TOP GUN: Princeton Day School girls’ lacrosse star Hannah Levy heads to goal in action this spring. Junior Levy piled up a team-high 94 points this season on 69 goals and 25 assists to help PDS overcome a 0-5 start and finish with a 9-9 record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

When the Princeton Day School girls’ lacrosse team played at the Hun School in its season finale, it may have been a Mercer County Tournament consolation game but there was still a lot on the line.

PDS came into the contest looking to raise its season record to the .500 mark and seeking to prove it was for real after edging Hun in a regular season contest.

Utilizing a balanced attack, PDS made its point, pulling out an 18-17 win to end a roller-coaster spring on a high note.

For PDS head coach Jill Thomas, the season-ending triumph was meaningful on several levels.

“It evened our record at 9-9,” said Thomas. “I think a lot of people thought our win there earlier in the season was a fluke so to come back and do it again was big. We can use that win as a positive as we go into the offseason.”

The Panthers got a special highlight in the contest as the team’s lone senior, Shannon Towle, scored the game-winning goal in the waning moments.

“For Shannon to get the winning goal in her last game in the PDS uniform was big,” said Thomas.

“You should have seen the look on her face; that goal will be in her thoughts for a long time.”

As Thomas looks back on the spring, she acknowledges that it was a bumpy ride.

“When you are young, it is fun and frustrating,” said Thomas. “At times everyone had some frustration this year but is not where you start, it is where you finish. We were 0-5 on April 4 and then we won our next five games. We played with the big girls in Prep A and took our lumps. All the kids got better, we have everyone coming back but one player; they learned what it means to wear the PDS uniform.”

Junior star Hannah Levy brought a lot of honor to the PDS uniform this
season, scoring 94 points on 69 goals and 25 assists.

“Hannah had a pretty big year; she could have been frustrated with the team but she went out every day and played really hard,” said Thomas of Levy who was named as a first-team All-Prep A performer this spring.

“She is a very talented athlete; she is tough and has a style all of her own. She accounted for almost 100 goals; we depended on her to do so many things. She played low attack; she took the draws. She ran the offense; she ran the defense.”

The Panthers have plenty of returning talent in such players as juniors Corinne Urisko and Ellen Bartolino, freshmen Kirsten Kuzmicz and Morgan Foster, and sophomore Lucy Linville.

“Urisko had 35 goals; she was our unsung hero,” asserted Thomas. “Kuzmicz played nearly every minute of the season and did all the little things. She can play; she is the real deal. Foster came on at the end. Linville had moments of brilliance; she had 15 goals and five assists. I am excited to see what she is going to do over the next two years. Ellen Bartolino was someone who figured it out; she can be a force on the field.”

Junior goalie Sarah Trigg proved she can be a force on the field as she took over the starting role in the wake of the graduation of four-year starter Jess Frieder.

“Trigg made big improvements; she is very tough,” added Thomas of Trigg, who is also a star goalie in field hockey.

“She had big shoes to fill. It is tough going from stopping the ball with your feet in field hockey to using your hands. She improved day in, day out.”

In Thomas’ view, the Panthers should keep improving as long as they keep their noses to the grindstone.

“When you are young, you hope for the best,” said Thomas, noting that there are some strong players coming up the ranks from the school’s JV and middle school programs.

“The main lesson is to never, ever give up and to work hard everyday. They need to put in time with the stick and ball. Summer leagues and camps are nice but the key is spending time with the stick and ball and developing stick skills with both hands.”