September 9, 2015

Featuring Versatile Players All Over the Field, PHS Field Hockey Primed for Big Campaign

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ON THE STICK: Princeton High field hockey star Trish Reilly, right, displays her stick work in a game last fall. Senior midfielder Reilly figures to be a key offensive threat for a powerful PHS team that is coming off an 18-4 season last fall that included a trip to the county final and sectional semis. PHS was scheduled to open its season by hosting Princeton Day School on September 8 and Allentown on September 10 before playing at Lawrenceville on September 12. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Heather Serverson is putting on her chef’s hat as she looks to find the recipe for success this fall for the Princeton High field hockey team, mixing and matching the ingredients at her disposal.

“I have a lot of players who are midfield/forwards and I have a lot of players who are midfield/backs,” said PHS head coach Serverson, who guided PHS to an 18-4 record last fall on the way to the county final and sectional semis.

“I am trying to figure out who to move where to complement each other. It is all about how they fit together. We are still trying to figure that out, I know there are a couple of ways it will work. It is trying to find the best one so when we hit postseason we can just continue on in our groove.”

Forward Avery Peterson appears to be in a groove as she heads into her junior season.

“I think from her sophomore year into this summer, I have seen more improvement in Avery in that time frame than I have see through the entire time I have been her coach and she has been on varsity with me since she was a freshman,” said Serverson, who is also looking at junior Jordyn Cane, junior Gwen Koehler, junior Kennedy Corrado, sophomore Lisette Dubow, and freshman Marianna Lopez-Ona up top.

“There is a significant difference. I think she has grown into some of her height and she is honing some of her skills. She does a lot of work year round with field hockey being her main sport so it is finally coming together for her, I am really happy to see it.”

Serverson is happy to have senior Trish Reilly back to spearhead the midfield.

“Trish is looking great, she is picking up right where she left off from last year,” asserted Serverson, whose midfield unit could also include junior Georgia McLean, senior Natalie Campisi, junior Anna Cicotta, and Cane. “She is really strong as on offensive mid.”

PHS boasts two strong defenders in seniors Julia Snyder and Lucia Matteo. “Julia is our little anchor,” said Serverson.

“She was sick coming into preseason and has played a few preseason games and seems to be getting back to normal pretty quickly. Lucia is going to be moving back to defense.”

The team’s last line of defense at goalie will feature senior Maggie Welch and sophomore Kate Rogers.

“Margaret and Kate are back in the cage,” said Serverson. “I am hoping to have a situation where they have a competitive practice environment and it is a day-to-day thing. They are both working hard.”

In Serverson’s view, the team’s collection of interchangeable parts gives it a competitive edge.

“I think some of that success is because of the versatility of the players and they are at the point where they realize they need to be versatile rather than me telling them that,” said Serverson whose team is scheduled to open its season by hosting Princeton Day School on September 8 and Allentown on September 10 before playing at Lawrenceville on September 12.

“We have a lot of depth off the bench. If you have that depth in addition to players who can play midfield or back or midfield and forward, how can you go wrong.”