CREASE CONTROL: Princeton Day School girls’ hockey goalie Kelly Stevens guards the crease in recent action. Last Thursday, senior star Stevens made 27 saves to earn a shutout as second-seeded PDS defeated fifth-seeded Oak Knoll 5-0 in the quarterfinal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Girls’ Hockey Tournament. The Panthers, now 12-3, face third-seeded Immaculate Heart Academy in a semifinal contest on March 4 at the Mennen Arena with the victor advancing to the state final on March 9 at the Prudential Center. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)
By Bill Alden
Kelly Stevens got to relax a little bit in the early going last Thursday as the Princeton Day School girls’ hockey team hosted Oak Knoll in the quarterfinal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Girls’ Hockey Tournament.
With second-seeded PDS dominating possession and jumping out to a 3-0 lead over fifth-seeded Oak Knoll in the first seven minutes of the contest, Panther senior goalie Stevens was basically a spectator during that outburst.
“We came out really strong, which is something we want to do,” said Stevens. “We make it important for us to come out strong, that definitely set the tone.”
But with its season on the line, Oak Knoll fought back, generating nine shots in the first period as Stevens got busy.
”I think that the more shots I get, the better I play,” said Stevens.
“It can get a little boring. It is good for our team to score a lot but then it is hard on me because I don’t get a lot of shots. It was nice, that helped us with the game. There were some rough spots that we were able to overcome because we started so well.”
The Panthers scored two more goals in the second period and Stevens held the fort from there as PDS prevailed 5-0. The Panthers, now 12-3, will face third-seeded Immaculate Heart Academy in a semifinal contest on March 4 at the Mennen Arena with the victor advancing to the state final on March 9 at the Prudential Center.
Reflecting on the win, Stevens was pumped to earn the shutout, her fourth of the season.
“It feels good, I don’t like to let up goals,” said a smiling Stevens, who recorded 27 saves in the win. “Hopefully I can carry that through to the next game. Defense helps a lot, they cleared out in the front of the crease and there were no breakaways. That really helped today.”
With PDS dealing with some injuries, coming through against Oak Knoll was a matter of next player up.
“We have some newer players that weren’t playing a lot and they played great,” said Stevens. “It definitely should boost our confidence. It boosts my confidence. I feel pretty good after that game.”
In her second year with the PDS program, Stevens relishes being the last line of defense for the squad as its lone goalie.
“I enjoy it, I have the responsibility,” said Stevens, who has made 328 saves so far this season with a .940 save percentage. “I have gotten used to this level of play. I have been playing better, I understand my defense. I know exactly what position I can be in and what rebounds I can let up.”
For Stevens, playing goalie is something she started in elementary school.
“My older brother played defense and when he started he would just shoot in the house on me when I was about five,” said Stevens. “I had this little [Martin] Brodeur stick because he was my favorite goalie. He would just shoot on me and then I just became a goalie because of that. I started with street hockey — there was a street hockey league in my town. I started around five and I brought that to ice hockey when I was 8.”
With her local school, Cherokee High, not having a girls’ hockey team, Stevens transferred to PDS in the fall of 2024 to join its program. She made an immediate impact, recording 288 saves with a save percentage of .941 as she helped the Panthers win their first-ever NJSIAA girls’ hockey state title.
“It is awesome, the girls are so nice and the school is great,” said Stevens, in reflecting on making that move. “I love this team and I love the league. It is competitive, it is great. I have really enjoyed it. It is the best decision I made, coming here.”
Looking ahead to the semifinal matchup with IHA, Stevens is expecting a competitive game.
“They are a great team,” said Stevens of the Blue Eagles, who PDS defeated in two regular season contests this winter before edging then 3-2 in the Librera Cup semi on February 10. “I feel confident, especially after this game. We have a lot of good energy going into the next game.”
PHS co-head coach Jamie Davis acknowledged that it was crucial for the Panthers to jump out to an early lead against Oak Knoll as it was banged up.
“We are hanging in there, we have had some injuries,” said Davis.
“That is what we needed. We hung onto the lead. Losing your top center (Della Gilligan) after we already had our other top center (Layla Klapak) out today, it was a tough game.”
The toughness of Stevens between the pipes helped PDS hold off Oak Knoll.
“You can win any game with Kelly in net,” said Davis. “It doesn’t matter who the opponent is. It is just stability back there.”
Davis was proud of how the Panthers persevered in the win.
“Everyone stepped up today,” added Davis. “It is going to get tougher, hopefully we have all of our players back.”
Sophomore forward Layla Sosner stepped up in particular against the Blue Eagles, tallying two goals and one assist.
“She is playing really well, she is definitely much improved this year from last year,” said Davis of Sosner. “She is finding her game right now.”
The Panthers will need to bring their A-game to top IHA in the state semi.
“It is a good team, we are 3-0 against them this year,” said Davis. “It will be tough to go 4-0 without some of our top players. We will see what happens.”
Returning to the Prudential Center for a second straight appearance in the state final has been at the top of mind for the Panthers since the beginning of the season.
“That is what we want, that is the goal,” said Davis. “We just want to get there. It is fun, the girls have a great time. It is a really cool experience for them so obviously that is what we strive for. It is one game at a time.”
Stevens, for her part, is confident that PDS can book another trip to the Rock.
“We talk about that a lot,” said Stevens. “That has been our goal the whole time — to make it back to the Rock and face a good team and hopefully repeat what we did last year. We definitely have the group of girls to do it.”