FAST START: Princeton Day School field hockey Lili Flink, right, heads upfield last Wednesday as PHS hosted WW/P-North in its season opener. Junior midfielder Flink starred at both ends of the field as PDS rolled to a 6-0 win over the Northern Knights. In upcoming action, the Panthers, who defeated Robbinsville 5-0 last Monday to improve to 2-0, play at Princeton High on September 12 and at Allentown on September 15. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)

By Bill Alden

Lili Flink had ice packs on both of her knees but was all smiles after the Princeton Day School field hockey team beat WW/P-North 6-0 last Wednesday in its season opener.

Junior midfielder Flink, who sparked the Panthers at both ends of the field in the win, was proud of the way they competed from the opening whistle.

“We came out here with something to prove, we wanted to prove to everyone that even though we lost key players, we are still very much in the game,” said Flink. “We are very together. We think alike. We are a strong team. We are here to prove that all season.”

PDS set the tone early, jumping out to a 3-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

“It felt really good, we changed a lot of positions, leading up to this game from last year and from preseason,” said Flink. “It was a new thing. We all have open minds to new things and different positions. Coming into this, we were just trying to figure out where we all fit in to the team and how we all work together. Getting three goals in the first five minutes was a huge relief. We felt great, it definitely boosted all of the confidence.”

Flink felt great about chipping in on the fourth goal of the day for PDS.

“I was on the assist, I am always looking to pass to get it in,” said Flink. “If it is not my goal, if I can get a touch in that means everything because even my little touch can be someone else’s big moment.”

In reflecting on her role, Flink enjoys contributing at both ends of the field.

“I play club field hockey and I am primarily in the midfield there so I thrive in the midfield,” said Flink, who competes outside of school for Princeton Field Hockey Club. “I love being everywhere. I love dropping back on defense and getting under the ball and just being everywhere I can be.”

Having been sidelined early in her PDS career due to injury, Flink savored getting on the field last year.

“Freshman year I was out all season with a concussion so coming back last year, it was brand new for me,” said Flink. “I had not really played on the field before with that group of people so preseason was really the moment for me to start coming together with everyone on the field and playing the game.”

With that season under her belt, Flink has shouldered more responsibility on and off the field this fall.

“This year I am definitely looking to be a leader on and off the field,” said Flink. “I want to help the underclassmen navigate their way around field hockey and all of that. We have big and little sisters. We all have a pair so each upperclassmen has an underclassmen on field and off field to help them a lot. We train with them, we run with them at practice.”

PDS head coach Heather Farlow sensed that her squad was primed for a big performance in the opener.

“They were really excited,” said Farlow. “It is a nice group of girls. There is a lot of positivity this year. It has been a great two weeks of preseason. We have nice freshmen who have come up through PDS.”

Farlow was excited about her team’s offensive effort against WW/P-North.

“During our scrimmages, I felt like we were in our defensive end quite a bit,” said Farlow, who got two goals from sophomore Olivia Herscovici in the win with junior Sammy Dandy contributing one goal and two assists, senior Brynn Dandy contributing one goal and one assist, freshman Ashlin Brady also tallying one goal and one assist and junior Reagan Falconi adding one goal. “We moved some people around. We talked about maintaining possession in the middle third of the field and how we have to keep it in our offensive end to create some opportunities.”

Having some players from the PDS girls’ ice hockey team that won the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Girls’ Hockey state title this March has given Farlow’s squad an edge.

“They bring a ton of leadership, a ton of confidence, and poise on the ball too,” said Farlow, whose ice hockey players include the Dandy sisters, Kelly Stevens, and Layla Sosner. “It has been good. They compete everyday so that just raises our level of play. They have done it in a way that is really uplifting and positive.”

Sammy Dandy has lifted the Panther attack. “Sammy is an athlete, if she wanted to play field hockey in college she could,” said Farlow of Dandy, who tallied four goals as PDS defeated Robbinsville 5-0 last Monday to improve to 2-0. “She is obviously going to play ice hockey. With her vision on the ball, her acceleration with the ball and the shots, she is a package. We are very fortunate to have her.”

PDS is fortunate to have Flink roaming the midfield.

“Lili was great she has battled some injuries in the last two years,” said Farlow. “She has some knee issues and things like that. She has worked really hard the last two years in the offseason playing for the Princeton Field Hockey Club. I asked her yesterday how do you feel about playing center mid, she said that is what I play at club and I said great, that is where you are playing. She hustles, she is going to work.”

With the Panthers playing at Princeton High on September 12 and at Allentown on September 15, Farlow is looking for her squad to be fearless.

“We are going to make mistakes but mistakes can be opportunities because if you whiff maybe you fake out the opposition and you end up scoring,” said Farlow. “We are trying to just be mindful of that and encourage them to take risks in practice and be first to the ball.”

Flink, for her part, was encouraged by the performance against WW/P-North.

“I think it is a great start to our season; we are just going to keep improving and getting better from here,” said Flink. “I think we need to focus more on the defense, most of our defense are freshmen. It is definitely supporting everyone around the field, no matter who it is or where we are.”