ON THE BALL: Princeton Day School field hockey player Sammy Dandy dribbles upfield in action this fall. Junior forward Dandy tallied 28 goals and six assists to help PDS go 11-5 this season. The Panthers, who went 6-10 in 2024, advanced to the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) semifinals and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public North Jersey sectional quarterfinal. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)
By Bill Alden
With the Princeton Day School field hockey coming off of a 6-10 season in 2024, the squad’s seniors were determined to set an upbeat tone this fall.
“They are a nice group, very inclusive in terms of their leadership,” said PDS head coach Heather Farlow of her senior class, which included Brynn Dandy, Ishnoor Kaur, Amelia Lach, Arden Reilly, and Kelly Stevens. “They were competitive and stayed positive throughout the season.”
That positive mentality paid dividends as the Panthers enjoyed a reversal of fortune, going 11-5 and advancing to the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) semifinals and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public North Jersey sectional quarterfinal.
Making the CVC semis was special for a senior group that advanced to the Mercer County Tournament final round in their first year with the program.
“It was really cool to get back there,” said Farlow. “The seniors were there when they were freshmen, so they were able to bookend their career.”
In the Non-Public North opener, the seniors extended their careers as fifth-seeded PDS defeated 12th-seeded Newark Academy 6-1.
“That was really good,” said Farlow of the win, which saw PDS junior star Sammy Dandy tally four goals and one assist. “We didn’t really step it up until the end. It was like we needed something to happen and relax people a little bit and feel like they could put on the gas.”
The run by the Panthers ended as they fell 5-1 to fourth-seeded Kent Place in the quarterfinal round.
“They were very well organized, they are good,” said Farlow. “They were clearly the better team but I think it could have been closer.”
In assessing the program’s turnaround, Farlow attributed it to players taking on more responsibility on the field.
“I think that we were able to really have some kids that haven’t had big roles on the team really step up to turn it around,” said Farlow. “It was just winning a couple of key games gave us confidence. Amelia and Arden were our captains, so they kind of anchored that. Brynn Dandy (5 goals, nine assists), Lili Flink (4 assists), and Olivia Herscovici (4 goals, 2 assists) stepped up and then the addition of Kelly in goal was huge.”
The offensive production of junior star Sammy Dandy, who tallied 28 goals and six assists, was a huge factor in the squad’s success.
“She didn’t play in every game, so it was like 4.133 points per game, which is impressive,” said Farlow. “With her change of direction, her explosiveness, she just has that ability. She is a true center forward. She demands the ball and she finishes. I find that because of her playing ice hockey, her head is up.”
With such returners as junior Flink and sophomore Herscovici along with freshman Ashlin Brady (5 goals, 1 assist), junior Reagan Falconi (3 goals, 2 assists), sophomore Layla Sosner (1 goal), sophomore Joline Su (2 goals), and sophomore Lena Wijaya (1 goal), PDS has a solid foundation in place going forward.
“We have some young players who really know what is like to be on a winning team, but also just a warm and positive team where you just include people,” said Farlow. “We are excited about next year.”