November 17, 2021

PDS Boys’ Soccer Battles to the End in State Final But Loses 3-1 to Powerhouse Gill St. Bernard’s

FINAL PUSH: Princeton Day School boys’ soccer player William Vasquez battles for the ball in the South Jersey Non-Public B sectional. Senior Vasquez scored two goals to help seventh-seeded PDS defeat fifth-seeded Ranney School 3-1 in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Non-Public B sectional last Thursday. On Sunday, Vasquez and the Panthers fell just short of a state title as they lost 3-1 to Gill St. Bernard’s in the Non-Public B state final to end the fall with a 12-12 record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

In its run to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Non-Public B sectional title, the Princeton Day School boys’ soccer team relished its role as road warriors.

Seventh-seeded PDS won 3-1 at second-seeded Holy Cross Prep in the sectional quarterfinal on November 4, 3-2 at sixth-seeded Bishop Eustace in the semis on November 8, and then prevailed 3-1 at fifth-seeded Ranney School in the sectional final last Thursday.

But facing powerful Gill St. Bernard’s in the Non-Public B state final at the spacious Kean University field last Sunday, the Panthers found themselves at a disadvantage far from home.

“In our sectional run we played on relatively small fields,” said PDS first-year head coach Brian Thomsen.

“We were able to withstand pressure, able to handle pressure better, able to play out quickly and counterattack quickly on those fields. That Gill team was just able to spread us out more than we have been used to in the past four weeks. We haven’t seen a team like that in terms of the quality of player since Hopewell Valley three weeks ago. We were playing against a true possession-oriented team that worked on that all year.”

Despite chasing Gill all over the field, the Panthers only trailed 1-0 at halftime. After intermission, the Knights scored two goals to take a 3-0 lead and put the game out of reach. PDS did answer back with a late goal by senior star Milan Shah to make it a 3-1 final. more

Senior Stars Ramos, Vasquez Helped Lead the Way As PDS Boys’ Soccer Topped Ranney in Sectional Final

FIRST STRIKE: Princeton Day School boys’ soccer player John Ramos boots the ball last Thursday against the Ranney School in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Non-Public B sectional final. Senior star Ramos, who was sidelined for much of the season with a leg injury, helped seventh-seeded PDS top fifth-seeded Ranney 3-1 to earn the title in the program’s first appearance in the sectional. Senior William Vasquez scored two goals in the win with senior Milan Shah adding the third. The Panthers went on to lose 3-1 to Gill St. Bernard’s in the Non-Public B state final on Sunday to end the fall with a 12-12 record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

John Ramos feared that his senior season for the Princeton Day School boys’ soccer team might have been over just after it started.

“I got hurt in the first game, the first 10 minutes,” said senior defender and co-captain Ramos. “It was a high ankle sprain, it was really bad.”

Ramos was sidelined indefinitely, disappointed to only be able to look on as PDS struggled in the early going.

“It has been difficult on a team you have played with for so long,” said Ramos. “You want them to succeed, it is tough to see losses.”

But Ramos returned to action on October 28 as PDS  defeated Spotswood 2-1 in a tune-up for the program’s first-ever appearance in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Non-Public B sectional final.

With Ramos patrolling the back line, the seventh-seeded Panthers made an improbable run in the sectional, topping 10th-seeded Gloucester Catholic 8-0 in the first round, upsetting second-seeded Holy Cross Prep 3-1 in the quarters and beating sixth-seeded Bishop Eustace 3-2 in the semis to earn a spot in the final at fifth-seeded Ranney School last Thursday. more

November 10, 2021

Hun-real

Members of the Hun School girls’ soccer team scream for joy last Wednesday after they edged perennial power Pennington School 4-3 in overtime to win the state Prep A title game. Top-seeded Hun rallied from a late 3-2 deficit to pull out the victory over second-seeded Pennington and earn the program’s first Prep A crown since 2014. For details on the game, see page 31. (Photo by Jamie McKee/The Hun School)

Two Fatalities in Route 27 Crash

By Anne Levin

Two people died and one was critically injured following a motor vehicle crash on Princeton Kingston Road (Route 27) near Carnegie Drive, on Sunday afternoon, November 7.

The accident followed a car theft incident and took the lives of a 15-year-old juvenile from Newark, whose name has not been released; and Jodi Marcou, 61, of Kendall Park. Marcou, who was driving westbound on Route 27, was struck head-on by a stolen vehicle driven by the 15-year-old. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

A passenger in the stolen car, 14, also from Newark, was transported to Capital Health Regional Medical Center and is in critical condition, according to information from the Princeton Police Department.

According to her profile posted on LinkedIn, Marcou was a development specialist at Rutgers University and had previously been coordinator of the Rutgers Jewish Film Festival. She graduated from Rider University in 1980.

The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and Princeton Police Department (PPD) released a statement Monday detailing the incident, which started when the police department was called at 12:40 p.m. to a residence on the 100 block of Clover Lane for an attempted motor vehicle theft.

“The victim reported that three unknown suspects entered his vehicle in an attempt to steal the vehicle, which was parked in the driveway. The suspects were driving a 2015 black Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was later determined to be stolen out of Pequannock Township,” reads the statement. “While PPD was on scene investigating the attempted theft, the Jeep Grand Cherokee was observed traveling west on Clover Lane, followed by a 2015 Land Rover Range Rover. It was reported at that time that the Range Rover was just stolen from a residence on Dodds Lane.” more

Council Votes in Favor Of Resolution For Liquor License Transfer

By Anne Levin

At a meeting Monday night, Princeton Council voted in favor of a resolution allowing Claridge Wine and Liquor to transfer its liquor license from its current location in Princeton Shopping Center to 102 Nassau Street, formerly the site of Landau’s, where it plans to relocate.

Carried over from the previous meeting, the resolution has been opposed by some businesses and members of the community who cited concerns over delivery trucks and traffic congestion. But several customers of the store spoke in favor of the move. Councilmembers voted 5-1 for the transfer, with Michelle Pirone Lambros casting the only opposing vote.

The meeting also included updates on the Witherspoon Street improvement project and plans for demolition and construction related to the Graduate Hotel at 20 Nassau Street. The governing body approved the $8.9 million bond ordinance allowing the acquisition of the 150-acre Lanwin property, and voted in favor of an agreement with Rider University allowing the town to rent parking spaces at the former location of Westminster Choir College.

A presentation was made informing Council about efforts to create a dog park in Princeton.

Councilmembers gave the go-ahead to a task force to continue its efforts, and were especially interested in the idea of creating small parks in different neighborhoods rather than one large park, creating accessibility to those who don’t have cars.

The dog park topic first came up in 2013. A task force was formed in August 2019, and a petition was put together, gathering more than 350 signatures. Efforts to pursue the issue were slowed by the pandemic, but have resumed. more

Simone Campbell, “Nun on the Bus,” To Headline CFPA Multifaith Service

By Donald Gilpin

Sister Simone Campbell

When I called Sister Simone Campbell at the time we had agreed on last Friday morning, there was no answer. The renowned social justice advocate, executive director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice for almost 17 years, and leader of Nuns on the Bus will be delivering the sermon at the annual Multifaith Service for Peace, sponsored by the Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA) in the Princeton University Chapel on Sunday, November 14 at 11 a.m.

She wasn’t “on the bus” Friday morning, but what she was doing was directly related to the spirit of the Nuns on the Bus project, which she has led since 2012, as well as her work for social justice since the 1960s, and the topic of her upcoming sermon, which is titled “Brave Peace in Turbulent Times.”

“What helps me and maybe it would help others in these times is talking to neighbors, talking to others about how they are doing, and showing concern for them,” she said when she returned my call. She had been detained in conversation in the laundry room of her building with a woman she hadn’t seen in months whose father had died of COVID-19.

“I listened to her suffering,” Campbell said, “as she shared how hard it was for her not to be with him.”

She continued, “It put a whole different perspective on the realities that we face. If we can’t do this together how do we support each other?”

She explained about the bus. “We only rent the bus,” she said. “But it’s a sacred place to be. It lives in people’s imaginations. That’s the best part. It’s a gift of the spirit. We rent the bus. When it’s needed, it’s there.” more

JZA+D Architects Move to a House In Witherspoon-Jackson District

A MOVE ACROSS TOWN: The architecture firm JZA+D has relocated from 20 Nassau Street to a house on Witherspoon Street, with possible plans to build an addition next door.

By Anne Levin

With architecture firms Richardson Smith, Studio Hillier, and KSS located on Witherspoon Street for the past several years, the thoroughfare might be considered a kind of “architects’ row.” The newest addition to this creative mix is JZA+D, which recently relocated from 20 Nassau Street, soon to become the 180-room Graduate Hotel, to a house at 254 Witherspoon Street.

The house is on a double lot at the corner of Leigh Avenue, across from the Avalon Princeton development. Plans are being explored to expand to the empty lot next to the house, adding a full studio and more.

“Right now, we’re scattered throughout the building, so we want to add on,” said managing partner Joshua Zinder. “We’ve also talked to someone about putting a laundromat into the building. We’re optimistic about having another retail presence or some housing with leftover space. We might do two apartments, but we’re still trying to work that out.”

Zinder and partner Mark A. Sullivan knew they wanted to own rather than rent. “Mostly, we wanted to be in a position where we could be engaged in the community,” Zinder said. “This is a great location for that.”

Zinder considers the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood, designated a historic district in 2016, to be a key Princeton location. “I see the area from town hall [Witherspoon Hall] to Paul Robeson Place as an opportunity to create a more diverse, multicultural, and multi-income community,” he said. “I’m an architect and developer, so I’m very pro-density. I’m glad to see the town is getting behind that.” more

Unofficial Election Results are In; Mail-In, Provisional Count Continues

By Donald Gilpin

The counting continues, but preliminary local results show new candidate Mara Franceschi joining incumbents Betsy Baglio and Brian McDonald on the School Board and Democrats with narrow victories in the 16th legislative district races for state Assembly and state Senate.

Midnight, November 8 was the deadline to receive mail-in ballots following last Tuesday’s November 2 elections, and provisional ballots are also still being verified and tallied. Some 70,000 provisional ballots throughout the state are still to be counted, according to  Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli’s campaign, which refuses to concede the election to incumbent Democrat Governor Phil Murphy, who now leads by more than 2.5 percentage points. 

Local results will not be official until November 19, says Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello, who will receive her final report from the Mercer County Board of Elections by that date then certify the results. Voters had the option this year of early voting in person, mail-in ballots, and the traditional in-person voting on Election Day, as poll workers worked through additional training to adapt to new voting machines and upgraded technology.

“There were very few problems,” reported Sollami-Covello. “The early voting went especially smoothly.” She pointed out that turnout in general was high, a bit lower than expected in Trenton but especially high in Hamilton, and that mail-in ballots in Mercer County accounted for about 30,000 of the total of almost 98,000 votes. She also noted that the new technology, with results tallied both digitally and on paper, ensures the reliability of the count.  more

HomeFront Offers Many Events, Opportunities For Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week

FIGHTING HUNGER AND HOMELESSNESS: Community volunteers prepare food packages for hungry Mercer County residents at HomeFront’s “Fran’s Food Pantry.” Beginning Saturday, November 13, HomeFront will be offering a wide variety of service opportunities and educational events during national Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.

By Donald Gilpin

With the looming threat of many local families facing eviction in the coming months, HomeFront will be recognizing Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week from November 13-20, featuring a rich array of volunteer opportunities and educational events.

There has never been a more important time to observe this annual event, said Homefront founder and CEO Connie Mercer, as she cited rising food prices and hunger among local children at a rate three times higher than it was in 2019.

“These are volatile times for all of us, but especially for the most vulnerable with no resources or extended family to fall back on,” she said. “The many informational events in this week of awareness are a way to shine a light on these problems and help people understand how families fall into crisis and how we can all help keep the problem from growing. The volunteering events provide community members a way to get involved.”

Katie Lynch, a Cherry Hill Nursery School teacher who has worked on many HomeFront programs over the past several years, reflected on the impact of HomeFront and why she has been involved in numerous different volunteer efforts. “I love HomeFront,” she said. “Volunteering at
HomeFront gives you so much pleasure. The people are so great and when you’re there you realize how great the need is and you feel good about what you can do to help.”

She continued, “Many of us, myself included, tend to live in a bubble, and we don’t realize how great the need is right now in this community. When we get a little education we realize what’s right outside our back door that we didn’t even know about.” more

Discovering John Dryden at the Friends of the Library Book Sale

By Stuart Mitchner

What passion cannot music raise and quell!

—John Dryden (1631-1700)

Driving toward the lake listening to Bob Dylan sing “Mother of Muses” (“sing your hearts out, all you women of the chorus / Sing of honor and fame and of glory be”), I’m brainstorming a column on the upcoming Friends of the Library Book Sale that would feature John Dryden, whose “Song for St. Cecilia’s Day” (1687) closes with a Grand Chorus that moves the Spheres:

“So when the last and dreadful hour / This crumbling pageant shall devour, / The trumpet shall be heard on high, / The dead shall live, the living die, / And music shall untune the sky.”

Dryden and Dylan? A rhyming made in heaven? Stranger things have happened. The Dylan of last year’s album Rough and Rowdy Ways would relate to the idea of music powerful enough to raise the dead, bring down the living, and untune the sky. His mother of muses isn’t all sweetness and light. “Unleash your wrath!” he tells her. “Things I can’t see, they’re blocking my path.”

Dryden knew about blocked paths. England’s first poet laureate “attained his celebrity at the cost of gossip and scandal and, in the last decade of his life (after the Glorious Revolution and his removal from the laureateship), of suspicion and scorn.” According to the introduction to the Penguin edition of Selected Poems, “He wrote about politics and religion, about trade and empire; he wrote for the theatre and for public occasion; he composed songs, fables, odes and panegyrics, brilliant satire and savage polemic; he translated from many languages and formulated an idiomatic, familiar and fluent prose style,” virtually inventing “the commercial literary career.” And having created a commercial career in music, Dylan might identify with Dryden’s “difficult public life, fashioned from his own unlikely personality — from his privacy, self-doubts, even verbal hesitation (qualities mocked by his enemies)” on his way to becoming “a public figure of literary distinction.”

While you may not immediately associate Dylan with “verbal hesitation” or “self-doubts,” the winner of the 2016 Nobel prize can definitely claim “literary distinction.” In “False Prophet,” he “opened his heart and the world came in,” and surely there’s room for Dryden’s rising, quelling music in there along with Walt Whitman’s “multitudes” and Stephen Crane’s Black Riders (“Black rider, black rider, you’ve been living too hard”). Like Dryden, Dylan’s “a man of contradictions, a man of many moods.” In “Key West,” the most haunting song on Rough and Rowdy Ways, he says “If you lost your mind you’ll find it there / Key West is on the horizon line.”

Last week my subject was Crane, who died at 28 in 1900, and now it’s Dryden, who died at 68 in 1700, both on the  horizon line of  new centuries. more

Princeton Symphony Orchestra Returns to McCarter Theatre for Live Performance

By Nancy Plum

Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) presented the second of its live fall 2021 concerts this past Thursday night. Under the direction of Music Director Rossen Milanov, the Symphony performed a program centered on two Viennese masters at McCarter Theatre Center’s Matthews Theatre. Joined by guest piano soloist Shai Wosner, the ensemble performed music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Franz Schubert, as well as a 21st-century piece by American composer Evan Williams.

PSO opened Thursday night’s concert with Williams’ one-movement The Dream Deferred for string orchestra and harp. Williams’ 2017 piece draws attention to the school-to-prison pipeline of individuals whose dreams are deferred by a derailed education and subsequent prison experience. With melodies written by New York area youth incorporated into the music, The Dream Deferred was inspired by the poetry of American author Langston Hughes. 

The symphony began the work with a dark unison from the strings and sharp accented jabs against a dissonant palette. Principal violist Stephanie Griffin played agitated viola passages depicting conflict and harpist André Tarantiles added to the intensity with precision and a percussive effect. The overall musical impression was one of tragic lost lives, contrasted by a melodic duet between the two violin sections. Conductor Milanov led the orchestra well through this accessible piece, effectively conveying the musical question of a provocative social issue in today’s world. 

Israel-born pianist Shai Wosner has been known for pairing classical masterpieces with contemporary works, so it was no surprise to hear Williams’ piece followed by a standard from Mozart’s piano concerto repertory. Mozart composed his 1784 Piano Concerto No. 15 in B-flat Major in a concertante style, with wind solos complementing the solo keyboard playing. The wind sections of PSO spoke well in the McCarter acoustic, with principal oboist Roni Gal-Ed elegantly carrying a great deal of the secondary melodic material of the first movement. Wosner displayed a light touch on the piano from the outset, with crisp unisons in tandem with the orchestra. Wosner kept the ornamental figures clean (especially an extended trill and playful cadenza) and played in a detached style to match the resonance of the hall. more

McCarter Theatre Presents “How to Raise a Freeman” Online; Zakiyyah Alexander’s Play Opens Bard at the Gate’s New Season

“HOW TO RAISE A FREEMAN”: McCarter Theatre and Bard at the Gate are presenting a prerecorded video of Zakiyyah Alexander’s “How to Raise a Freeman.” Directed by Reginald L. Douglas, the video is available via McCarter’s website. Above: Keith (Malcolm Barrett, top), Dean (Jamie Lincoln Smith, middle left) and Greg (Francois Battiste, middle right) teach Marcus (Aric Floyd, bottom) some lessons he will not learn in school. (Digital image courtesy of ViDCo)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

McCarter is presenting How to Raise a Freeman online as of November 3. The theater’s website describes Zakiyyah Alexander’s play as a “dark comedy that asks how a middle-class, African American family can keep their son alive in a world where every 28 hours a Black man is killed by law enforcement.”

The pre-filmed production is a collaboration between McCarter and Bard at the Gate. Founded by Paula Vogel, Bard at the Gate is “designed to become a widely accessible platform for powerful, overlooked plays by BIPOC, women, LGBTQ, and disabled artists,” according to the series’ website.

How to Raise a Freeman opens Bard at the Gate’s second season. The curators are Vogel; McCarter’s Associate Artistic Director Nicole A. Watson; and the Bard at the Gate Advisory Council. Princeton Public Library is hosting a Bard at the Gate Watch Party Series, the first installment of which took place on November 4.

Alexander is an award-winning writer whose other works include the plays 10 Things to Do Before I Die, The Etymology of Bird, and the musical Girl Shakes Loose. Her television credits include 24: Legacy, Grey’s Anatomy, and Hunters. A graduate of the Yale School of Drama, Alexander is co-founder of the Killroys, an organization that focuses on parity in American theater. more

University Dance Festival at McCarter’s Berlind Theatre

DANCE FESTIVAL IS BACK: Choreographer Omari Wiles (center foreground) with Princeton University students in rehearsal for his new work to be featured in the 2021 Princeton Dance Festival. (Photo by Jonathan Sweeney)

The Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Dance at Princeton University presents the 2021 Princeton Dance Festival November 19-21 at McCarter Theatre Center’s Berlind Theatre.

Princeton students in the program will perform new works by faculty members Tina Fehlandt, whose work is inspired by Mark Morris’ choreography on the 40th anniversary of the founding of his famed dance company, and Rebecca Lazier. Additionally, students will perform new works by guest choreographers Kyle Marshall, Larissa Velez-Jackson, and Omari Wiles. Repertory works in the festival will include Justin Peck’s Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes, staged by Michael Breeden; and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and Germaine Acogny’s Woman’s Resistance, staged by Samantha Speis.  more

Refurbished Kelsey Theatre Reopens with Musical Revue

RAISE THE CURTAIN: Kitty Getlik, artistic director of Kelsey Theatre, shows off the new seating installed during the pandemic. Kelsey Theatre will kick off the 2021-2022 season with a live musical revue, “All Together Now – A Global Event,” on Friday, November 12. (Photo by Marcya Roberts)

With COVID-19 restrictions finally eased, the lights will be back up November 12 at Kelsey Theatre on the Mercer County Community College (MCCC) campus in West Windsor.

“It is our 49th season here at Kelsey, and I couldn’t be any happier right now,” said Kitty Getlik, artistic director. “The theater has been virtually dark since March 12, 2020 and I was only able to move a few special events indoors at the last minute this summer, but a full season of live indoor theater opens on November 12 and it can’t come fast enough.”

Upgrades during the time the theater was closed include new seats, new bathroom facilities, interior and exterior paint, new signage, and more. more

Artsbridge Distinguished Artist Series Presents Jane Adriance

“THE WEIGHT OF ABSENCE”: Artsbridge’s Distinguished Artist Series event on November 18 at 7 p.m. at Prallsville Mills in Stockton will feature artist Jane Adriance discussing “Contract, Contradiction, and Clarity.”

At the age of 10, Jane Adriance dreamed of being an artist; more than eight decades later she continues to make that dream come true. She will present her work in watercolor, oils and mixed media as Artsbridge’s Distinguished Artist on Thursday, November 18, at 7 p.m. at Prallsville Mills, 33 Risler Street in Stockton. The presentation is entitled “Jane Adriance: Contrast, Contradiction, and Clarity.”

“The lens of my presentation will focus on dynamic compositions from different points of view,” said Adriance. “By painting contrasts, and sometimes contradictory expressions, my work becomes richer, deeper and clearer. Color is my language.”

Adriance received associate and bachelor’s degrees in fine and applied arts, but her education did not stop there. She studied art appreciation for four years at the Barnes Foundation in Merion, Pa., and traveled near and far to attend workshops. From Deer Isle in Maine to Paris, Morocco, and Turkey, Adriance traveled to different landscapes, and other cultures colored her artistic perception. She has exhibited widely in New Jersey, Philadelphia, and New York City, winning awards for her work. more

“Balboa Island”

Zuzu Gallery at 23 Phillips Avenue in Lawrenceville will host a reception on Saturday, November 13 from noon to 4 p.m. to welcome five new artists: Jo-Ann Osnoe, Christine Seo (whose work is shown here), Mark Moscarello, Susan Hogan, and J. Marion Simmons. Artist Susan Rizzo opened the gallery in September with the mission of introducing a greater number of artists to the larger community by showcasing both established and emerging artists in a rotating schedule.

“Shawn’s Winter Walk”

This painting by Janet Purcell is part of “Off the Beaten Path,” on view November 16 through February 27 in the gallery at Ficus Bon Vivant, 235 Nassau Street. The seasonal exhibition will also feature works by Joy Kreves and Lori Langsner. An opening reception with the artists will be held on Tuesday, November 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. RSVP to contact@ficusbv.com by November 14.

“Painting The Moon and Beyond” Exhibit at Ellarslie

“ROUTE 1 ROCKLAND NIGHT”: This painting by Lois Dodd is featured in “Painting the Moon and Beyond: Lois Dodd and Friends Explore the Night Sky,” on view November 19 through April 29 at the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie Mansion in Cadwalader Park.

The Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie Mansion will present an exhibition focusing on a community of artists surrounding New Jersey native and revered American landscape painter Lois Dodd. “Painting the Moon and Beyond: Lois Dodd and Friends Explore the Night Sky,” opening Friday, November 19, and on view through April 29, 2022, will include 75 paintings by Dodd, Jeff Epstein, Dan Finaldi, and Elizabeth O’Reilly. This is the first time these paintings are being shown together.

Communities of artists have always been a part of Dodd’s life, from her early years at Cooper Union and Skowhegan, to the New York galleries where she exhibited with Alex Katz, Philip Pearlstein, Tom Wesselmann, Yvonne Jacquette, and others.

Communities of artists can be a space for nurturing and encouragement. “Had it not been for Lois, many of us wouldn’t be where they are today,” says Finaldi.

Dodd, 94, a founding member of the legendary artist-run Tanager Gallery, has, for more than 70 years, painted her surroundings — New York’s Lower East Side, rural Mid-Coast Maine, and the Delaware Water Gap. more

With PU Women’s Hoops Returning to Action, Senior Guard Meyers Aiming to Take Leading Role

RETURN TRIP: Princeton University women’s basketball player Abby Meyers looks to unload the ball in a 2018 game. Senior guard Meyers is poised to have a big final campaign for the Tigers. Having not played since March, 2020, Princeton returns to action when it plays at Villanova on November 10 and will have its home opener on November 14 when it hosts Boston University. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Justin Feil

While most of the Princeton University women’s basketball team took a gap year in 2020-21, Abby Meyers was enrolled and on campus last spring.

The Tigers only had four other players there, two of whom were Carlie Littlefield and McKenna Haire, who were polishing up their games to play as graduate students this year at North Carolina and Hawaii, respectively.

Often there were more coaches than players on the floor, but Meyers valued the time with Princeton head coach Carla Berube and her staff, who were still relatively new after coming in 2019.

“It was an interesting dynamic,” said Meyers, a 6’0 senior guard from Potomac, Md. who averaged 6.3 points and 2.7 rebounds a game in the 2019-20 campaign.

“It made me personally appreciate the game more and appreciate being a part of a close-knit community at Princeton because despite not having a season, the faculty there, they were very excited for what was to come next year and now that we’re finally here, the excitement is brewing. It was a great intimate environment and we were able to focus on skills and getting better.”

The small group worked through the one-year anniversary of their 2019-20 season that the COVID-19 pandemic ended after they had compiled a 26-1 record and the Ivy League regular season championship. The 2020-21 season was also canceled by the Ivies due to ongoing safety concerns. Now almost 20 months after they last played, Meyers and the Tigers open their 2021-22 campaign at Villanova on November 10. more

Freshman Paul Makes Stellar Debut at Baker Rink, Scoring 2 Goals as PU Women’s Hockey Beats RPI

BREAKING THE ICE: Princeton University women’s hockey player Sarah Paul brings the puck up the ice last Friday night against RPI. Freshman forward Paul scored the first two goals of her college career to help Princeton prevail 4-1. The Tigers, who defeated Union 4-2 a day later to improve to 4-0 overall and 4-0 ECAC Hockey, will now play a home-and-home set against Quinnipiac this weekend. The Tigers host the Bobcats on November 12 and then play them in Hamden, Conn., on November 13. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Sarah Paul was aiming to make her debut at the Hobey Baker Rink last Friday evening for the Princeton University women’s hockey team a night to remember.

“It was definitely something that our team collectively has been looking forward to, some of us for 600 days, others since we committed in high school, whenever that was,” said freshman forward Paul,  a 5’8 native of West Kelowna, British Columbia.

“It was just a lot of excitement and definitely a good feeling to be here.”

Just under six minutes into the game, Paul got a very good feeling, tallying her first career goal for the Tigers.

“I tried to pass it through the stick of that defender who was on me,” recalled a smiling Paul, clutching the puck with which she scored the milestone tally.

“It didn’t work out so I made the next best play and I ended up getting a good chance and got lucky and back of the net. It feels good, it is a bit of a relief to get that first one out of the way and move forward.” more

PU Football Falls at Dartmouth, Loses RB Eaddy; Hosting Yale, Looking to Stay Atop Ivy Standings

TOUGH HIT: Princeton University football player Carson Bobo gets tackled in a game earlier this season. Last Friday night, senior tight end Bobo had one catch for 10 yards as Princeton fell 31-7 at Dartmouth. The Tigers, now 7-1 overall and 4-1 Ivy League, host Yale (5-3 overall, 4-1 Ivy) on November 13. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As the Princeton University football team girded last week for its clash at Dartmouth, a number of players got ill with the flu.

Early in the contest last Friday night at Hanover, N.H., Princeton was hit with a sickening sight as Tiger senior star running back Collin Eaddy suffered a serious leg injury and was carted off the field in what turned out to be the last play of his stellar college career.

Reeling from that loss and dealing with a Dartmouth squad on a roll, Princeton found itself in a 17-0 hole.

“It was a challenge from a standpoint, there are no excuses, said Princeton head coach Bob Surace. “Dartmouth was great.”

The Tigers battled back, making it a 17-7 game late in the second quarter on a one-yard touchdown run by John Volker to culminate a 13-play scoring march.

Surace believed his team had some momentum at that point. “We have been down to Monmouth (overcoming a 21-6 deficit to win 31-28 on October 9),” said Surace.

“We have been up on teams. We have had to hold leads, we have had every scenario. You are confident in your players, I thought we settled in. We go down and score and we have a two-minute drive and we didn’t make the field goal into halftime.” more

Motto Steps Up with Personal Best Performance As PHS Boys’ Cross Country Wins Sectional Title

ADDING UP TO A TITLE: Princeton High boys’ cross country star Addison Motto heads to the finish line at the Central Jersey Group 4 championship Saturday at Thompson Park. Senior Motto placed 12th individually to help PHS win the team title at the meet as it had a score of 82 to edge runner-up Manalapan by two points. The Tigers are next in action when they compete in the Group 4 state championship meet at Holmdel Park on November 13. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Justin Feil

Addison Motto was a bit taken aback after helping the Princeton High boys’ cross country team edge Manalapan for the Central Jersey Group 4 championship last Saturday at Thompson Park.

“It feels amazing,” said PHS senior Motto. “I don’t think anyone on our team thought we’d make it this far and win sectionals at the beginning of the year. It’s really shocking. It feels great.”

The win came two weeks after a heartbreaking one-point loss to WW/P-North for the Mercer County championship meet. Had any of Princeton’s top five finishers in that race moved up one spot, the Tigers would have won. They grasped the importance of each point, and pulled out an 82-84 win over Manalapan for the sectional title.

“We knew that we had a shot,” said Motto. “We knew that we could beat Manalapan. We knew we could put five guys in before their fifth guy. We knew we’d have to run as a team, not just individually, which we were able to execute definitely. We knew people would have to step up and have some of their best races of the season. The guys stepped up, so that was great.”

PHS used a tight pack to take the title even without a runner in the top 10 individually. Junior Andrew Kenny placed 11th individually in 16:25 over the 5,000-meter course, Motto took 12th in a personal-record 16:32, junior Marty Brophy finished 16th in 16:44 and junior Zachary Deng came in 17th in 16:47. When senior Kento Nakaya surged in with a big move over the final quarter-mile to finish 26th in 17:03, it sealed the Tigers’ win. Sophomore Max Dunlap was 35th in 17:15 while junior Charles Howes took 42nd in 17:30. more

PHS Girls’ Soccer Nips Robbinsville 1-0 in Sectionals As Goalie Ayodele Spearheads Superb Defensive Effort

COMING UP BIG: Princeton High girls’ soccer goalie Moji Ayodele makes a save in recent action. Last Friday, senior star Ayodele made 12 saves to help top-seeded PHS edge ninth-seeded Robbinsville 1-0 in the Central Jersey Group 3 sectional quarterfinals. The Tigers were slated to host fourth-seeded Colts Neck in the sectional semis on November 9 with the victor advancing to the final on November 12. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Moji Ayodele wasn’t quite herself last fall as she played for the Princeton High girls’ soccer team, hampered by injury and illness.

Coming into this fall, senior goalie Ayodele was determined to be at full strength for her final campaign for PHS.

“I worked a lot this summer on coming back strong,” said Ayodele.

“I wouldn’t say I had much of a high school season last year with COVID.”

That work paid off as Ayodele got off to a strong start this fall, posting six shutouts as the Tigers produced a 7-0 start.

“I think since I have had this full season, I have been able to get back on track,” said Ayodele.

Last Friday, Ayodele helped keep PHS on track for a sectional title, making 12 saves to help the top-seeded Tigers edge ninth-seeded Robbinsville 1-0 in the Central Jersey Group 3 sectional quarterfinals and improve to 18-2.

PHS got the margin of victory on a goal by senior star Sophia Lis with 2:07 left in regulation and were slated to host fourth-seeded Colts Neck in the sectional semis on November 9 with the victor advancing to the final on November 12.

Even though the Tigers had defeated Robbinsville 5-0 in the season opener, Ayodele knew things were going to be a lot tougher in the rematch.

“We played them in our first game and they were missing a lot of people,” said Ayodele. more

Sparked by Brilliant Performance from Midfielder Hayes, Hun Girls’ Soccer Edges Pennington to Win Prep A Final

LIFTING THEIR SPIRITS: Members of the Hun School girls’ soccer team celebrate last Wednesday after they edged perennial power Pennington School 4-3 in overtime in the state Prep A title game. Top-seeded Hun rallied from a late 3-2 deficit to pull out the win over second-seeded Pennington to earn the program’s first Prep A crown since 2014. The Raiders, who also won the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) title, ended the season with a 12-5-2 record, a marked improvement from the 0-4-1 record they posted in the abbreviated 2020 campaign. (Photo by Jamie McKee/The Hun School)

By Bill Alden

Riley Hayes had a shot to win a championship for the Hun School girls’ soccer team and she wasn’t about to squander it.

With Hun tied 3-3 with perennial power Pennington in the state Prep A championship game after regulation, seconds into overtime junior midfielder Hayes found the ball on her foot in front of the goal.

“I saw it was coming through and I knew I had the ability so it was just take it and shoot it,” said junior midfielder Hayes.

“I knew the opportunity was there and I took it, As long as you have confidence, that’s all it is.”

Hayes slotted the ball into the back of the net to give Hun a 4-3 win and the title, setting off a riotous celebration as student fans from the throng on hand stormed onto the field and the Hun football team bolted over from practice en masse to join in the fun.

It marked the first Prep A title for the team since it defeated Pennington in the championship game seven years ago. more

Senior Spektor Scores in Finale for Hun Boys’ Soccer As Raiders Top Lawrenceville, Earn Share of MAPL Title

By Bill Alden

Aden Spektor joined his Hun School boys’ soccer teammates in jumping up and down in unison in the pregame huddle last Friday as they got pumped up before hosting Lawrenceville in their season finale.

With 4:41 left in the contest, the Hun players were jumping all over Spektor in one corner of the field after he scored a goal to put Hun up 3-1 and close the deal as the Raiders went on to a 4-1 victory and ended the fall with a 10-7 record.

For senior forward Spektor, emotions were running high as the program held its Senior Day ceremony.

“It was crazy, playing for four years and this is my last game ever,” said Spektor. “I was just really excited.”

Hun didn’t play its best early on, controlling possession but not cashing in as the rivals were knotted in a 0-0 draw through the first 71 minutes of the contest.

Tyler Stark broke the stalemate, scoring with 8:19 left to put Hun up 1-0 and Conor Frykholm found the back of the net 1:08 later as the Raiders doubled their lead.

“I knew it was coming, it has been the same thing for every other game,” said Spektor of the two-goal outburst.

“We have really good build up and it is going to come a little bit toward the end. You want to feel comfortable going into the final minutes of the game. The two goals got the momentum.” more