TRIGGERING EVENT: Princeton High boys’ lacrosse player Gavin Pomraning controls the ball in a game last year. Junior attacker Pomraning, who tallied 18 goals and 18 assists in 2025, figures to trigger the PHS offense this season. The Tigers host Peddie on March 26 to open their 2026 campaign. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
While the Princeton High boys’ lacrosse team has worked on fine-tuning its skills and systems in the preseason, a major focus has been on instilling the values that have driven the proud program over the years.
“We have six seniors and they have been doing great,” said PHS head coach Chip Casto, who led the Tigers to a 10-9 record last year as they advanced to the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) semis. “We work pretty hard on the culture of the squad. We get them to a certain place emotionally and mentally. We have two captains and six seniors and we always pull in all six for questions and issues. Obviously they have their ups and downs but they fall in line. They are really good kids, they follow the leader. It has been a good, positive preseason.”
Casto is looking for the one-two punch of junior stars Gavin Pomraning (18 goals and 18 assists in 2025) and Michael Frenia (16 goals, 11 assists) to fill the leadership and production void left by the graduation of Braden Barlag and Brendan Beatty.
“Those two guys haven’t yet fully proven to be at the level of Braden and Brendan but this is their chance to show us if they can get there,” said Casto. “We are going to lean on those two pretty hard.”
Attacker Pomraning has raised the level of his game as he looks to quarterback the PHS offense.
“Gavin looks great, he worked on controlling the offense and seeing the field better,” said Casto, who will also be running junior Koby Smith and sophomore Abe Arshan at attack. “It is not always shoot first but pass first now. He is trying to figure it out as he goes. We are going to move his around the field.”
In the midfield, Frenia is primed to be a force. “Michael is just bigger, faster, stronger, and smarter,” said Casto. “Our team needs to be more aggressive. We need him to really go to goal and take a lot of shots.”
Senior Declan Hughes (14 goals, 11 assists) should provide some aggressive play at both midfield and attack.
“Declan has had a great offseason, that switch flipped from last season,” said Casto. “Emotionally and mentally, he is really ready to have a big season. He and Gavin have grown tight over the offseason and worked a lot. They are going to do well together.”
PHS is depending on senior midfielders and co-captains Carmine Carusone (1 goal, 3 assists) and Nico Pisapia (1 goal, 1 assist) to work well this spring.
“Carmine is doing everything this year, he is a middie for sure,” said Casto, whose midfield will also include sophomore Ray McLaughlin, junior Rami Shehady (3 goals) and junior Ty’Shawn James. “Also in the midfield is our other captain, Nico. They are two of our best middies for sure.”
Carusone and junior Peter Pessutti will be handling faceoff duties.“He is our weapon, I said it last year, as he goes, we go,” said Casto of Carusone, who won 178-of-283 face-offs in 2025 while Pessutti won 2-of-4. “The backup middie, Peter, has really come on. He is a great second face-off guy.”
On defense, junior Ben Kahn will be spearheading the back line.
“Ben is a bigger, stronger, faster athlete,” said Casto, noting that Kahn is getting recruited by some Division III college programs. “He is confident and playing really well.”
Joining Kahn on defense will be senior Quinn Solvibile, junior Julian Frevert, junior Martin Nuckowski, and junior Leif Fransson.
“They are just competing hard,” said Casto of his back line. “We are going to rotate those guys through right now.”
The Tigers have a good competition going at goalie between senior Jacob Topolewski and sophomore Sam Gibb (118 saves in 2025), who started last year and is currently sidelined due to surgery.
“We had a scrimmage on Thursday and Jacob played great,” said Casto. “He brings stability. He’s been there, he is ready to play. He is super humble. Sam has to play his way back. He has a calm wisdom to him, he thinks the game really well. It is good to have him back there. It is a good problem for a team to have two goalies that can play.”
In Casto’s view, the Tigers will need to play the possession game to excel this spring.
“Because the offense is a little light, we need to win face-offs and have the ball,” said Casto. “We need to win the possession battle. I think all of the stats show whoever takes the most shots wins the game. Basically that equates to possessions and, in our case, to winning faceoffs. If we win faceoffs we can win games 9-7, 8-5. It is a good bunch of kids, they work hard every day.”