Aging is inevitable, and for many, it signals the beginning of a new chapter - one where you cross off bucket list items and live life to the fullest, on your own terms. However, for some women, aging is a horrible prospect, filled with chronic fatigue, irritability, and inability to perform in the bedroom. If you're concerned about life in middle age and beyond, we've got great news: there are easy, proven steps that you can take to help stop the negative effect of aging.
Global Life Rejuvenation was founded to give women a new lease on life - one that includes less body fat, fewer mood swings, and more energy as you age. If you're ready to look and feel younger, it's time to consider HRT (hormone replacement therapy), and growth hormone peptides. These therapies for men and women are effective, safe, and customized to fit your goals, so you can keep loving life as you get older.
HRT, and growth hormone peptide therapies bridge the gap between your old life and the more vibrant, happier version of you. With a simple click or call, you can be well on your way to a brighter future. After all, you deserve to be the one in charge of your wellness and health. Now, you have the tools to do so - backed by science and applied by our team of HRT experts with more than 13 years of experience.
As women age, their hormones begin to go through changes that affect their day-to-day lives. For women, hormone deficiency and imbalance usually occur during menopause and can cause chronic fatigue, hot flashes, and mood swings, among other issues. Hormone replacement therapy helps correct hormone imbalances in women, helping them feel more vibrant and virile as they age.
Often, HRT treatments give patients enhanced quality of life that they didn't think was possible - even in their 60's and beyond.
The benefits for women are numerous and are available today through Global Life Rejuvenation.
As women age, their bodies begin to go through significant changes that affect their quality of life. This change is called menopause and marks the end of a woman's menstrual cycle and reproduction ability. Though there is no specific age when this change occurs, the average age of menopause onset is 51 years old. However, according to doctors, menopause officially starts 12 months after a woman's final period. During the transition to menopause, women's estrogen and other hormones begin to deplete.
As that happens, many women experience severe symptoms. These symptoms include:
The symptoms of hormone deficiency can be concerning and scary for both women and their spouses. However, if you're getting older and notice some of these symptoms, there is reason to be hopeful. Hormone replacement therapy and anti-aging medicine for women can correct imbalances that happen during menopause. These safe, effective treatments leave you feeling younger, healthier, and more vibrant.
The most common reason for menopause is the natural decline in a female's reproductive hormones. However, menopause can also result from the following situations:
Oophorectomy: This surgery, which removes a woman's ovaries, causes immediate menopause. Symptoms and signs of menopause in this situation can be severe, as the hormonal changes happen abruptly.
Chemotherapy: Cancer treatments like chemotherapy can induce menopause quickly, causing symptoms to appear shortly after or even during treatment.
Ovarian Insufficiency: Also called premature ovarian failure, this condition is essentially premature menopause. It happens when a woman's ovaries quit functioning before the age of 40 and can stem from genetic factors and disease. Only 1% of women suffer from premature menopause, but HRT can help protect the heart, brain, and bones.
For many women, menopause is a trying time that can be filled with many hormonal hurdles to jump through. A little knowledge can go a long way, whether you're going through menopause now or are approaching "that" age.
Here are some of the most common issues that women experience during menopause:
If you're a woman going through menopause and find that you have become increasingly depressed, you're not alone. It's estimated that 15% of women experience depression to some degree while going through menopause. What many women don't know is that depression can start during perimenopause, or the years leading up to menopause.
Depression can be hard to diagnose, especially during perimenopause and menopause. However, if you notice the following signs, it might be time to speak with a physician:
Remember, if you're experiencing depression, you're not weak or broken - you're going through a very regular emotional experience. The good news is that with proper treatment from your doctor, depression isn't a death sentence. And with HRT and anti-aging treatment for women, depression could be the catalyst you need to enjoy a new lease on life.
Hot flashes - they're one of the most well-known symptoms of menopause. Hot flashes are intense, sudden feelings of heat across a woman's upper body. Some last second, while others last minutes, making them incredibly inconvenient and uncomfortable for most women.
Symptoms of hot flashes include:
Typically, hot flashes are caused by a lack of estrogen. Low estrogen levels negatively affect a woman's hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls body temperature and appetite. Low estrogen levels cause the hypothalamus to incorrectly assume the body is too hot, dilating blood vessels to increase blood flow. Luckily, most women don't have to settle for the uncomfortable feelings that hot flashes cause. HRT treatments for women often stabilize hormones, lessening the effects of hot flashes and menopause in general.
Mood swings are common occurrences for most people - quick shifts from happy to angry and back again, triggered by a specific event. And while many people experience mood swings, they are particularly common for women going through menopause. That's because, during menopause, the female's hormones are often imbalanced. Hormone imbalances and mood swings go hand-in-hand, resulting in frequent mood changes and even symptoms like insomnia.
The rate of production of estrogen, a hormone that fluctuates during menopause, largely determines the rate of production the hormone serotonin, which regulates mood, causing mood swings.
Luckily, HRT and anti-aging treatments in Waldwick, NJ for women work wonders for mood swings by regulating hormone levels like estrogen. With normal hormone levels, women around the world are now learning that they don't have to settle for mood swings during menopause.
Staying fit and healthy is hard for anyone living in modern America. However, for women with hormone imbalances during perimenopause or menopause, weight gain is even more serious. Luckily, HRT treatments for women coupled with a physician-led diet can help keep weight in check. But which hormones need to be regulated?
Lowered sexual desire - three words most men and women hate to hear. Unfortunately, for many women in perimenopausal and menopausal states, it's just a reality of life. Thankfully, today, HRT and anti-aging treatments Waldwick, NJ can help women maintain a normal, healthy sex drive. But what causes low libido in women, especially as they get older?
The hormones responsible for low libido in women are progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone.
Progesterone production decreases during perimenopause, causing low sex drive in women. Lower progesterone production can also cause chronic fatigue, weight gain, and other symptoms. On the other hand, lower estrogen levels during menopause lead to vaginal dryness and even vaginal atrophy or loss of muscle tension.
Lastly, testosterone plays a role in lowered libido. And while testosterone is often grouped as a male hormone, it contributes to important health and regulatory functionality in women. A woman's testosterone serves to heighten sexual responses and enhances orgasms. When the ovaries are unable to produce sufficient levels of testosterone, it often results in a lowered sex drive.
Often uncomfortable and even painful, vaginal dryness is a serious problem for sexually active women. However, like hair loss in males, vaginal dryness is very common - almost 50% of women suffer from it during menopause.
Getting older is just a part of life, but that doesn't mean you have to settle for the side effects. HRT and anti-aging treatments for women correct vaginal dryness by re-balancing estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. When supplemented with diet and healthy living, your vagina's secretions are normalized, causing discomfort to recede.
Uterine fibroids - they're perhaps the least-known symptom of menopause and hormone imbalances in women. That's because these growths on the uterus are often symptom-free. Unfortunately, these growths can be cancerous, presenting a danger for women as they age.
Many women will have fibroids at some point. Because they're symptomless, they're usually found during routine doctor exams. Some women only get one or two, while others may have large clusters of fibroids. Because fibroids are usually caused by hormone imbalances, hysterectomies have been used as a solution, forcing women into early menopause.
Advances in HRT and anti-aging medicine for women give females a safer, non-surgical option without having to experience menopause early. At Global Life Rejuvenation, our expert physicians will implement a customized HRT program to stabilize your hormones and reduce the risk of cancerous fibroid growth.
Endometriosis symptoms are much like the effects of PMS, and include pelvic pain, fatigue, cramping, and bloating. While doctors aren't entirely sure what causes this painful, uncomfortable condition, most agree that hormones - particularly xenoestrogens - play a factor.
Endometriosis symptoms are much like the effects of PMS and include pelvic pain, fatigue, cramping, and bloating. While doctors aren't entirely sure what causes this painful, uncomfortable condition, most agree that hormones - particularly xenoestrogens - play a factor.
Xenoestrogen is a hormone that is very similar to estrogen. Too much xenoestrogen is thought to stimulate endometrial tissue growth. HRT for women helps balance these hormones and, when used with a custom nutrition program, can provide relief for women across the U.S.
Hormone stability is imperative for a healthy sex drive and for a normal, stress-free life during menopause. HRT and anti-aging treatments for women balance the hormones that your body has altered due to perimenopause or menopause.
HRT for women is a revolutionary step in helping women live their best lives, even as they grow older. However, at Global Life Rejuvenation, we know that no two patients are the same. That's why we specialize in holistic treatments that utilize HRT, combined with healthy nutrition, supplements, and fitness plans that maximize hormone replacement treatments.
If you've been suffering through menopause, is HRT the answer? That's hard to say without an examination by a trusted physician, but one thing's for sure. When a woman balances her hormone levels, she has a much better shot at living a regular life with limited depression, weight gain, mood swings, and hot flashes.
Here are just a few additional benefits of HRT and anti-aging treatments for females:
Hormone imbalance causes a litany of issues. But with anti-aging treatments for women, females can better process calcium, keep their cholesterol levels safe, and maintain a healthy vagina. By replenishing the body's estrogen supply, HRT can relieve symptoms from menopause and protect against osteoporosis. But that's just the start.
Global Life Rejuvenation's patients report many more benefits of HRT and anti-aging medicine for women:
If you're ready to feel better, look better, and recapture the vitality of your youth, it's time to contact Global Life Rejuvenation. It all starts with an in-depth consultation, where we will determine if HRT and anti-aging treatments for women are right for you. After all, every patient's body and hormone levels are different. Since all our treatment options are personalized, we do not have a single threshold for treatment. Instead, we look at our patient's hormone levels and analyze them on a case-by-case basis.
At Global Life Rejuvenation, we help women rediscover their youth with HRT treatment for women. We like to think of ourselves as an anti-aging concierge service, guiding and connecting our patients to the most qualified HRT physicians available. With customized HRT treatment plan for women, our patients experience fewer menopausal symptoms, less perimenopause & menopause depression, and often enjoy a more youth-like appearance.
Growth hormone peptides are an innovative therapy that boosts the natural human growth hormone production in a person's body. These exciting treatment options help slow down the aging process and give you a chance at restoring your youth.
Sermorelin is a synthetic hormone peptide, like GHRH, which triggers the release of growth hormones. When used under the care of a qualified physician, Sermorelin can help you lose weight, increase your energy levels, and help you feel much younger.
Human growth hormone (HGH) therapy has been used for years to treat hormone deficiencies. Unlike HGH, which directly replaces declining human growth hormone levels, Sermorelin addresses the underlying cause of decreased HGH, stimulating the pituitary gland naturally. This approach keeps the mechanisms of growth hormone production active.
Ipamorelin helps to release growth hormones in a person's body by mimicking a peptide called ghrelin. Ghrelin is one of three hormones which work together to regulate the growth hormone levels released by the pituitary gland. Because Ipamorelin stimulates the body to produce growth hormone, your body won't stop its natural growth hormone production, which occurs with synthetic HGH.
Ipamorelin causes growth hormone secretion that resembles natural release patterns rather than being constantly elevated from HGH. Because ipamorelin stimulates the natural production of growth hormone, our patients can use this treatment long-term with fewer health risks.
One of the biggest benefits of Ipamorelin is that it provides significant short and long-term benefits in age management therapies. Ipamorelin can boost a patient's overall health, wellbeing, and outlook on life.
When there is an increased concentration of growth hormone by the pituitary gland, there are positive benefits to the body. Some benefits include:
Whether you are considering our HRT and anti-aging treatments for women in Waldwick, NJ, we are here to help. The first step to reclaiming your life begins by contacting Global Life Rejuvenation. Our friendly, knowledgeable HRT experts can help answer your questions and walk you through our procedures. From there, we'll figure out which treatments are right for you. Before you know it, you'll be well on your way to looking and feeling better than you have in years!
866-793-9933he Village Grille was an institution in Waldwick. So when longtime owner Bobby Meidanis made the decision to sell the restaurant, he needed just the right buyer. He found just that in Charlie Wonsowicz, a Waldwick native who has rebranded the business as W’s Village Grille. The restaurant serves American staples in a sleek setting.Owners Charlie and Leslie Wonsowicz have lived in Waldwick for 20 years, and Leslie grew up in Waldwick. The pair previously owned W’s Grill in Oakland, but wanted to open a restaurant in their c...
he Village Grille was an institution in Waldwick. So when longtime owner Bobby Meidanis made the decision to sell the restaurant, he needed just the right buyer. He found just that in Charlie Wonsowicz, a Waldwick native who has rebranded the business as W’s Village Grille. The restaurant serves American staples in a sleek setting.
Owners Charlie and Leslie Wonsowicz have lived in Waldwick for 20 years, and Leslie grew up in Waldwick. The pair previously owned W’s Grill in Oakland, but wanted to open a restaurant in their community.
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W’s Village Grille is a 3,500-square foot family-oriented eatery with a casual vibe. The interior mostly features Yankees memorabilia (more on that later) along with a dining room and bar area. Recent renovations include the addition of four tap lines, a new bar area, new flooring, and new light fixtures. The kitchen is also completely new, too.
The restaurant serves American food, and is most popular for their burgers and wings. They offer wing options such as buffalo, salt and pepper, Thai chili, old bay, garlic Parmesan, and honey BBQ. Likewise, their signature Waldwick sauce is a mix of buffalo and BBQ with hot pepper flakes. Fan favorites starters include the cheesesteak eggrolls and Bang Bang Shrimp.
Vegetarian items include the veggie cheesesteak and veggie burgers. W’s Village Grille also offers gluten-free rolls, however, they are not a gluten-free kitchen. Happy Hour specials include deals on house mixed drinks, drafts, and glasses of house wine.
W’s Village Grille offers catering and can host private parties with a minimum of 25 guests. Future plans include hosting live music.
Before getting into the restaurant business, Charlie was with the New York Yankees. He earned five World Series rings during his 21 year career as a batting practice pitcher, video coordinator, and coordinator of advance scouting. His daughter, Paige, also runs the business. Her favorite menu item is the Warrior Burger, named after the town mascot. This burger comes with bacon, Taylor ham, an egg over easy, and American cheese.
See the Latest Restaurants Open in New Jersey.
Do you accept Reservations?
No, they do not accept reservations.
Are there Gluten-free options?
Yes, they have gluten-free options.
Are there Vegetarian options?
W’s Village Grille offers vegetarian options, yes.
Do you offer Takeout?
They do offer takeout, yes.
Can you offer Delivery?
No, they do not offer delivery.
Do you have a Liquor license?
Yes, they serve alcohol.
Is there a Kids’ menu?
They have a kids’ menu, yes.
All Photos: © W’s Village Grille
GLEN ROCK − Alex Caserta began throwing the ball down the field in the second half and Waldwick/Midland Park broke open a scoreless season opener.The junior quarterback threw touchdown passes of 30 and 65 yards in the third quarter and the Warriors pulled away to a 26-0 victory Thursday night over Glen Rock in NJIC football.“Opener, we’re on the road, nerves, whatever, and we took care of what we had to do in the second half, cleaned up some stuff," Waldwick/Midland Park coach Greg Gruzdis ...
GLEN ROCK − Alex Caserta began throwing the ball down the field in the second half and Waldwick/Midland Park broke open a scoreless season opener.
The junior quarterback threw touchdown passes of 30 and 65 yards in the third quarter and the Warriors pulled away to a 26-0 victory Thursday night over Glen Rock in NJIC football.
“Opener, we’re on the road, nerves, whatever, and we took care of what we had to do in the second half, cleaned up some stuff," Waldwick/Midland Park coach Greg Gruzdis said.
Caserta threw a 30-yard TD pass to senior Charles Schierloh for a 6-0 lead, and it came one play after Waldwick/Midland Park gambled and turned a fake punt into a completion and first down.
Caserta tossed a 65-yard TD pass to junior Ryan Fleming to extend the lead to 19-0 at 3:01 of the third. It was the longest play of the game.
“It was an amazing ball from my quarterback, and I was just glad to be put in a position to where I could make a play for my team,” Fleming said.
Caserta scored on a 1-yard run for a 12-0 lead, and it came one play after his 43-yard completion to Fleming. Senior Bryce Hamilton closed the scoring on a 63-yard run in the fourth.
Waldwick/Midland Park's defense was excellent. In the second half, Hamilton had an end-zone interception, while Schierloh had a key tackle for no gain on a fourth-and-2 at the 7-yard line.
“Our defense is always great,” Hamilton said. “If we don’t shut them out in the first half, who knows the way the game goes. Defense wins championships.”
Waldwick/Midland Park is a run-first team, with Glen Rock stuffing that run in the first half, and Caserta showed the passing game can provide a dangerous alternative. The Warriors’ might have the balance to make a run in North Group 1.
“My line did great in the second half. They stepped it up,” Caserta said. “We were having trouble in the first half, but they had my back, and my receiver had my back, and we just made plays. We have a good connection.”
If teams are going to load up the box to stop the run, we’ve got to be able to throw, and that’s what broke it open for us,” Gruzdis said.
Waldwick/Midland Park’s decision to call for a fake punt on a fourth-and-5 from its 42-yard line on its first possession of the second half was a game-changer and set up the first score.
Hamilton, the punter, threw a 28-yard completion to sophomore Brian Rock for a first down at the 30-yard line, and Caserta’s 30-yard TD pass to Schierloh came one play later for the 6-0 lead at 9:07 of the third.
“It’s great to be able to make plays that turn the game around like that, and I’m glad that the coaches trust me to make them,” Hamilton said.
Waldwick/Midland Park had 290 of its 357 total yards in the second half. Caserta was 9-for-13 for 196 yards, two TDs and one interception.
Glen Rock had 201 yards, with junior quarterback Nick Atme’s scrambling keeping alive several drives.
“The defense was phenomenal,” Gruzdis said. “Going in, we knew they were going to run the ball with [Atme], so that was the game plan, stop [Atme]. And I think we really did a good job with that.”
“They’re a good team, and we made too many mistakes, but you tip your hat to a team like that,” Glen Rock coach Jim Kurz said. “They played hard, and we have a lot that we can learn from, though, and that’s a positive.”
Team: WaldwickCoach: Julia CuddyLast year's record: 21-3-12022 final ranking: No. 14Rearview mirrorFor a while, Waldwick was a dominant regular-season team that was burned by close calls in November.In 2022, Ava Incorvaia kicked that narrative to the curb....
Team: Waldwick
Coach: Julia Cuddy
Last year's record: 21-3-1
2022 final ranking: No. 14
For a while, Waldwick was a dominant regular-season team that was burned by close calls in November.
In 2022, Ava Incorvaia kicked that narrative to the curb.
The Warriors brought home their first sectional title in a decade by beating Glen Rock, in overtime, on a Golden Goal by Incorvaia. It capped a magical season for the Warriors, who repeated as the NJIC Patriot champs and ranked No. 1 in North Jersey in offense.
The buzz around the borough has not worn off. Coach Julia Cuddy raves about the commitment level and determination this summer.
"I think this year, we're trying to step it up even more," Cuddy said. "I think the energy is in the right place and everyone's minds are really positive. These girls are definitely ready to work."
The Warriors bring back most of the lineup from their title run, including a special set of sisters: senior Ava Incorvaia (32 goals) and junior Abby Incorvaia (34 goals). They buried more shots last season than any Bergen County player not named Alex Barry. One will often set up the other.
"They have such a strong connection both on and off the field," Cuddy said. "Sometimes when you're watching them play, they don't even look. They know the other one will be there."
What makes Waldwick so dangerous is the level of talent behind its 1-2 punch. One of the most fascinating players is Kyra Rahulatharan, who chipped in seven goals and 21 assists last year as a freshman. Cuddy has deployed her all over the lineup and said her "strong positional awareness" allows her to thrive anywhere.
The Warriors will also benefit from the return of four other starters: centerback Elizabeth Davis, right back Anna Gramuglia and midfielders Jenna Haroutunian and Mayu Nakano. A newcomer takes over in net with sophomore Carleigh Nocito moving up after a year as the backup.
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The Warriors will be a fun team to watch with more goal-scoring back than anyone in North Jersey. How well they handle some change on defense and some overall youth (with only five seniors) will shape the course of the season. Not much is out of their reach after falling by a goal to eventual champ Mountain Lakes in the Group 1 semifinal.
"I think everyone is determined," Cuddy said, "especially the upperclassmen to go all the way this year."
Waldwick/Midland Park has established the blueprint for cooperative football programs in North Jersey.Chronologically, the Warriors were the second Bergen County co-op (of the current four) when they formed in 2006. To date, they have proven to be the most successful, reaching sectional finals in 2013 and...
Waldwick/Midland Park has established the blueprint for cooperative football programs in North Jersey.
Chronologically, the Warriors were the second Bergen County co-op (of the current four) when they formed in 2006. To date, they have proven to be the most successful, reaching sectional finals in 2013 and 2014 and winning four straight NJIC division titles.
Coach Greg Gruzdis was flattered upon finding out that a division-rival coach, Kevin Quinn of first-year co-op Cresskill/Emerson, has embraced a core Warrior philosophy.
In his State of the Program interview, Quinn told NorthJersey.com: “It’s ‘Warrior football’ over there; they don’t care what town you’re from. … We’ve adopted that a little bit. It’s ‘Cougar football’ right now.”
“That was pretty cool,” Gruzdis said in response, unsolicited. “It means people are paying attention to what we’re doing.”
These days, it’s tough not to do so. The Warriors are coming off consecutive seven-win seasons for the second time in their coach’s 14-year tenure. Flying solo, neither Waldwick nor Midland Park had done that since the late 1980s.
Success is now an expectation rather than the exception. The program’s No. 1 mantra, “hold the rope” – i.e., be ready to step in when it’s your turn to help pull the load – keeps the legacy going.
“We graduated a lot of starters [from] last year,” Gruzdis said, “but we’ve got guys ready to fill the void. It’s always a process.”
Yes, Waldwick claimed the 1988 North 1, Group 1 title on its own. No, Midland Park never qualified for the NJSIAA tournament solo, though most of its top win-loss records came before the playoff era began in 1974.
In reality, the former football rivals have enjoyed their best days when working together. Both boroughs sent students to Midland Park High School from 1957-64, a period that produced the 1961 North Jersey Conference crown and a three-year mark of 20-4-3 just before Waldwick High opened.
The Warriors’ co-op is 93-73 in its first 17 seasons, and Gruzdis (82-44) needs four victories to become the winningest coach in the combined history of both schools.
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Overcoming inexperience seems to be the preseason focus. Roughly a half-dozen starters return, and few of those saw time on both sides of the ball.
Most encouraging is the presence of senior Bryce Hamilton, an All-North Jersey second-teamer who enters his fourth year as a starter. The halfback/linebacker/kicker was the No. 4 scorer in the area (136 points) and led the Warriors in rushing (1,152 yards, 12 TD), receiving (21 catches, 373 yards) and tackles (53) a year ago.
“Bryce is the cornerstone of what we’re going to do this year, that’s for sure,” Gruzdis said.
Hamilton and FB/DE Sean Murray are the team captains, with the latter having played all of 2022 on the defensive line while rotating in as the fourth Wing-T running back.
Gruzdis preaches a positive mindset regardless of roster turnover. In the quest to extend the string of division titles, he tells players, “We’re going to win No. 5,” because he wants them to believe it.
Whether or not the Warriors return to the NJIC Tournament – and can take the next step after three third-place finishes in four years – may depend upon how well they can integrate newcomers at the three open positions on the offensive line.
“Our skill guys are very good,” the coach said. “We’re going to go as far as our line will take us.”
Aug. 31: at Glen Rock
Sept. 8: vs. Secaucus
Sept. 14: at New Milford
Sept. 22: at Lyndhurst
Sept. 29: vs. Cresskill/Emerson
Oct. 6: NJIC game TBD (home)
Oct. 13: NJIC game TBD (home)
Oct. 20: NJIC game TBD (away)
WALDWICK — It's OK to call the Mountain Lakes boys soccer team an underdog.As the No. 9 seed in North 1, Group 2, the Lakers expected that. But they never felt that way.And when Mountain Lakes upended three-time defending champion Waldwick, 1-0, on Saturday afternoon, the players proved the critics wrong while rewriting school history. It is the Lakers' first boys soccer sectional title since 1995, the year before assistant coach Justin White – a former Dover soccer player – was even born....
WALDWICK — It's OK to call the Mountain Lakes boys soccer team an underdog.
As the No. 9 seed in North 1, Group 2, the Lakers expected that. But they never felt that way.
And when Mountain Lakes upended three-time defending champion Waldwick, 1-0, on Saturday afternoon, the players proved the critics wrong while rewriting school history. It is the Lakers' first boys soccer sectional title since 1995, the year before assistant coach Justin White – a former Dover soccer player – was even born.
"It's absolutely phenomenal," said Mountain Lakes striker Marius Donnelly, who headed home the lone goal 12 minutes into the match. "It's something I've wanted to do since middle school, and I actually achieved it."
The Lakers will host North 2, Group 1 winner Brearley in a state semifinal on Wednesday. It's particularly sweet since the players believed they'd have to go on the road all the way to the Group 1 final.
But fate, or maybe a little luck, was on Mountain Lakes' side.
No. 5 Kinnelon went down in double overtime the first round to No. 12 Park Ridge. The Owls also knocked out fourth-seeded Emerson. That set up a home game between two of the poorest-seeded teams remaining across any boys soccer section.
The Lakers are the worst seed to claim a boys soccer sectional title this fall. Brearley, which defeated top seed North Arlington, 2-1, on Saturday night, was the sixth seed in North 2, Group 1.
Mountain Lakes (13-7) has won five straight matches, and eight of its last nine since being eliminated from the Morris County Tournament by Delbarton on Oct. 11. Senior goalkeeper Ian Falconer credited the Lakers' challenging schedule – almost all matches against larger programs – with getting them to the sectional title.
"It's just amazing," Falconer said. "We still have, hopefully, two more games, to win the whole thing. It's an amazing, amazing feeling, and I'm really glad to have done it with this group."
After Mountain Lakes upset top-seeded Wallington, 2-1, last week, athletic director Charles Vellis handed over the cardboard box containing the sectional trophy. With Lakers AD Kevin Wallace back at school, head coach Mark Walters took it, put it on the bus, and told the players, "We're not giving it back. We're bringing this home."
Walters' history at Mountain Lakes goes back decades, but this is his first soccer trophy. His father, John Walters, who founded the town youth lacrosse program that turned into a high school juggernaut, drove five hours from New Hampshire, to watch the sectional final.
Mark Walters scored the first goal in Mountain Lakes lacrosse history as a sophomore in 1980. He has been Tim Flynn's assistant with the lacrosse team for more than 30 years and spent 20 at the helm of boys soccer, earning his 200th career victory last fall.
"That second half was the longest 40 minutes of sweating," Walters said of his first soccer trophy. "We did what we needed to do."
The Lakers were able to close down third-seeded Waldwick's high-powered offense by keeping 6-foot-2 center backs Kyle Maute and Harry Allen in place. They moved up the field together, trying to catch Warriors striker J.J. Ruehlemann offside.
Ruehlemann came into the match as Bergen County's leading scorer with 31 goals. But when he or another Waldwick player broke through, Falconer was there. He made nine saves for his fifth shutout, handing the Warriors (16-4) their first loss since Oct. 14.
Donnelly leads the Lakers with 16 goals, with the latest coming on a well-practiced play. He saw senior Andrew Lynch sending the cross over, angled his head to direct it past Waldwick goalkeeper Axel da Silva.
"It's honestly unreal," Allen said, highlighting the importance of defensive communication. "The past two years, I thought for sure, 'This was the year. This was the year.' This year, we didn't start off too hot. We were .500, below .500 for most of the season. We turned it up in the playoffs. Something clicked. I'm really proud of us."