BIG BEN: Princeton High baseball player Ben Walden connects with the ball in game this spring. Junior Walden emerged as key player for PHS this season, helping the Tigers go 6-16. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Starting the last week of the regular season with a bang, the Princeton High baseball team rallied to defeat Bound Brook 10-9.

“That was a good win, especially at that point because we knew we still had a shot to get into the state tournament,” said PHS head coach Dom Capuano, whose squad scored a run on the bottom of the seventh inning to pull out the victory. “It was a tough one. It was back and forth and to finish that off was good.”

Unable to build on that triumph, the Tigers fell 17-1 to Seneca on May 16 and 10-0 to Franklin two days later as they failed to make the state tournament and ended the spring with a 6-16 record. more

POWER PITCHING: Princeton Day School baseball player Dylan Powers fires a pitch in recent action. Sophomore Powers proved to be a bright spot for PDS with his arm and bat as the Panthers went 1-22 this spring. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

It would have been understandable if Eric Schnepf got discouraged as the Princeton Day School baseball team went 1-22 this spring in his first season at the helm of the program.

Schnepf, though, will have fond memories of his debut campaign notwithstanding the win-loss record.

“It was great; when kids share your love of the game and want to compete, it makes it easy,” said Schnepf. “I was lucky to have a good group who gave me their all. They wanted to be challenged, they wanted me to hold them to a higher standard. When they met that level, I let them know and when they didn’t reach that level, I let them know. They can take criticism, they wanted to be coached. When they play well, they motivate themselves. They inspire the guys around them. I had a blast. I hope the kids had as much fun as I did.” more

ABBY ROAD: Hun School girls’ lacrosse player Abby O’Brien heads upfield in a game this spring. Senior attacker and Stevens Institute of Technology-bound O’Brien scored a team-high 66 points this spring on 50 goals and 16 assists to help Hun go 10-6. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

After the Hun School girls’ lacrosse team fell 8-7 in overtime to Notre Dame in the Mercer County Tournament quarterfinals, the squad could have got through the motions as it ended the season with two regular season contests.

Instead, Hun saved its best for last, topping Robbinsville 13-9 on May 10 and then defeating Princeton High 18-11 in its season finale on May 16. more

JOLLY GOOD: Hun School baseball player Mike Jolly follows through on swing in recent action. Senior outfielder/first baseman Jolly enjoyed a big final week of his Hun career, helping the Raiders advance to the Mercer County Tournament final on Friday where it fell 5-3 to Allentown and then win the Prep A state title by topping Peddie 2-0 last Monday in a winner-take-all finale of the double-elimination tournament. Hun, which also won the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) title this season, finished the spring with a 19-8 record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Displaying its resilience, the fourth-seeded Hun School baseball team started a run to the Mercer County Tournament final by rallying from a 7-0 deficit to edge fifth-seeded Steinert 9-7 in the quarterfinal round.

In the semis, Hun stunned top-seeded Notre Dame 5-3 on May 16 to earn a spot in the final against sixth-seeded Allentown as the Raiders went for a second straight county crown.

As Hun took the field at the Trenton Thunder Ballpark last Friday evening for the final, Michael Jolly and his teammates were fired up to go for the title repeat.

“We put together two very good games against Steinert and Notre Dame, two very good programs themselves,” said senior outfielder/first baseman Jolly. “I was proud of the way we fought and clawed out way back to the championship. There was a lot of people here, bright lights; it is cool to play in an atmosphere like this.” more

TROPHY PRESENTATION: Members of the Princeton Day School boys’ tennis team show off the silverware they earned for winning the Prep B state title last week. PDS dominated the opening weekend of the competition, advancing to the finals in all five flights, clinching the team title before even playing the championship round. The Panthers earned individual titles in three flights as Heyang Li came through at first singles while Josh Chu won at second singles and the first doubles pair of Oliver Silverio and Steven Li prevailed in their final. In upcoming action, PDS will be competing in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public, South Jersey tourney where they are seeded fourth and will host 13th-seeded Moorestown Friends in a first round match on May 26.

By Bill Alden

There wasn’t much drama but a lot of excitement for the Princeton Day School boys’ tennis team as it rolled to the Prep B state title last week.

PDS dominated the opening weekend of the competition, advancing to the finals in all five flights, clinching the team title before even playing the championship round.

Last Wednesday at Wardlaw-Hartridge, the Panthers earned individual titles in three flights as Heyang Li was victorious at first singles while Josh Chu won at second singles and the first doubles pair of Oliver Silverio and Steven Li prevailed in their final. more

MAKING HISTORY: Members of the Princeton High girls’ golf team are all smiles after they placed first in the Mercer County Tournament last Wednesday at the Mercer Oaks East course. Pictured, from left, are head coach Jess Monzo, Jacqueline Zang, Rachel McInerney, Tia Sindu, Raima Srivastava, and Madeleine Zang. The Tigers, who are in their first year as an official program, had a team score of 327 to defeat runner-up WW/P-South by 10 strokes. PHS went on to take second in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Sectional Tournament at Stanton Ridge Golf Club in Whitehouse Station last Monday. The Tigers are next in action when they compete in the State Championships on May 16 at the Raritan Valley Country Club in Bridgewater.

By Bill Alden

When Madeleine Zang came to Princeton High in 2019, she wasn’t sure if there was an avenue at the school for her to pursue a passion for golf.

“I was hoping there was some sort of golf team or something, hopefully a girls team,” said Zang, who started playing competitively as an 8-year-old in New York and moved to the Princeton area before starting high school. “There was no girls’ team; when I started out freshman year, there was just a coed team.”

Zang played with the boys, emerging as a key performer for the squad. more

ATTACK MENTALITY: Princeton High boys’ lacrosse player Patrick Kenah cradles the ball in a game earlier this season. Last Thursday, junior attacker Kenah tallied eight goals and one assist, including the game-tying and game-winning goals, to help PHS rally for a thrilling 13-12 overtime triumph against the Ravens. The Tigers, who improved to 7-5 with the win, were slated to host Lawrence High on May 9 before starting play in the Mercer County Tournament. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Coming into the spring, Patrick Kenah got a tutorial on the keys to taking the reins of the attack for the Princeton High boys’ lacrosse team.

Junior star Kenah consulted Will Doran, the leading scorer in the state last spring in his senior season for PHS, to get some tips.

“Will was a great leader of mine; I talked to him before the season about what I should be doing,” said Kenah of Doran, who is currently playing for the Williams College men’s lax program. “He gave me all of the good stuff to know.” more

MIGHTY QUINN: Princeton High girls’ lacrosse player Quinn Gallagher sprints upfield in recent action. Last Saturday, freshman Gallagher tallied two goals as PHS lost 14-2 at Peddie. The Tigers, who fell 17-3 to Allentown in the Mercer County Tournament quarterfinals last Monday to drop to 6-6, host Monroe on May 12 before playing at Northern Burlington on May 13 and at the Hun School on May 16. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Quinn Gallagher picked up lacrosse as a little girl by tagging along with her oldest sister Reece.

“I started playing with Reece when I was really young,” said Gallagher. “We got into it together.”

This spring, freshman Quinn has joined senior Reece and their other sister, junior Avery, on the Princeton High girls’ lacrosse team.

“I am excited to play with all three of us together,” said Gallagher, whose father, Charlie, is the head coach of the PHS football team. “They push me to be my best.” more

GOAL-ORIENTED: Princeton Day School girls’ lacrosse player Sophie Jaffe heads to goal in recent action. Last Wednesday, senior attacker Jaffe tallied four goals, including the game-winner, as PDS edged Notre Dame 12-11. Two days later, she scored three goals, including the 100th of her career, as the Panthers fell 16-6 to the Lawrenceville School. PDS defeated Peddie 20-10 in the Mercer County Tournament quarterfinals last Monday to improve to 8-4 as Jaffe tallied five more goals. The third-seeded Panthers will now face second-seeded Allentown in the MCT semis on May 11. In addition, PDS was slated to host Pennington in the Prep B state semis on May 9. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Sophie Jaffe had the game on her stick for the Princeton Day School girls’ lacrosse team as it played at Notre Dame High last Wednesday afternoon.

With the foes locked in an 11-11 tie and 30 seconds remaining in regulation, Jaffe had a free position opportunity in front of the Notre Dame goal.

Senior attacker Jaffe felt the pressure of the moment as she waited for the whistle.

“It was just to get that first step off the 8-meter, I wanted make sure that I was bouncing off that line, beating the defenders, and tucking my stick, making sure I was protecting the ball,” said Jaffe. “I was a little nervous, I didn’t know if it was going to go in or not.” more

SERVING NOTICE: Princeton High boys’ tennis junior star Melvin Huang follows through on a serve last week at the Mercer County Tournament. Huang took the title at second singles, helping PHS roll to the team title. It marked the first county crown for the program since 2003. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

It was a shot that exemplified the skill and verve displayed by the Princeton High boys’ tennis team last week at the Mercer County Tournament.

Playing in the second singles final last Wednesday at the Mercer County Park tennis complex, junior star Melvin Huang chased down a shot from Joshua Chu of Princeton Day School in the first set and flipped it between his legs over his foe for a winner.

Huang went on to win the match in straight sets, providing one of many highlights as PHS rolled to the title, winning the program’s first MCT crown since 2003. more

CROWNING MOMENT: Members of the Princeton High boys’ golf team are all smiles as they won the Mercer County Tournament last week at the Mercer Oaks West course. The squad tied Allentown at 299 through 18 holes and then won the title after carding the lowest score on the first hole in a 10-man playoff. It marked the program’s first MCT crown since 2007. Pictured, from left, are Walter Gumbinger, Brooks Cahill-Sanidas, Wes Yonish, Peter Eaton, Benji Tarter, and head coach Pat Noone.

By Bill Alden

For Pat Noone, it had the feel of a movie scene when his Princeton High boys’ golf team faced Allentown in a 10-man playoff after the foes had tied for first at the Mercer County Tournament last week at the Mercer Oaks West course.

“It was cool because you had 200 people standing around watching, it looked like something out of the Legend of Bagger Vance,” said PHS head coach Noone, whose squad and the Redbirds both had a score of 299 at the end of the 18-hole competition. “It was a great atmosphere.”

The Tigers came through in the playoff, winning the first hole by one stroke as they carded three pars and a bogey while the Redbirds had two pars and two bogeys. more

CREASE CONTROL: Princeton Day School boys’ lacrosse goalie Jake Harrison and the PDS defense stifle a foe in recent action. Last Monday, the Panther backline stood tall as second-seeded PDS defeated fourth-seeded Gill St. Bernard’s 9-6 in the Prep B state final. It marked the first Prep B crown for PDS since 2017. The Panthers, now 8-4, play at Hun on May 3. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

After edging Gill St. Bernard’s 8-7 in a regular season contest on April 11, the Princeton Day School boys’ lacrosse team found itself trailing the Knights 4-2 at halftime last Monday when the foes met for a rematch in the Prep B state final.

PHS senior defender Ace Ewanchyna, though, was not concerned about fourth-seeded Gill turning the tables on the second-seeded Panthers.

“It was the first half, the coaches were saying there was a long way to go, a whole new game,” said Ewanchyna. “We were doing some preventable things, like letting guys cut backside, stuff like that. On offense we were just a little bit slow; we made some errors like dropping passes, stuff like that. We just had to clean some things up and play our game.” more

DAZZLING DEBUT: Princeton Day School boys’ tennis player Heyang Li smacks a forehand last week at the Mercer County Tournament. Sophomore star Li made a memorable debut at the MCT, upsetting defending county and state champion Jonathan Gu of Princeton High in the final to win the title at first singles. Li’s heroics helped PDS finish third in the team standings at the event. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Heyang Li opted not to play for the Princeton Day School boys’ tennis team last spring as a freshman so he could focus on USTA tournaments.

Coming into 2023, Li took some advice to heart and decided to join the PDS squad.

“One of my private coaches, Glenn Michibata, helped convince me to play high school tennis because he thought it was really fun,” said Li. “It is really fun playing with all of these guys.”

Last week, Li had a lot of fun as he won the first singles title at the Mercer County Tournament, upsetting defending county and state champion Jonathan Gu of Princeton High 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the final. more

KAT QUICK: Hun School softball player Kat Xiong makes contact in recent action. Senior center fielder Xiong has been starring with her bat and glove as Hun has gotten off to a 12-0 start. In upcoming action, the Raiders play at Robbinsville High on May 4 and at the Blair Academy on May 6 before hosting the Peddie School on May 9. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Kat Xiong got off to a rough start as the Hun School softball team hosted South Hunterdon last Thursday.

Senior star center fielder Xiong uncharacteristically struck out looking as she batted second in the bottom of the first inning.

Displaying her poise, Xiong didn’t let that disappointing at-bat get her down.

“I just cleared my head and forgot about it,” said Xiong. “It was just a fluke, it was next one.” more

ALL IN: Stuart County Day School lacrosse player Allison Lee heads upfield in a 2022 game. Sophomore star midfielder Lee has sparked the Stuart attack this spring, tallying 61 goals through 11 games to rank in the top 10 in goals in New Jersey. The Tartans, who lost 16-13 to Pennington last Monday in moving to 2-9, host Steinert on May 6 and then start play in the Mercer County Tournament on May 8. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Allison Lee is piling up some impressive stats this spring for the Stuart County Day School lacrosse team.

Talented sophomore midfielder Lee tallied 51 goals through Stuart’s first nine games, the seventh most goals in the state.

But Lee will tell you that her prolific scoring is the product of a group effort rather than any individual brilliance on her part.

“I could not have done it without this team, they have always been supporting me and have been with me every step of the way,” said Lee, after scoring four goals in an 11-8 loss to Steinert last Wednesday evening under the lights at Hamilton Veterans Park.  more

HAPPY RETURN: Princeton High girls’ lacrosse player Sarah Henderson celebrates after a goal in recent action. Junior attacker Henderson, who has returned to action this spring after being sidelined by a knee injury last season, has emerged as a key offensive weapon for the Tigers. Last Wednesday, Henderson tallied two goals and three assists to help PHS defeat Hopewell Valley 18-14. The Tigers, who lost 13-4 to Notre Dame last Thursday to move to 4-2, hosts Lawrence High on April 26, play at Lawrenceville School on April 28, and then host WW/P-North on May 1. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

For Sarah Henderson, getting on the field this year for the Princeton High girls’ lacrosse team required some grit and persistence.

Injuring her right knee in August, 2021, Henderson was sidelined last spring as she underwent a grueling and painstaking rehab process.

Returning to action for the 2023 campaign, junior attacker Henderson has quickly established herself as a key offensive weapon for the Tigers. more

FINISHING KICK: Princeton High boys’ distance running star Andrew Kenny, right, edges Shaurya Srivastava of WW/P-South at the Mercer County cross country championship meet in 2021. Last Saturday, senior star Kenny helped the PHS distance medley relay quartet place first at the Mercer County Relays. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Justin Feil

Andrew Kenny helped the Princeton High boys’ distance medley relay win at the Mercer Count Relays last Saturday, thrilled to finally be contributing again to the Tiger squad.

It’s something that the PHS senior has been missing the most while sidelined for the cross country and indoor track and field seasons due to a hip injury. more

ON THE BALL: Princeton Day School baseball shortstop Ryan Vandal scoops up a grounder in recent action. Senior star Vandal has been a bright spot for PDS this spring. The Panthers, who fell 18-0 to Princeton High last Monday to move to 0-11, host the Blair Academy on April 26 before playing at the Pennington School on April 27. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Ryan Vandal got things started on the right note for the Princeton Day School baseball team as it hosted South Hunterdon last Thursday.

Leadoff hitter Vandal drew a walk in the bottom of the first inning, stole a base and came around to score as PDS as jumped out to a 1-0 lead.

“We have been starting to play some better baseball,” said senior shortstop Vandal. “We had a lead against Peddie, that was a shootout (an 18-15 loss on April 14), it was a football score. We are getting some leads. We are starting to play a lot better than at the start of the year.” more