REYNOLDS WRAP: Princeton High boys’ soccer Bram Reynolds II, right, battles a foe for the ball in a game last season. Junior defender Reynolds will be counted on to shore up the back line for the Tigers this fall. PHS starts its 2026 campaign by hosting St. Joseph (Metuchen) on September 3 and Marlboro on September 5. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)
By Bill Alden
Ryan Walsh is banking on experience to make the difference this fall for his Princeton High boys’ soccer team.
“We have a super-heavy senior team, we have 16 seniors,” said PHS head coach Walsh, who led the Tigers to a 16-5-1 record last fall as they made the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) tournament final.
“They are really good friends with each other, it is a really close-knit team. It is fun to be around. It is a blessing and a curse to be part of our program because a lot of guys don’t get a chance to show what they can do until later in their careers. We do have some seniors who played JV last year and are good players. I am excited for them.”
Walsh is excited to have sophomore Yadier Fries and senior Simon Danos Peltekian (6 goals, 1 assist in 2025) playing up top.
“Yadier has been starting for us at forward, he is really quick and really good on the ball,” said Walsh, whose team starts its 2026 campaign by hosting St. Joseph (Metuchen) on September 3 and Marlboro on September 5. “He is maybe 5’4, he is a little guy but he is a very good soccer player. He has a super high soccer IQ and he loves the game. Simon is going to be up top for us too. He is a big, strong, fast kid. He is going to be an asset for us. Those are the two main guys at forward.”
The Tigers boast a one-two punch in the midfield with senior Tacto Yamada (1 assist) and the return of Harvey Smith, who tallied eight goals and 11 assists in 2023 as a freshman to help PHS win the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 4 state title but played the last two years in the MLS Next program.
“Tacto is so good and what is crazy is that it is really difficult to play at a varsity level in our program and not play club soccer,” said Walsh of Yamada, who stars for the PHS boys’ tennis team in the spring.
“He only plays in the summertime and the fall, He is just a great athlete. He has great balance and is always so fit. He has a great engine. He was voted one of the captains of our team. We are really excited to have Harvey back. He was so great for us freshman year. The team voted him captain as well, he is also a great leader.”
The trio of sophomore Ian Brito, junior Cesar Carrera (3 goals), and senior Riccardo Meloni (1 assist) will be joining Yamada and Smith in the midfield.
“Ian is playing really well,” said Walsh. “He is similar to Yadier. He has a super high soccer IQ. He is a soccer junkie. These are guys that are able to play with Harvey and who see the game really well. Our goal is to surround Harvey with some soccer IQ guys so they can combine. Cesar will start on the left. Riccardo is starting on the right side.”
Senior Kian Asiaie (2 goals, 3 assists) will be anchoring the middle of the back line along with senior Alborz Khorsandi (2 goals, 1 assist).
“Kian is playing center back, he is doing well,” said Walsh, noting that Asiaie is also serving as a team captain. “He is really embracing that move to center back. He has been asking for it for a couple of years, he plays there in club. Last year we had him in the midfield a little bit and we slid him back to the back. He looks really comfortable there. He is playing next to Alborz. Those two guys are best friends. They are really experienced and are on the same page with one another.”
On the outside, PHS will be featuring junior Bram Reynolds II (1 goal, 3 assists) and senior Griffin Short.
“As a sophomore we brought him along slowly, he played a little mid and a little defense,” said Walsh. “Towards the end of the year last year, he really came on strong for us. He played so well. In the first two weeks, he has been great. He does everything we have asked for. Griffin is playing right back for us.”
With last year’s starting goalkeeper, Ari Rosenblum, joining the MLS Next program for his junior year, sophomore Alex Wayne will be stepping into that spot.
“Alex played on the JV team last year, he is a full-time soccer guy and we have a lot of confidence in him,” said Walsh. “We also have a lot of confidence in our very experienced back four to make Alex as comfortable as possible, especially early in the year with his first games on the varsity level.”
Looking ahead to the fall, Walsh believes his squad can play at a high level if its Class of ’27 avoids a case of senioritis.
“The senior class needs to continue to progress, many of these guys are third year varsity guys,” said Walsh. “I am hoping to lean on their experience. A lot of these guys as sophomores won a lot of games and a lot of titles. I am hoping that they can continue that with their leadership here. Fall of your senior year is challenging because these guys are applying to colleges. We just have to make sure that these guys continue to stay focused on the team. That is a big thing with a senior heavy team.”