rest of her teammates,” said first year head coach Amy Hoffman, who has been a part of the program for nine seasons. “Her teammates have looked up to her the past two seasons, and I know she takes a lot of pride in being a leader.

“Having her out there is like having an extra coach on the field. She keeps everyone motivated and focused, and has a knack for making a big stop when we need it.”

On the season, Montes registered three goals and added 12 assists. Those numbers hardly mean much to her, though. Her main concern has been keeping the other team off the scoreboard.

The Wildcats limited opponents to just 29 goals across all 26 games, good enough for an average of 1.1 goals against on the season.

“I’m more of a defensive-minded person,” she said. “Seeing my name on the stat sheet is kind of an added bonus for me. During games, I get so much more out of stopping a goal than from actually scoring one or getting an assist. The best part of playing defense is making that offensive spark.”

The Wildcat defense provided plenty of spark to a high-power offense that averaged nearly four goals a game. Benefitting from the defense and boasting plenty of ability on their own, Makena Aberle and Corinne Gerber finished second and third, respectively among the PAC-10 scoring leaders this past season.

“Nettie is a natural-born leader,” said Hoffman. “She’s the kind of player that other teams know about and try to work their schemes around. All season, she put us in a position to win anytime she stepped onto the field.”

That competitiveness has taken Montes all over.

Having played as a member of Puerto Rico’s National Team the past two summers, Montes has traveled to several different countries to train and play in World League competition. It’s a challenge that she knows will help prepare her to play at the Division I level.

“That’s been an amazing experience,” she said. “To be able to compete on a national level and go see so many places — it’s humbling. There is so much good talent out there, so it was an adjustment. It’s definitely helped me to grow and develop as a player.”

Throughout her time at Owen J. Roberts, Montes has been a member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society, a prime example of her hard work and dedication to perfect her task.

Though she doesn’t expect to be on the field right away at Hofstra, Montes hopes to take a similar route as she did with the Wildcats.

“I spent time during my freshman year (in high school) watching the upperclassmen and learning from them,” she said. “That’s what I plan to do when I get to college. Sitting back for a season and learning was one of the best experiences for me as a player.”

If her high school career is any indication, a season of learning at the collegiate level will eventually give Montes all the ingredients she needs to climb to the top.