YOUNG GUN: Princeton High boys’ lacrosse player Johnny ­Lopez-Ona races up the field in a game earlier this spring. Last Thursday, sophomore star Lopez-Ona tallied two goals and two assists as sixth-seeded PHS toped No. 11 Steinert 18-2 in the opening round of the Mercer County Tournament. Two days later, Lopez-Ona and his teammates couldn’t get it going as they fell 15-2 to third-seeded Princeton Day School on the MCT quarterfinals to move to 7-8. In upcoming action, PHS will be taking part in the upcoming South Group 3 sectional where it is seeded fourth and will host 13th-seeded Jackson Memorial in a first round contest. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Coming into his sophomore season on the Princeton High boys’ lacrosse team, Johnny Lopez-Ona knew that he had to make things happen on his own.

After a promising freshman campaign in 2014 that saw him ride the coattails of such senior offensive stars as Kevin Halliday, Matt Purdy, and Matt Corrado, Lopez-Ona realized that graduation left a void on the PHS attack.

“I definitely think there were a couple of roles to fill with the four captains that graduated last year,” said Lopez-Ona.

“We have had some great kids that stepped up too, like Rory Helstrom and Chris Diver. I definitely have more goals this season where I have dodged and scored rather than some of the other times last year where I was fed by dodgers.”

Getting off to a hot start in May, the wiry, baby-faced Lopez-Ona has scored some big goals, tallying three goals with four assists in an 18-8 win over WW/P-N on May 1 before notching three goals and an assist in a 7-6 victory over Hopewell Valley on May 5.

In Lopez-Ona’s view, the performance against Hopewell Valley was a big step forward for the Little Tigers.

“It confirms the work we have been doing throughout the season to get better and to be able to play against opponents like that,” said Lopez-Ona.

Lopez-Ona and his teammates played well in the opening round of the Mercer County Tournament as sixth-seeded PHS rolled to an 18-2 win over No. 11 Steinert.

“I think our coaches and captains have been instilling a precedent of focus,” said Lopez-Ona, who tallied two goals and two assists in the win.

“I think it had rubbed off on me where everybody is getting ready for the postseason and trying to do the best they can and save the best for last.”

Following in the footsteps of older sister, Emilia, a former PHS field hockey and lacrosse star who is playing in her freshman season this spring with the Penn women’s lax team, has given Lopez-Ona extra inspiration to do his best.

“My younger sister, my older sister, my dad, and I would always play outside,” said Lopez-Ona. “I feel like having to live up to her has been pushing me to play better.”

PHS head coach Peter Stanton likes the way Lopez-Ona is pushing himself to get better.

“The game that he played against Hopewell was amazing,” said Stanton.

“Last year, he had the benefit of playing with three really experienced seniors on the offensive end. Against Hopewell, the team that set the standard for the CVC this year, he had two fantastic individual goals where he took the ball strong to the front of the goal and threw it by a good keeper. To see him do that in a really meaningful game was a great sign for his development.”

While PHS fell 15-2 to third-seeded Princeton Day School in the MCT quarterfinals last Saturday to end the country title defense for the two-time champions, Stanton believes his squad is headed in the right direction.

“We have finally learned our roles and a big part of that was coaches understanding what our players are capable of and putting them in the right places,” said Stanton, whose team will be taking part in the upcoming South Group 3 sectional where it is seeded fourth and will host 13th-seeded Jackson Memorial in a first round contest.

“Our guys know how we can win. We are going to have to win a little bit differently than we have in the past. We have figured something that can work for us.”

Lopez-Ona, for his part, believes that things are starting to work well for the Little Tigers.

“After a slow start, we have now had probably five games where we have really stepped it up,” said Lopez-Ona. “It definitely feels like we are peaking.”