February 4, 2015

PDS Boys’ Hockey Suffering Growing Pains, Focusing on Making Things Harder on Foes

GETTING DEFENSIVE: Princeton Day School boys’ hockey player Gianluca Travia holds his position in a game earlier this season. Last Friday, sophomore defenseman Travia and the Panthers skated to a 4-4 tie with Chatham. The Panthers, who moved to 2-11-4 with the tie, were slated to play Morristown-Beard on February 3 in the state Prep semifinals with the winner advancing to the title game on February 5 against the victor of the Hun/Montclair-Kimberley semi. In addition, PDS is hosting Bergen Catholic on February 6 and Saint Augustine Prep on February 9.(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

GETTING DEFENSIVE: Princeton Day School boys’ hockey player Gianluca Travia holds his position in a game earlier this season. Last Friday, sophomore defenseman Travia and the Panthers skated to a 4-4 tie with Chatham. The Panthers, who moved to 2-11-4 with the tie, were slated to play Morristown-Beard on February 3 in the state Prep semifinals with the winner advancing to the title game on February 5 against the victor of the Hun/Montclair-Kimberley semi. In addition, PDS is hosting Bergen Catholic on February 6 and Saint Augustine Prep on February 9. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Hosting a powerful and skilled Portledge School (N.Y.) last Wednesday, the Princeton Day School boys’ hockey team held its own in the early stages of the contest.

“I look at the first period and I thought the first six or seven minutes, the game played out the way we wanted it to,” said PDS head coach Scott Bertoli.

“We had more chances early in that first period then at any point in any game in the last month. I told our kids if you are willing to be disciplined and compete in the offensive zone, you are going to get opportunities.”

But it was Portledge that broke through with two goals in the first period to take a 2-0 lead and then the roof fell in on the Panthers as they gave up four unanswered goals in the second to fall behind 6-0 heading into the final period. PDS did show some fight in the third but it went on to lose 8-1.

“We hung with them early but we are so limited offensively that we can’t give up easy goals,” said Bertoli.

“The first two goals are backbreakers. It falls apart because we take chances, we take dumb penalties and some of our older guys are taking penalties.

Bertoli acknowledges that his team lacks firepower. “There were four or five opportunities today where the puck hit their sticks in scoring areas but we are just not ready to score,” said Bertoli.

“We don’t play stick, we don’t body up on men; that is the frustrating part. That is why we average a goal a game. We don’t have the type of kids who can make plays and beat people one-on-one and we don’t have kids who are ready to score the puck.”

As a result, Bertoli wants his players to focus on being ready to make things tougher on their foes.

“I talk about it all the time, our kids play hard but they are not hard to play against,” said Bertoli, whose team put in some good work last Friday, pulling out a 4-4 tie with Chatham to move to 2-11-4.

“They work hard but they have to work outside their comfort zone and that has to happen in practice. We have to demand more in practice.”

As defending state prep champion, PDS faces a demanding road to a title repeat as it is slated to play at Morristown-Beard on February 3 in the state Prep semifinal with the winner advancing to the title game on February 5 against the victor of the Hun/Montclair-Kimberley semi.

“We have a lot to work on and a lot to improve on,” added Bertoli, looking ahead to a big week that also includes home games against Bergen Catholic on February 6 and Saint Augustine Prep on February 9.

“It is a young group and we need to take advantage of every opportunity we throw the uniform on. The focus has to shift to going to Mo Beard and beating a very good team. They came in here and beat us pretty handily; that is not to say that we can’t have some success because I think we did some things in the third period of that game.”

No matter how his squad does in the Prep tourney, Bertoli believes it can take steps to laying a foundation for future success.

“The reality is it doesn’t matter how many games we win this year,” said Bertoli. “It is building and getting that mindset that we have to play outside our comfort zone. We have to be harder to play against. My focus is on them playing the right way and competing at the level I want to see them compete at.”