A-PLUS: Princeton Day School girls’ soccer player Ava Katz kicks the ball in action last season. Sophomore forward Katz, who tallied five goals and 17 assists last fall in her debut campaign for PDS, figures to be a key offensive weapon this fall for the Panthers. PDS gets its 2024 season going by playing at Peddie School on September 5 and then hosting the Hun School on September 7. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As the players on the Princeton Day School girls’ soccer team have gone through their preseason preparation, the squad’s veterans are looking to reproduce last year’s heroics.

With PDS having ended its 2023 campaign with a stirring run to the program’s first-ever New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public A title, the Panther returners got a boost of confidence from that achievement. more

KICKING OFF: Hun School boys’ soccer goalie Diego Pena clears the ball in a 2022 game. Senior Pena is primed to produce a big final campaign in his third season as starter for the Raiders. Hun kicks off its 2024 season by playing at Hopewell Valley on September 7 and hosting Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (Pa.) on September 10. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Pat Quirk likes the vibe he is seeing around his Hun School boys’ soccer team as it has gone through its preseason training.

“Guys are excited, it is a really great group of kids that are super connected,” said Hun head coach Quirk who guided the Raiders to a 9-9-1 record last fall on the way to the Prep A state semifinals. “They are very supportive of each other. It is a good returning group who because of injuries last year, most of them saw a significant amount of time.”

Hun boasts some exciting players at forward in senior Toba Olaleye (3 goals, 3 assists in 2023), senior Luke Donahue (5 goals), senior Luciano Verduci (3 goals, 2 assists), and senior Hayden Gronczewski. more

AIRING IT OUT: Princeton High football quarterback Travis Petrone fires a pass in a game last season. Senior star Petrone, who threw for 564 years and six touchdowns in 2023, is primed to trigger the Tiger offense this fall. PHS opens its 2024 campaign by playing at Lawrence High on August 30. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

With the Princeton High football team having gone 5-4 last year to post its first winning season since an 8-2 campaign in 2014, the bar has been set higher this year.

PHS will be facing much stiffer competition this fall as it will be resuming matchups against such local foes as Allentown, Trenton Central, Hamilton West, Ewing, Nottingham, and Robbinsville. more

GIFT OF GAB: Gabrielle Zammit makes a call from her coxswain spot as the Princeton National Rowing Association (PNRA)/Mercer Junior Rowing men’s varsity eight competed at the Royal Henley Regatta in England earlier this summer. Recent Princeton High grad Zammit helped the Mercer boat advance to the quarterfinals of the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at Henley. Zammit will be continuing her crew career this fall as she joins the Stanford University men’s rowing program. (Photo provided by Gabrielle Zammit)

By Bill Alden

Heading into middle school, Gabrielle Zammit’s athletic focus centered on the ice rink.

“My whole family is like a huge ice hockey family,” said Zammit, whose older siblings Alexa and Victoria starred for the PHS girls’ hockey team while John was a mainstay for the Tiger boys’ program. “I started skating as soon around I could walk and then I played through middle school.” more

MORE TO COME: Nick Matese, left, marks a Notre Dame High player last fall in his senior season for the Princeton High boys’ soccer team. Star center back and co-captain Matese helped PHS go 22-2 last fall on the way to winning the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 4 state championship. Matese is currently in preseason training as he starts his college career with the Swarthmore College men’s soccer team. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Nick Matese started playing soccer when he was three years old and saw no reason to leave the game after wrapping up his Princeton High career last fall.

“Soccer has been a big part of my life,” said Matese, who starred at center back last fall as the PHS boys’ soccer team won the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 4 state championship. “There were some really good coaches that inspired me and helped me grow as a player as I was getting into high school. I didn’t really want to give it up just yet.” more

SOCKING IT TO THEM: Natan Wysocki competes in a meet earlier this summer for the Community Park Bluefish swim team. Wysocki helped the Bluefish place first in the team standings at the Princeton-Area Swimming and Diving Association (PASDA) championship meet last month. Wysocki finished first in the 50-yard freestyle and second in the 50 backstroke at the meet. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Kelsey Schwimmer saw a greater intensity around the Community Park Bluefish swim team this summer than in the past.

“One of the things that stood out to me was how much participation and involvement we had,” said Bluefish co-head coach Schwimmer. “It is always pretty high, but we were seeing huge turnouts at our morning practices. Usually that first hour is a little less well attended because it is earlier, but it was full every single day. I think that really just goes to show how hard our coaching staff was working and how much the kids were enjoying it and excited to come out and swim and be with their friends.” more

BALLHAWK: Adriana Salzano, left, controls the ball in a game last fall during her senior season for the Princeton Day School girls’ soccer team. Salzano, who helped PDS win the first New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public A title in program history in 2023, is currently in preseason training with the Monmouth University women’s soccer team. She is looking to make an immediate impact when the Hawks play at Temple on August 15 in their season opener. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Adriana Salzano emerged as a star right away during freshmen season for the Princeton Day School girls’ soccer team in 2020, scoring a team-high nine goals as the Panthers went 10-1 in a season curtailed by COVID-19 concerns.

This fall, Salzano is aiming to be a major contributor from the outset as she starts her career with the Monmouth University women’s soccer team.

“I definitely want to come in there and make an impact as early as possible just like I did in my freshman year in high school,” said Salzano, who started preseason training earlier this month as the Hawks prepare for their season opener at Temple on August 15. “I went into PDS, I had a goal to start and help the team in any way that I could. That is my same goal for Monmouth. Another big one is that I want to be the CAA (Coastal Athletic Association) Rookie of the Year. I know it is a big one to reach for but if I work hard, there is no limit to that.” more

ROCK ON: Pasquale Carusone, right, goes after the ball last fall in his senior season for the Princeton High boys’ soccer team. Carusone scored a team-high 28 goals last season to help PHS win the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 4 state championship. Carusone is heading to the University of Rochester this week to start preseason train for his freshman campaign with Yellowjacket men’s soccer team. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

A dream is coming true for Pasquale Carusone this week as he starts preseason training for his freshman season with University of Rochester men’s soccer team.

For Carusone, who starred last fall as the Princeton High boys’ soccer team won the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 4 state championship, his rise up the ladder in the sport has been motivated by the goal of someday being a college player.

“I feel like playing in college is really important for me,” said Carusone, noting that he started shooting for that when he got into the game as a youngster. “When I played the sport, it was always to move to the next level. I started at PSA (Princeton Soccer Academy) and then my dad said if you want to take it to the next level, you should go to PDA (Players Development Academy). I moved to PDA and worked my way up to the MLS Next team. That was probably the best spot to get recruited at. I got my looks and stuff like that.” more

ENCORE PERFORMANCE: Members of the Princeton Supply team celebrate after they topped Lob City 42-26 last Wednesday at the Community Park courts to sweep the best-of-three championship series in the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League. It marked the second straight league title for Princeton Supply, who went 12-0 this summer. (Photo provided courtesy of Princeton Recreation Department)

By Bill Alden

After Princeton Supply won ugly with a lackluster 41-39 victory over Lob City in the opener of the best-of-three championship series of the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League, Troy Jones and his teammates were determined to produce a sharper performance in game two.

“We knew we didn’t shoot particularly well out here on Monday, it was probably our worst game of the season,” said Jones, explaining the team’s mindset coming into the contest last Wednesday night at the Community Park courts. “We all talked after the game, we knew we played a bad game. It happens but we still won. Coming in today, it was we know how to play basketball. We know how to win so we came with the mindset of forget Monday.” more

FAMED DUO: Ben Stentz, left, and Evan Moorhead are all smiles after they were both inducted into the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League’s Hall of Fame last Wednesday evening at the Community Park courts. Stentz served as the commissioner of the summer hoops league for 15 years and became the executive director of the Rec Department. Moorhead succeeded him in both roles and still holds those positions. (Photo provided courtesy of Princeton Recreation Department)

By Bill Alden

It was an idea hatched by Ben Stentz and Evan Moorhead in 2008 over some pizza and beer at Conte’s.

Brainstorming over ways to best celebrate the 20th season of the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League, Stentz suggested creating a league Hall of Fame. more

MAMMOTH PROGRESS: Kate Becker heads upfield in 2022 during her senior season for the Princeton High girls’ lacrosse team. Becker has continued her lacrosse career at the next level for the Amherst College women’s program and emerged as a key playmaker for the Mammoths this spring. Attacker Becker tallied 18 goals and a team-high 17 assists in her sophomore campaign to help Amherst go 8-8. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

After being slowed by injury in her debut campaign for the Amherst College women’s lacrosse team in 2023, Kate Becker got up to speed this spring.

Former Princeton High standout Becker tallied 18 goals and a team-high 17 assists in her sophomore season to help the Mammoths go 8-8. more