Displaying a Blend of Toughness and Chemistry, PHS Boys’ Soccer Wins MCT Title in PK Shootout
While going into overtime in a championship game can be a nerve-wracking proposition, the Princeton High boys’ soccer team was undaunted as it faced that prospect against Allentown last Saturday in the Mercer County Tournament final.
In mid-October, PHS had edged Allentown 1-0 on double overtime on a Chase Ealy penalty kick in the foes’ regular season meeting.
Last Wednesday evening, the second-seeded Little Tigers edged No. 3 Steinert on PKs in the MCT semis after the teams played to a 1-1 stalemate through regulation and two overtimes.
On Saturday, when PHS and top-seeded Allentown found themselves deadlocked at 1-1 at the end of regulation at Ewing High, Little Tiger head coach Wayne Sutcliffe felt confident.
“I felt great that if we had to go through the overtime and see PKs again that we were going to be in a terrific place,” said Sutcliffe, whose squad had taken a 1-0 lead on a first half goal from Dwight Donis.
Neither team could score in OT and a shootout was necessary to determine a winner.
Drawing upon the experience from the win over Steinert days earlier, PHS senior star and co-captain Chase Ealy wasn’t fazed by going into a shootout with the title on the line.
“It was everything; we were able to experience it without the intensity of the final,” said Ealy.
“We had already had a round of PKs. We knew who our shooters were and we were going in confident after coming off a PK win earlier.”
Ealy proceeded to bury his attempt with teammates Cole Snyder and Andrew Goldsmith following suit. With Allentown missing all three of its attempts, PHS clinched the title, its first MCT crown since 2010.
For Ealy, earning the county title was a crowning achievement. “We’ve had other big wins,” said Ealy, who helped the Little Tigers earn a share of the state Group 3 title in 2012. “But this is the first time I have won it. For the senior class and everyone who is with me, it means everything to bring that back.”
In Goldsmith’s view, it meant even more to beat Allentown to get the title. “It was really tough,” said Goldsmith.
“They are a very good team; starting with [Will Sjaastad] he is very dangerous on all set pieces. We just needed to keep our composure which is why I was trying to be as vocal as possible, leading our team with our captains, Chase and Chris [Harla], so we could get through the game.”
Sutcliffe tipped his hat to Ealy and Harla, praising their positive influence. “We have some good leadership; Chase Ealy and Chris Harla have done many of the things the way they should be done in training and even more importantly during the matches,” said Sutcliffe. “Chase has so much experience at this point. He’s played in a state final and semis.”
Topping Allentown added special meaning to the championship. “The rivalry has been terrific,” said Sutcliffe. “I just think it has been good for Mercer County and good for the game. We have each won a state championship and that is good for Mercer County soccer.”
As PHS goes after a state crown, it will draw on the chemistry that spurred its MCT title run.
“It has been rare that I have had a team that was as close as this team,” said Sutcliffe, whose team is seeded first in the Central Jersey Group 3 sectional and topped No. 16 Hamilton 2-1 last Monday in an opening round contest to improve to 14-2-2 and advance to the quarters, where it will host ninth-seeded Hopewell Valley on November 6.
“There is a great spirit. We have had some great teams. This team, on the field and off the field, is a closer knit group and that has transcended to our quality and our spirit and our vitality. All of which helped us tonight and in the semi. And helped us close out the Colonial Division of the CVC. We had to win the last two games to win that and we beat Allentown and Hightstown.”
Ealy, for his part, believes that team spirit has been a key factor in PHS’s success this fall.
“We have a lot of young guys,” said Ealy. “At the beginning of the season we might have been a little bit worried. But these guys have shown more heart than we could ever expect. We have operated as a team this year. Everybody is friends. The team chemistry has worked out so much better than anyone could have expected.”