Boys’ soccer: Montclair Prep standout sets goal mark

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Reigning Delphic League MVP Austin Mandel (another cool name) became the all-time leading scorer in Montclair Prep history on Tuesday thanks to his two-goal effort in the Mounties’ 7-1 victory over defending league champion Kilpatrick.

Mandel has a whopping 108 goals in his four-year career, surpassing the team mark set by Aaron Croutch (2000-02). And his big effort Tuesday gave him 23 goals and 53 points on the season, the third most in the state, according to MaxPreps.com.

‘Believe it or not, he’s more of a giver than a scorer,’ said Coach Ken Erenberg, who hit his own milestone last week. ‘I know that sounds weird, but it’s true.’

Here’s an example of Mandel’s unselfishness -- early on against Kilpatrick, he had a chance to take a penalty shot, but instead deferred it to sophomore teammate Jeremy Stone, who was celebrating his birthday.

‘Everybody on the sidelines was saying, ‘Take the shot,’ but he wanted to give Jeremy a birthday present,’ Erenberg said.

Mandel and the Mounties (sounds like a Canadian punk rock band) are a shoe-in for the league title this season.

-- Austin Knoblauch