LAW AND ORDER: Hun School field hockey player Delia Lawver marks a foe in action last season. Hun will be depending on senior star Lawver to keep order in the midfield this fall. The Raiders start their 2016 campaign when they play at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (Pa.) on September 14. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
Over the years, the Hun School field hockey program has displayed a propensity for coming on strong down the stretch. more
With a horde of players hitting the field this summer the Hun School boys’ soccer program, Pat Quirk has been busy sorting through the talent at his disposal.
“We had 65 kids come out for the three teams that we have, it is very good,” said Hun head coach Quirk, who guided his varsity team to a 5-12 record in 2015.
“They are at about the same level so we are just kind of weeding through that right now. We have a good core of returning kids from the varsity team, for sure, and we got some incoming kids that are very, very skilled. I think are going to jell well together.” more
ON HER TOES: Princeton High girls’ soccer player Zoe Tesone controls the ball during a recent practice session. Senior standout defender Tesone will be leading the PHS back line this fall. The Little Tigers get their 2016 season underway when they play at Hopewell Valley on September 8. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
Losing 12 seniors to graduation from a squad that advanced to the Central Jersey Group 4 sectional semifinals in 2015, there were question marks all over the field for the Princeton High girls’ soccer team as it started preseason last month. more
REAR GUARD: Princeton University field hockey player Elise Wong guards the circle last Friday as 15th-ranked Princeton opened its season by hosting No. 1 North Carolina. Sophomore star Wong helped the Tiger defense hold the fort in a 2-1 loss to the Tar Heels. Two days later, Wong and Princeton topped Bucknell 5-2 to improve to 1-1 and earn their first win under new head coach Carla Tagliente. In upcoming action, the Tigers host No. 9 Albany on September 9 and No. 14 Delaware on September 11. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
After starring at center back last fall in her freshman season with the Princeton University field hockey team, Elise Wong has moved up the field as a defensive midfielder in her second college campaign. more
HOLDING THE FORT: Princeton University men’s soccer player Patrick Barba, left, goes after the ball in a game last fall. Last Saturday, senior defender and captain Barba helped Princeton hold the fort as it played two men down for most of the second half in a 1-0 loss at West Virginia (2-1) in its season opener. The Tigers will look to get on the winning track when they host St, John’s on September 8 in their season opener. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
Opening its season at No. 24 West Virginia last Saturday evening, the Princeton University men’s soccer team knew it faced a huge challenge. more
GETTING THEIR KICKS: Members of Princeton High boys’ soccer team enjoy kicking the ball around in a drill at recent practice. PHS, coming off a 16-2-3 campaign last fall, open the 2016 season by hosting Hopewell Valley on September 8. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
The bar has been set high for the Princeton High boys’ soccer team. more
For Heather Serverson, guiding her Princeton High field hockey team through the preseason has been akin to working on a jigsaw puzzle.
“We have some seasoned players so it really is just a matter of figuring out how we can function best as a team,” said Serverson, who guided PHS to a 13-6-2 record in 2015 and the semifinals of both the Mercer County Tournament and the North 2 Group 4 sectional.
“We have the experience under our belts; we still haven’t quite figured out how we work best together yet.” more
FLYING SOLO: Princeton High football payer Alex -Solopenkov races up the field in action last fall. Senior receiver -Solopenkov figures to be a key target this fall for PHS. The Little Tigers start their 2016 season when they host Pemberton on September 10. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
Charlie Gallagher acknowledged that his Princeton High football team has been feeling the heat over the last few weeks. more
LEADING THE WAY: Princeton Day School girls’ soccer player Abby Atkeson runs through a drill at a recent practice. Senior captain Atkeson will be counted on to provide gritty play in the midfield this fall for the Panthers, who have won two straight state Prep B titles. PDS is slated to open its 2016 campaign by hosting WW/P-S on September 10. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
Over the last few years, the Princeton Day School girls’ soccer team has provided living proof of the adage that defense wins more
Growing up in Wales, Ollie Hilliker fell in love with the game of soccer at a young age.
Hilliker rose through the ranks and played for the country’s U-16 national team. He later played for two Welsh semiprofessional teams before heading to the University of Liverpool to study sports science with an emphasis on soccer.
“I played at a decent level; I had good experience playing but also I know the culture of being immersed in the game,” said Hilliker. more
FRENCH ACCENT: Princeton Day School field hockey player Kiely French controls the ball in action last fall. Senior star French figures to anchor the back line for the Panthers again this season. PDS opens the 2016 season by hosting Stuart Country Day School on September 8. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
With Heather Farlow entering her second year at the helm of the Princeton Day School field hockey program, the team has hit the ground running this season. more
The players on the Stuart Country Day field hockey team have adopted “hustle and heart” as their mantra for the upcoming season.
Two weeks into preseason, Stuart head coach Missy Bruvik believes that her charges are living up to those words.
“It is going very good in terms of the kids learning, progressing and working hard everyday,” said Bruvik, noting that the team had a productive weekend trip to Washington D.C. in late August where it had two scrimmages and then went 2-0 in play day scrimmages last Wednesday. more
OPENING SALVO: Princeton University women’s soccer star Tyler Lussi, left, goes after the ball last Friday evening as Princeton hosted Fordham in its season opener. Senior star Lussi scored two goals and added an assist as the Tigers prevailed 3-1. Two days later, Princeton edged Villanova with a goal by Mimi Asom to improve to 2-0. The Tigers play at Delaware on September 2 and at Howard on September 4. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
Tyler Lussi has established herself as one of the top scorers in the history of Princeton University women’s soccer. more
ON THE BALL: Princeton University field hockey player Sophia Tornetta, left, chases down the ball in a game last fall. After a solid debut campaign that saw her tally seven goals and nine assists, sophomore striker Tornetta figures to be a go-to player for the Tigers this fall. Princeton opens its 2016 season by hosting North Carolina (1-1) on September 2 and Bucknell (1-0) on September 4. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
While Carla Tagliente is happy to see her Princeton University field hockey team ranked 15th nationally in the Coaches’ Preseason poll, she isn’t putting much stock in that. more
FITTING IN: Kerry Kittles, second from right, enjoys the moment with the other members of the Princeton University men’s basketball coaching staff, from left, head coach Mitch Henderson, assistant coach Brett MacConnell, Director of Basketball Operations Chris Monglia, and assistant Skye Ettin before a game on the team’s trip to Italy this August. Kittles, a former Villanova men’s basketball and NBA star, joined the Princeton staff in May as he makes his coaching debut. (Photo Courtesy of Princeton’s Office of Athletic Communications)
Having taken the plunge into coaching by joining the staff of the Princeton University men’s basketball team this May as an assistant, Kerry Kittles is fired up to get into the trenches. more
WINNING SPIRIT: Zack DiGregorio handles the ball in action last fall for the University of Pennsylvania sprint football team. Former Princeton High star quarterback DiGregorio is entering his junior season for the Quakers. Last fall, he threw two TD passes in helping the Quakers go 5-2 and was the recipient of the program’s Benjamin F. Wagner Spirit Award.
After starring at quarterback for the Princeton High football team in 2012 and then doing a post-graduate year at the Hun School where he played for its squad, Zack DiGregorio had his sights set on continuing his career with a Division III college program. more
SAM’S CLUB: Princeton High alum Sam Smallzman, right, shares a moment with former PHS teammate Zack DiGregorio last fall during a game with the University of Pennsylvania sprint football team. Smallzman enjoyed a superb debut campaign last fall for the Quakers, leading the team with seven sacks (third-best in the Collegiate Sprint Football League) while also adding 38 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble as he earned second-team All-CSFL honors.
During his senior season with the Princeton High football team in 2014, Sam Smallzman turned a lot of heads.
Emerging as a tackle machine at linebacker as he returned to action after being sidelined by a knee injury during his junior season, Smallzman starred as PHS went 8-2, producing a remarkable turnaround from a 0-10 campaign a year earlier. more
Over the last two weeks, Princeton High athletes have been gearing up for the upcoming fall season, undergoing grueling practice sessions from the Valley Road complex to the turf field on campus.
But as last Monday morning dawned sunny and clear, a pall was cast over the school and fields as the news that John Miranda, the district’s popular Athletic Director and Supervisor of Health and Physical Education, had passed away.
In a statement issued Monday on the Princeton Public Schools website, it was revealed that Mr. Miranda, 57, died “suddenly” on August 28. He had taken a leave of absence this past spring due to health issues.
The stocky, silver-haired athletic director was a constant presence on the sidelines of PHS games, chatting affably with players, coaches, and officials alike as he oversaw the action. more
BOOT CAMP: Princeton University men’s soccer player Greg Seifert boots the ball in action last fall. Senior defender Seifert provides experience and athleticism to the Tiger back line. Princeton opens it 2016 campaign on September 3 when it plays at West Virginia (1-1). (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
Even though the Princeton University men’s soccer team has posted double-digit win seasons in the last two years, it has been left with an empty feeling. more
BURSTING ON THE SCENE: Princeton University women’s soccer player Mimi Asom, left, goes after a ball in 2015 action. Asom made quite a debut last fall, scoring 12 goals and four assists to help Princeton win the Ivy League title as it went 14-4-1 overall and 6-0-1 in conference play. Asom was named the Ivy Rookie of the Year and a second-team All Ivy selection. The Tigers open their 2016 campaign this weekend by hosting Fordham on August 26 and Villanova on August 28. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
As Sean Driscoll took the helm of the Princeton University women’s soccer team last fall, he could not have scripted a much better debut season. more
SOLID GOLD: Star goalie Ashleigh Johnson handles the ball in action for the Princeton University women’s water polo team. Last Friday, rising Princeton senior Johnson helped the U.S. top Italy 12-5 in the gold medal match at the 2016 summer Olympics. Johnson, who made nine saves in the win, was named the outstanding goalie of the tournament. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
Nelson Diebel ’96 was the last Princeton University athlete to prevail in the pool at the Olympics when he earned two golds in swimming at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Games. more
TOUR OF ITALY: Princeton University men’s basketball player Hans Brase, right, works on his inside moves in a practice session. This week rising senior Brase and his teammates are currently on an 11-day journey through Italy starting in Rome and traveling through Florence, Bologna, Venice, and Como before heading home on August 31. Along the way, the Tigers will face three Italian professional teams, including two from Serie A2 and one from Serie B. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
Hans Brase has extensive experience playing in Europe due to his time with Germany’s national basketball program. more
WATTS UP: Sydney Watts sends the ball up the field in action for the Amherst College field hockey last fall during her junior campaign. Watts, a former Princeton High standout, has been a starter on defense for Amherst the last two seasons and will serve as a co-captain of the team this fall. (Photo Courtesy of Amherst Athletic Communications)
A rash of injuries paved the way for Sydney Watts to get some playing time during the latter stages of her freshman season with the Amherst College field hockey team in the fall of 2013. more
BEARING DOWN: Marco Pinheiro, left, chases down the ball in action last fall during his freshman season for the Washington University in St. Louis men’s soccer team. Pinheiro, a former Princeton Day School boys’ soccer star, made the WashU varsity squad as a walk-on as a freshman. He ended up getting into 15 games and making four starts. He is currently in preseason training at WashU as the squad prepares for its season opener at Webster on September 1.
When Marco Pinheiro started looking at colleges, he was initially focusing on schools that would further his soccer career. more
A NEW SPIN: Former Hun School and Princeton University basketball star Douglas Davis, right, works with a camper on his shooting form last week at the inaugural TopSpin Hoops Academy. The program was an overnight basketball camp that took place from August 12-16 on the Hun campus. (Photo Courtesy of Pete Farnsworth)
In common parlance, “top spin” usually refers to a stroke in racquet sports where the ball is hit with a rising action and then dips over the net, making it hard to return. more
