There weren’t any rabbits pulled out of hats. No silver rings inexplicably linked together.
The Montclair Magic won the 2008 UGALS 12U title by playing outstanding softball during their 68-game spring and summer travel-softball slate.
With a 13-2 trouncing of Ridgewood in the UGALS playoff final this past Thursday, Montclair finished its league schedule at 19-0. Coupled with a torrid run through their out-of-league schedule, the Magic crossed the finish line at 60-7-1 overall, the best mark in team history.
"This is the first UGALS championship in the township’s history, and that speaks to how high the level of play is in UGALS, but also how well the team played this year," Magic coach Mike Goldstein said. "A long journey started in April and came to completion on the last day of July with a great win over Ridgewood.
"I’m so proud of every girl on the team and grateful that each one of them gave their all the entire season."
Winners of four regular-season tournaments, it took a come-from-behind effort from Ridgewood in the final inning during the Ramsey Tournament to deny Montclair a fifth title. It would be the locals’ last loss of the season, as the Magic closed with 15 consecutive wins. During that span, Montclair captured the Jacque Corradino Fastpitch Memorial Softball Tournament and the UGALS crown.
Superior defense from shortstop Deja Davis and terrific pitching from Carly Goldstein, the coach’s daughter, paced Montclair during its run. Caroline Kohl, Angel Hart and Tessa Calandra joined Carly Goldstein and Davis in the infield, forming a unit that Goldstein said was "his best ever."
Lotte Skutch anchored the outfield that also included Brittney Cooper, Kayla Thompson, Maddy Hoffman, Lauren Peressini and Bridget Festa. Festa also shared the catching duties with Fabiana Citro. Teya Fachin served as a versatile utility player, doubling as an outfielder and infielder.
Offensively, the hitting prowess of Davis, Carly Goldstein and Citro created large leads early in games. But the real weapon for Montclair was its unmatched team speed, according to Goldstein. The Magic literally ran teams to defeat.
"This was our ‘Summer of 68,’ a reference to how many games we played," said Goldstein. "The girls deserve everything they achieved and have a lot of hardware to show for it."
Contact Brian Smith at smithb@montclairtimes.com.
