MR. BIG SHOT: Princeton University men’s basketball player Douglas Davis heads to the basket in Princeton’s 59-57 loss to Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA tournament this past March. It was Davis’ buzzer beater in a 63-62 win over Harvard in the Ivy League championship playoff game that punched Princeton’s ticket to the Big Dance. (Photo by Stephen Goldsmith)
In the local sports scene, 2011 was a year that saw senior leadership make a big difference for several championship teams at Princeton University while new faces and young players spiced up a number of area high school programs.
Over at Princeton University’s Jadwin Gym, senior stars Dan Mavraides and Kareem Maddox developed into star players and gritty leaders, sparking the Tigers to a 25-7 season and the Ivy League title. Guard Mavraides earned second-team All-Ivy recognition and passed the 1,000-point mark in his career while the 6‘8 forward Maddox controlled the paint on the way to being named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-Ivy choice.
Sharpshooting senior guard Addie Micir turned out to be the linchpin for the Tiger women’s hoops squad. The 6’0 Micir became the first player in program history to be named the Ivy Player of the Year as she led the Tigers to a second straight league title and 24-5 record.
Displaying her will and talent, senior distance star Ashley Higginson helped the Tiger women’s track team to both the Indoor and Outdoor Hep crowns. In the winter meet, the Colts Neck native won both the 3,000 and 5,000 runs. Outdoors, she won her third straight steeplechase title.
When spring rolled around, the Princeton baseball team displayed a renewed commitment to excellence as it looked to rebound from a dismal 2010 season that saw the Tigers set a program record for losses with a 12-30 record. Led by captains Matt Connor, Matt Grabowski, and David Palms, the team’s senior group was determined to rekindle the passion that has made the program a consistent winner. They succeeded as Princeton went 4-0 in its first Ivy weekend and never looked back in winning the Gehrig Division title. The Tigers went on to defeat Dartmouth 2-1 in the Ivy championship series to give the program its 17th league title but first since 2006.
A pair of seniors, attacker Lizzy Drumm and goalie Erin Tochihara, helped the Princeton women’s lacrosse team write its own turnaround story. Coming off a 6-10 season in 2010, the Tigers got hot late, winning the Ivy tourney and topping James Madison in the first round of the NCAA tournament on the way to a 12-7 season.
Sparked by a quartet of seniors, Ashton Brown, Emily Reynolds, Michaela Strand, and Lauren Wilkinson, the Princeton women’s open crew top varsity boat made history. The Tigers went undefeated in regular season regattas and then triumphed in both the Eastern Sprints and NCAA grand final.
With its four top players taking a leave of absence to train with the U.S. national program, it looked like it could be a rough fall for the Princeton field hockey team. Instead, a core of seniors, Rachel Neufeld, Alyssa Pyros, Erin Jennings, Allison Behringer, and former Princeton High standout May-Ying Medalia, held things together as the Tigers overcame a shaky start to win their seventh straight league title.
Senior Donn Cabral showed his toughness and talent as he braved a rare October snow storm and a spill to take third at the Ivy League Cross Country championships, helping the Tiger men’s squad to its second straight team title and fifth in the last six years.
At DeNunzio Pool, senior captain and center Mike Helou provided leadership and offensive production (25 goals and 15 assists) to help guide a young Princeton men’s water polo team to the NCAA Final 4 where it ended up finishing third.
For area high school teams, youth was served time and time again as new faces and underclassmen made key contributions for several programs.
In winter action, the Princeton High boys’ swimming team emerged as a dominant squad, breezing to the county title and missing a state crown by a few points. A key factor in the team’s rise was the arrival of a quartet of precocious freshmen, Will Stange, Matt Purdy, Peter Kalibat, and Colburn Yu.
The clutch play of sophomore forward Alex Nespor and sophomore goalie Connor Walker helped the Princeton Day School boys’ hockey team win the state Prep title while freshmen Mike Wasson and Pat McCormick together with sophomore Matt DiTosto played an integral role in helping PHS take the county crown.
Once spring hit, Hun girls’ lacrosse sophomore attacker Kate Weeks renewed her assault on the program’s record book, tallying 61 goals on the season as she passed the 100-goal mark in her career. Sophomore pitcher Austin Goeke stepped into the role as the mound ace for the Hun baseball team, helping the squad win the state Prep A championship. Freshman Elizabeth Jacobs and sophomore Emilia Lopez-Ona made valuable contributions as the PHS girls’ lax team caught fire and won the Mercer County Tournament.
The Princeton Day School girls’ tennis team took the first county title of the fall season, as the freshman doubles team of Emily Dyckman and Hope Boozan piled up some key points in support of junior star Samantha Asch, the first singles champion.
The PDS girls’ soccer team featured five freshman starters, Kirsten Kuzmicz, Erin Hogan, Kylie Kieffer and the Soltesz twins, Alexa and Stefany, as it went went 10-7-1 while the Hun girls’ soccer squad saw two freshmen, Jess Sacco and Ashley Maziarz, play vital roles on the way to a 10-5-2 season.
A sophomore newcomer, Conor Donahue, became a frontrunner for a PHS boys’ cross country team that won its first sectional title in 25 years while three freshman starters, Julia DiTosto, Lucy Herring and Campbell McDonald, helped the Little Tiger field hockey team go 11-6.
Winter Winds
When sophomore star Niveen Rasheed went down with a season-ending knee injury in mid-December, it looked like it might be a long winter for the Princeton University women’s basketball team. But with senior guard Addie Micir showing leadership and raising the level of her game, the Tigers continued their domination of the Ivy League.
Princeton went 13-1 in Ivy play under the guidance of head coach Courtney Banghart on the way to a second straight Ivy title. The Tigers ended up falling in the first round of the NCAA tournament to a Big East foe for the second season in a row as they lost 65-49 to Georgetown a year after losing to St. John’s in the first round of the 2010 tourney.
The loss, though, couldn’t dim the luster of Micir’s final campaign as she was named the Ivy League Player of the Year, the first member of the program to attain that honor. Point guard Lauren Polansky was named the Ivy Defensive Player of the Year with Lauren Edwards and Devona Allgood achieving All-Ivy recognition as the Tigers went 24-5.
The men’s hoops team rose to the top of the Ivy League but it had company as it battled Harvard in a two-horse race for the title. The rivals ended up tied at the wire and had to meet in a one-game playoff to decide the winner.
In what became the signature moment for Princeton sports in 2011, guard Douglas Davis, a former Hun School standout, hit a buzzer beater to give the Tiger the title and a trip to the NCAAs. The win was particularly sweet for senior stars Dan Mavraides and Kareem Maddox, who went from afterthoughts earlier in their career to stars.
Head coach Sydney Johnson’s club produced a riveting effort in the NCAA tournament as it took traditional power and eventual Final 4 team Kentucky down to the wire, falling 59-57 and ending the winter at 25-7.
Afterward, Johnson shed tears of disappointment at the post-game press conference in reflecting on his team’s heroic effort. Weeks later, there were tears in Tiger nation as former Princeton standout Johnson unexpectedly left his alma mater to take over the Fairfield University program.
In April, one of Johnson’s former Princeton teammates, Mitch Henderson ’98, took over the program, returning to his alma mater after a decade as an assistant coach at Northwestern.
Over at Baker Rink, the men’s hockey team looked like it could be headed for some postseason heroics. Displaying the freewheeling style instilled by head coach Guy Gadowsky, the Tigers produced a 14-6-1 start and were ranked No. 19 in the country heading into February.
Princeton, though, struggled down the stretch, going 3-7-1 the rest of the way. The season ended with a thud as 6th-seeded Princeton fell to No. 11 St. Lawrence in the first round of the ECAC Hockey playoffs. Princeton’s Class of 2011 ended their careers as the winningest class in program history with 72 triumphs. One of the leaders of that class, senior defenseman Taylor Fedun, was a first-team All ECACH and All-Ivy pick. Freshman forward Andrew Calof was a third-team All-ECACH choice and the Ivy Co-Rookie of the Year.
In late April, the Tigers suffered a huge loss as the dynamic Gadowsky left to become the first head coach of the Penn State men’s hockey program after seven years at Princeton that included ECAC and Ivy League championships, and two NCAA tournament appearances. One of the architect’s of Princeton’s loss in the ECACH playoffs, St. Lawrence assistant coach, Bob Prier, was tabbed to take over for Gadowsky.
For the women’s hockey team and head coach Jeff Kampersal, things looked bleak by early December as the Tigers started 3-10-1. But with junior goalie Rachel Weber emerging as a star, Princeton caught fire. The 5’9 native of Hudson Wisc. got so hot that she ended up setting an ECACH record with a shutout streak of more than 289 minutes.
Sparked by Weber’s brilliance, Princeton went 13-3 over its last 16 regular season games to climb to fourth in the ECACH standings and earn home ice for the quarterfinals. The Tigers’ late surge ended in disappointment as Quinnipiac won two tight games to eliminate Princeton in the best-of-three series. Weber and senior defenseman Sasha Sherry earned second-team All-ECACH honors.
Princeton also suffered a loss on the coaching front as longtime top assistant Amy Bourbeau left the program to become the head coach of the Brown women’s hockey team. She was ultimately replaced by Cara Morey, a former Brown hockey and field hockey standout.
The men’s swimming team saved its best for last, producing a dramatic finish as it held off the host Harvard by a mere 5.5 points to win the 2011 Ivy League title for its third straight championship. Head coach Rob Orr’s squad was led by junior Jon Christensen, a first-team All-Ivy performer in two individual events and three relays and classmate Colin Cordes, who made first-team All-Ivy in one individual event and three relays.
No such drama took place as the women’s swimming team cruised to the Ivy title, with Princeton winning 12 of the 21 events and four of the five relays to score 1,562 points with Harvard finishing second at 1,496. It was the 10th Ivy title in the last 12 years for Tiger head coach Susan Teeter. Princeton was led by senior Megan Waters, a first-team All-Ivy performer in three individual events and four relays, and freshman Lisa Boyce, who made first-team All-Ivy in one individual event and four relays.
Junior distance star Donn Cabral led the way as men’s track breezed to its second straight Indoor Ivy League Heptagonal, piling up the most points in meet history. Cabral won the 3,000 and 5,000 in getting named as the Male Outstanding Performer of the meet to help the Tigers accumulate 215 points, 43 more than runner up Harvard. Coach Fred Samara’s team boasted two other double first-team honorees in Austin Hollimon and Mike Eddy who won the 400 and 500, respectively, and were also members of the winning 4×400 relay quartet.
Distance running stars set the pace as women’s track won its second straight Indoor Heps crown and third in the last four years. Head coach Peter Farrell’s squad was led by Ashley Higginson, the winner in the 3,000 and 5,000, sophomore Alexis Mikaelian, the first place finisher in the mile and a member of the winning 4×800 relay, and junior Alex Banfich, who took second in both the 3,000 and 5,000.
Sophomore Todd Harrity captured the attention of the college squash world, winning the College Squash Association (CSA) national individual championship in dominant fashion, posting 3-0 sweeps in every match of the competition. Harrity became the first American-born player to win the title in 21 years. Head coach Bob Callahan’s squad finished third in the CSA team championships.
The women’s squash team matched the men’s finish as they also took third in the team standings in the Howe Cup national championships. Head coach Gail Ramsay’s squad was led by sophomore Julie Cerullo, who ended up advancing to the CSA individual semifinals.
Sophomore Garrett Frey was the standout for the wrestling team, making it to his second straight NCAA championship meet at 125 pounds. Head coach Chris Ayres squad went 5-12 in dual match competition, highlighted by a 21-16 win over Brown.
Spring Surges
The baseball team had nowhere to go but up this spring after enduring a dismal 2010 season that saw the Tigers go 12-30, setting a program record for single-season losses. Led by a group of determined seniors who instilled a renewed commitment to winning and a bevy of talented younger stars, the Tigers started Ivy play with a 4-0 weekend and never looked back.
Head coach Scott Bradley’s team went 15-5 in Gehrig Division play and faced Dartmouth in the best-of-three Ivy League Championship Series. With Sam Mulroy triggering the offense, the Tigers won the decisive third game of the series 8-5 and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2006.
The Tigers fell 5-3 to Texas and 3-1 to Texas State to end their campaign at 23-24. Junior catcher-outfielder Mulroy was named as a first-team All-Ivy selection while freshman pitcher-first baseman Mike Ford, a former Hun standout, was the league’s Rookie of the Year.
The women’s lacrosse team also produced a reversal of fortune. After going 6-10 in 2010, Hall of Fame head coach Chris Sailer guided the Tigers to the championship in the Ivy tournament. Princeton knocked off top-seeded Penn 10-8 in the semis and then edged Harvard 12-10 in the title game.
Advancing to the NCAA tournament, Princeton kept rolling as it nipped James Madison 11-10 in the first round. The Tigers fell to Maryland in the NCAA quarters to end with a 12-7 record. Junior defender Lindsey deButts earned All-American and first-team All-Ivy status while senior Lizzy Drumm joined her as a first team All-Ivy performer with junior midfielder Cassie Pyle being named to the second team, while honorable mention accolades were given to senior goalie Erin Tochihara and sophomore attacker Jaci Gassaway.
At the beginning of the spring, the women’s open crew first varsity boat was ranked No. 2 in the country. By the end of the season, head coach Lori Dauphiny’s crew was unquestionably the top boat in the country, going undefeated in regular season regattas before rolling to the Eastern Sprints title and winning the NCAA grand final, edging Ivy rival Brown for the title.
A quartet of seniors Ashton Brown, Emily Reynolds, Michaela Strand, and Lauren Wilkinson together with junior coxswain Lila Flavin were recognized as Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) first-team All-America selections while Dauphiny was named as the Coach of the Year.
Nearly matching the feats of their open counterparts, the women’s lightweight first varsity produced a breakthrough season. Under head coach Paul Rassam, the Tigers went undefeated in regular season regattas and topped perennial nemesis Wisconsin to win the Eastern Sprints.
In the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) grand final, Princeton missed a perfect season as they fell to Stanford with the Cardinal clocking a time of 6:32.39 over the 2,000-meter course at Cooper River in Cherry Hill, N.J. with the Tigers second in 6:33.07. The top boat was led by seniors Yuna Sakuma, Michaela Glaeser, Emma Bedard, Lauren Sykora, Caroline Clark, and Elena Martinez.
Under the tutelage of head coach Greg Hughes, the men’s heavyweight crew continued its progress. The Tigers placed second at the Eastern Sprints and sixth in the IRA grand final. Princeton was led by a stellar group of seniors including coxswain James Connolly, Ian Silveira, Jack Lindeman, Blake Parsons, Philip Thalheim, Michael Protesto, and Carl Thunman.
Heading into late April, the Tiger men’s lightweight boat appeared to be on track for a three-peat of its Eastern Sprints and IRA crowns. Head coach Mary Crotty’s top boat was undefeated and ranked No. 1 nationally coming into its annual Harvard-Yale-Princeton regatta. The Tigers finished second that day and never regained their form.
The first varsity took fourth at the Eastern Sprints and faded to fifth at the IRAs. Those results were a disappointing finale for the boat’s senior stars, cox Mike Perl, Nick Donald, Christian Klein, and Robin Prendes, but they left Princeton with a special legacy including their back-to-back Eastern and IRA titles together with a Temple Challenge Cup win at the Royal Henley Regatta.
It turned into a painful spring for the men’s lacrosse team as it saw five players suffer season-ending injuries and a total of 15 get hurt. The injury bug derailed things for head coach Chris Bates as the Tigers ended up 4-9 overall and 2-4 in Ivy action. Princeton did receive some high-level play from those who made it through the season as goalie Tyler Fiorito, defenseman Chad Wiedmaier, and midfielder Tom Schreiber earned third-team All-American honors.
Tragedy struck before the season started for the softball team as freshman infielder Khristin Kyllo died of natural causes in January. A cloud seemed to follow head coach Trina Salcido’s team through the spring as the Tigers went 16-26 overall and 7-13 in Ivy play. Juniors Kelsey VandeBergh and Nicole Ontiveros and sophomores Lizzy Pierce and Alex Peyton provided some highlights as they earned All-Ivy League recognition.
The men’s track team accomplished a rare feat, winning the Outdoor Heps to give the program three Ivy titles in the school year as the Tigers won the 2011 Indoor Heps and the 2010 Cross Country Heps. Distance star Donn Cabral stood out for head coach Fred Samara’s squad, being named the outstanding male performer of the meet after winning the steeplechase and the 10,000.
In addition to Cabral, the Tigers boasted a bevy of first-team All-Ivy performers including freshman Tom Hopkins in the long jump and the 4×400, senior Mark Amirault the 1,500 and the 5,000, junior Austin Hollimon in the 400 and in the 4×400, seniors Mike Eddy and Ricky Kearns as part of the 4×400 and Craig Peace in the hammer throw.
Cabral went on to take second in the steeplechase and eighth in the 5,000 at the NCAA championship meet with Amirault taking 12th in the 5000.
Showing balance and depth, the women’s track team matched the achievement of their male counterparts, winning the Outdoor Heps to get their triple crown. Head coach Peter Farrell’s team featured several first-team All-Ivy performers, as junior Eileen Moran took home double first-team honors in the 100 and 4×100, sophomore Alexis Mikaelian in the 4×800, sophomore Tory Worthen in the pole vault, senior Ashley Higginson in the steeplechase, freshman Kristin Smoot, freshman Molly Higgins, and sophomore Greta Feldman in the 4×800, sophomore Abidemi Adenikinju, sophomore Erin Guty, and freshman Lily Miller in the 4×100.
Higginson went on to take fifth at the steeplechase at the NCAA championships while junior Alex Banfich finished 20th in the 5,000.
The women’s water polo team produced a solid season, going 18-11 and finishing fifth at the Eastern Championships. Head coach Luis Nicolao’s team was led by freshman Katie Rigler and sophomore Brittany Zwirner, who each received CWPA Southern first-team honors, while junior Kristen Ward and freshman Molly McBee were named as second-teamers.
Led by junior Hilary Bartlett, the women’s tennis team went 12-9 overall and 5-2 in Ivy action, giving it eight straight winning seasons in league play. Bartlett was a standout performer for head coach Megan Bradley’s squad, making first All-Ivy League in singles and doubles along with Taylor Marable.
Junior Rachel Saiontz received second-team singles honors for the third straight year and second-team doubles honors for the second straight year after receiving honorable mention in doubles in 2009. Sophomore Monica Chow, Saiontz’s doubles teammate throughout the league season, also received second-team All-Ivy doubles honors.
Sophomore Matija Pecotic sparked the men’s tennis team to a superb season that saw the Tigers go 13-7 overall and 6-1 in Ivy play. With an undefeated Ivy League record atop Princeton’s singles ladder, Pecotic was unanimously chosen as the Ivy Player of the Year, the fourth Princeton player to earn that honor since the award began in 1987.
Head coach Glenn Michibata’s team also got excellent play from freshman Augie Bloom, who earned second-team All-Ivy League singles honors, compiling a 6-1 record while playing six of the seven Ivy League matches at third singles.
The men’s golf team took fifth at the Ivy League Championship, as head coach Will Green’s team had three players in the top 20. Senior Eric Salazar was 14th while junior Evan Harmeling was T18 and sophomore Bernie D’Amato was T20.
Senior Rachel Blum ended her career with the women’s golf team on a high note, tying for third overall as the Tigers placed third in the Ivy championships. Freshman Kelly Shon emerged as a star to watch for head coach Nicki Cutler’s squad, finishing T5 at the Ivy tourney and then going on to compete in both the U.S. Amateur Public Links Tournament and the U.S. Women’s Open over the summer.
Undergoing a rebuilding campaign, the men’s volleyball team went 3-19 overall. Head coach Sam Shweisky’s squad figures to be stronger in the future as it only lost senior Vincent Tuminelli to graduation.
Fall Fates
With four of its top players, Kathleen Sharkey, Michelle Cesan, and the Reinprecht sisters, Julia and Katie, taking a leave of absence to train for the U.S. national program, it looked like the field hockey team’s domination of the Ivy League might come to an end. Head coach Kristen Holmes-Winn, though, welcomed the situation as a coaching challenge.
Things got very challenging for the Tigers as they lost their Ivy opener to Dartmouth and a seventh straight league title looked unlikely. Led by seniors Rachel Neufeld, Alyssa Pyros, Erin Jennings, Allison Behringer, and former Princeton High standout May-Ying Medalia, Princeton regrouped and went on to win the Ivy crown, its 17th league title in the last 18 seasons.
Princeton fell 3-2 to No. 4 Connecticut in the opening round of the NCAA tournament to end 10-8 but the disappointment of that loss couldn’t take away from what the team accomplished this fall. Seven Tigers earned All-Ivy recognition with freshman Allison Evans, sophomore Amanda Bird, junior Charlotte Krause, and Pyros getting first-team recognition with Jennings, and freshman Sydney Kirby being chosen as second-team selections and junior Amy Donovan getting honorable mention. Evans, the team’s leading goal scorer, was the league’s Rookie of the Year.
There was a buzz around DeNunzio Pool regarding the talented freshman class that joined the men’s water polo team this fall. Skillfully blending those freshman standouts with a core of battle-tested veterans, head coach Luis Nicolao’s wasted no time showing its skill, producing a 10-1 start.
The Tigers went on to take second in the Southern Championships to Navy and then avenge the defeat to the Midshipmen by pulling out a 10-7 win over their rivals in the Eastern Championships title game. That triumph earned Princeton a spot in the NCAA Final Four for the second time in three years. Princeton ended up taking third, edging UC San Diego 10-7 in the third place game to finish the season at 22-10.
Freshmen Drew Hoffenberg, Matt Weber, Kayj Shannon, and Thomas Nelson have made an immediate impact for Nicolao’s squad while such veterans as junior Tim Wenzlau, senior Mike Helou, senior Chris Cottrell, junior Tommy Donahue, and sophomore Kurt Buchbinder provided stability.
Battling through a rare October snowstorm, the men’s cross country team won its second straight Heps crown and fifth in the last six years. Senior star Donn Cabral set the pace for head coach Steve Dolan’s team, placing third in the individual standings. Senior Peter Maag was fifth while sophomore Tyler Udland was seventh and sophomore Chris Bendtsen took 10th in the race which was run at Princeton’s West Windsor Fields course. Cabral went on to finish 19th at the NCAA championship meet to lead the Tigers to 19th place in the team standings.
The women’s runners couldn’t overcome the snow and the competition at the Heps as they saw their five-year winning streak at the event come to an end. Head coach Peter Farrell’s team took third with senior Alex Banfich placing third in the individual standings. Banfich later placed fifth at the NCAA Championships, the highest finish at that meet in program history.
Coming off a magic 2010 season that saw it go undefeated in Ivy play, the men’s soccer team saw the bounces go against it this fall. Suffering some key injuries and developing a penchant for losing close games, head coach Jim Barlow’s team went 5-10-2 overall and 1-5-1 in league play with eight 1-goal losses along the way.
Senior Antoine Hoppenot, a former Princeton Day School standout, and juniors Mark Linnville and Matt Sanner were named first-team All-Ivy performers while freshman Julian Griggs earned honorable mention. Hoppenot, the 2010 Ivy League Player of the Year, was a three-time first team All-Ivy choice and tallied 26 goals and 15 assists in his stellar career.
The women’s soccer team suffered a similar fate to their male counterparts as they had five 1-goal defeats on the way to a 6-10-1 overall record and a 2-5 Ivy mark. Head coach Julie Shackford’s squad did show some promise for the future as her junior-laden team went 5-2 in its last seven games.
Senior Sara Chehrehsa and junior Jen Hoy were first-team All-Ivy selections while freshman Lauren Lazo and senior Kim Menafra earned honorable mention.
The arrival of former Tiger star and assistant Sabrina King as head coach gave the women’s volleyball program a jolt of energy. Under the guidance of King, Princeton went 18-8 overall and 11-3 in Ivy play.
Senior Cathryn Quinn and junior Lydia Rudnick were named as first-team All-Ivy performers while freshman Ginny Willis got second-team honors and senior Hillary Ford was an honorable mention pick.
The rebuilding process continued for the football team as it went 1-9 for the second straight season. Head coach Bob Surace’s squad featured several young performers who give hope for the future.
Freshman running back Chuck DiBilio made the biggest impression, producing a record-breaking campaign which saw him rush for 1,068 yards, the most ever by a true freshman in Ivy history. DiBilio was named the league’s Rookie of the Year and was a first-team All-Ivy choice.
Junior defensive lineman Caraun Reid also garnered first-team All-Ivy League recognition while senior offensive lineman Matt Allen, senior defensive lineman Mike Catapano, junior punter Joe Cloud, senior linebacker Steven Cody senior kicker Patrick Jacob, and junior Andrew Starks each earned second-team All-Ivy League honors.
Hun School
Led by a core of seniors, the Hun School boys’ basketball team showed some flashes of brilliance as it posted big wins over Hill, Rutgers Prep, and St. Benedict’s. But head coach Jon Stone’s team couldn’t get over the hump in postseason action as it went 12-15.
While the team’s group of seniors, Dylan Sherwood, Doug Macrone, Jared Cotton, Lou Adesida, Will Wise, Grant Fiorentinos, and Dylan Setzekorn, had hoped for a better ending to their Hun careers, most of them will be playing at the next level.
Longtime Hun girls’ hoops head coach Bill Holup faced a different situation with his team as he welcomed eight new faces. The team jelled early as it started 8-0 but hit some bumps down the stretch. Still, the Raiders ended with a 13-12 record, an improvement in the 9-14 mark posted the season before. With such returning starters as Ashley Ravelli, Jackie Mullen, Johnnah Johnson, and Carey Million, Hun appears to be headed in the right direction.
Led by seniors Terry Ryan, Matt Johnson, Will Sweetland, Greg Seelagy, and Nick Pierce, the Hun boys’ hockey team was competitive as it went 8-10-2.
Head coach Francois Bourbeau left the program over the summer when his wife, Amy, became the head coach of Brown University women’s hockey team. Former Princeton University player Ian McNally took the helm of the program as it looked to build on the progress of last winter.
The Hun baseball team gained momentum as the spring unfolded, climaxing with an 11-2 win over Peddie in the state Prep A championship game. Dave Dudeck, Stevie Wells, and Gavin Stupiensky triggered the offense for head coach Bill McQuade while sophomore Austin Goeke became the ace of the pitching staff as the Raiders went 12-7 in winning their first Prep A title since 2008.
A pair of senior stars, pitcher Meghan Hayes and first baseman MacKenzie Pyne, provided inspired play and leadership as the Hun softball team enjoyed another winning season. Head coach Kathy Quirk’s team went 10-6 and advanced to the state Prep A semifinals. With such returners as Emily Kuchar, Carey Million, Kristen Manochio, Stefanie Fox, Joey Crivelli, and Danielle Beal, Hun looks poised to maintain its winning tradition.
With new head coach Beth Loffredo taking the helm, the Raider girls’ lacrosse team went through a transition season. Hurt by a series of injuries, Hun went 4-9. Sophomore Kate Weeks solidified her status as one of the top players in the area, scoring 61 goals to give her more than 100 in her career.
With a quartet of seniors, Will Sweetland, Scott Munley, defenseman Brian Patriarca, and goalie Mike Buckbinder, setting a positive tone, the Hun boys’ lax team went 9-8. Head coach Tom Kelso stepped down over the summer and was replaced by Steven Bristol.
Junior Chris Seitz added to his impressive resume, placing second at first singles in the Mercer County Tournament and then winning the event in the Prep A tournament. Head coach Todd Loffredo’s squad placed sixth in the MCT team standings and fourth in the Prep A.
Entering the fall, Hun football head coach Dave Dudeck liked the talent he had on hand but he wasn’t sure how the pieces would mesh. But as Hun stoically juggled its preseason training around after the school’s fields were damaged by hurricane Irene, Dudeck sensed a special resilience around his team.
The team’s character was displayed as the Raiders pulled out a 20-13 win at Episcopal in its opener and went on to prevail in several tight battles over the course of the fall. The passing combination of quarterback John Loughery and wide receiver David Dudeck, the coach’s son, provided points to go with the resilience as Hun went 7-1 and won the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) title.
Led by a trio of senior standouts, defender-midfielder Nicole Campellone, goalie Lexi Golestani, and striker Holly Hargreaves, the Hun girls’ soccer team was a force to be reckoned with.
Head coach Ken Stevenson’s squad got off to an 8-1-2 start with wins over Lawrenceville and PDS and a dramatic 0-0 draw with perennial state Prep A champion Pennington. The Raiders ended up advancing to the semifinals of both the Mercer County Tournament and the state Prep A tourney and finished with a 10-5-2 record.
Welcoming a bevy of new faces, the Hun boys’ soccer team struggled in the early going, losing its first 10 games. But with head coach Pat Quirk providing steady leadership, the Raiders made some nice progress. Jared Golestani and Peter Stoddard provided some inspired play down the stretch as Hun ended the fall at 4-13.
Younger players also sparked the Hun field hockey team. Sophomore Francesca Bello and junior Carey Million provided offensive punch while junior Lauren Apuzzi, sophomore Alex Kane, and freshman goalie Reina Kern spearheaded the defense. Head coach Kathy Quirk’s team posted a 7-8-1 record and has the pieces in place for greater success in 2012.
The second doubles team of junior Cansu Cabeci and senior Lexi Gray advanced to the Prep A finals to provide a major highlight for the Hun girls’ tennis team. Head coach Joan Nuse’s squad showed progress all around, doubling its win total from 2010 with senior Katie Seitz providing stability at first singles.
PDS
A pair of senior captains, Skye Samse and Peter Blackburn, set a serious tone for the Princeton Day School boys’ hockey team as they went after a state Prep title that had eluded them during their careers.
Their determination combined with the clutch play of sophomore forward Alex Nespor and sophomore goalie Connor Walker helped the Panthers achieve that goal in dramatic fashion.
Hosting defending state champion Pingry in the prep title game, head coach Scott Bertoli’s team pulled out a 4-2 win. PDS, which also advanced to the Mercer County Tournament semifinals, finished the winter at 16-9-1.
The one-two punch of senior center Tiffany Patterson and junior guard Janie Smukler made the PDS girls’ basketball team one of the best in the area. Under new head coach Mika Ryan, the Panthers advanced to the state Prep B final for a second straight year and made it to the county semis.
The Long Island University-bound Patterson ended her career with over 1,000 points while Smukler passed that mark in December as the Panthers posted a final mark of 16-9.
With sophomore guard Davon Reed emerging as a star and attracting the attention of major college programs, the PDS boys’ hoops team had a promising season. Head coach Paris McLean’s team went 15-11 and made it to the county quarters.
The arrival of freshman forwards Mary Travers and Mimi Matthews, freshman defenseman Robin Linzmayer together with sophomore transfer Daisy Mase at goalie gave the PDS girls’ hockey team a lift.
That influx of talent combined with such veterans as junior forward Megan Ofner and sophomore Zeeza Cole helped head coach Kat Smithson’s team prosper. The Panthers went 11-5-5 and won the ‘B’ bracket tournament at the WIHLMA (Women’s Interscholastic Hockey League of the Mid-Atlantic) playoffs.
In the spring, the combination of seniors stars Carly O’Brien, Katie Gibson, Jacqui Stevens, and Jess Frieder helped the PDS girls’ lax team enjoy another solid campaign. Head coach Jill Thomas’ squad went 11-5 and advanced to the county semifinals and state Prep A semis.
Led by seniors Aaron Shavel, Peter Blackburn, Dan Reynolds, and Will Kearney, the PDS boys’ lacrosse team made strides. Head coach Rob Tuckman’s team went 10-5. With such returning players as Garret Jensen, Tyler Olsson, Mike Davila, and Cody Triolo, the Panthers are poised to continue their ascension.
It was a rebuilding year for the PDS baseball program as it dealt with the loss of nine players to graduation from a squad that won the state Prep B title in 2010. Head coach Ray O’Brien’s squad posted a record of 4-14 with seniors Skye Samse, Jon Walker, and Kevin Francfort having big years to end their careers in style.
The softball program nearly had to take the year off as it started the season with eight players. With Stuart Country Day School’s Margo Schmiederer joining the team, PDS was able to field a team. Head coach Heather Pino-Beattie’s team went 1-7 but showed promise as freshmen Dina Alter and Jess Toltzis had solid debut seasons.
The loss of star Neil Karandikar to graduation left a major void for the PDS boys’ tennis program. New head coach Will Asch focused on developing his young players as the Panthers placed 10th at the MCT.
In the fall, Asch’s daughter, junior star Samantha Asch, played a pivotal role as the PDS girls’ tennis team won its first county team title since 1986. Asch cruised to her second straight title at first singles, not losing a set.
First-year head coach Ed Tseng’s team got good performances from Nicole Keim at second singles and Mary Atkeson at third singles together with the freshman pair of Emily Dyckman and Hope Boozan at first doubles as it edged Princeton High 17.5-16.5 to pull out the team crown. Asch went on to win the state Prep B title at first singles as PDS placed fifth in the team standings in that event.
A core of senior stars, Rui Pinheiro, Paul Zetterberg, Connor Gibson, and Jacob Eisenberg, helped the PDS boys’ soccer team remain competitive despite heavy graduation losses from a 2010 squad that won both the Prep B and county titles.
Head coach Malcolm Murphy guided the Panthers to a second straight trip to the Prep B title game where it fell 3-0 at top-seeded Montclair Kimberley to end the fall at 9-7-2.
The PDS girls’ soccer team only had one senior in Janie Smukler but her tenacity and finishing skills alone were enough to keep the Panthers in most games. The combination of Smukler and five talented freshman starters, Kirsten Kuzmicz, Erin Hogan, Kylie Kieffer, and the Soltesz twins, Alexa and Stefany, helped head coach Pat Trombetta’s squad get off to an 8-2 start.
A series of injuries derailed the Panthers down the stretch but the team still managed to finish with a 10-7-1 mark. Smukler was the team’s leading scorer for a fourth straight season, tallying 25 goals on the fall to give her 73 in her stellar career.
A pair of juniors, goalie Sarah Trigg and attacker Andrea Jenkins, provided some major highlights for the PDS field hockey team. Head coach M.C. Heller’s squad struggled in midseason as the team was hit with some key injuries. PDS played some of its best hockey down the stretch, advancing to the state Prep B semis and finishing with a record of 7-8-1.
The PDS cross country program said goodbye to legendary coach Eamon Downey and welcomed Merrill Noden to the helm. Noden presided over a youth movement as the Panthers underwent a rebuilding campaign.
PHS
Sparked by a talented corps of juniors and the addition of some precocious freshmen, the Princeton High boys’ swimming team became a dominant force.
Head coach Greg Hand’s team cruised to the county title and the Public B Central Jersey sectional championship.
After beating Haddonfield in the Public B state semis, PHS suffered its only defeat of the winter as it narrowly lost to Scotch Plains Fanwood in the championship meet.
The group of juniors featured Victor Honore, Matt Kuhlik, Addison Hebert, Harun Filipovic, and Derek Colaizzo while the freshmen standouts were Will Stange, Matt Purdy, Peter Kalibat, and Colburn Yu. With all of that talent returning, the Little Tigers will have their sights set on taking one more step in the 2012 state tourney.
While the PHS girls’ team didn’t have the depth of its male counterparts, it produced a stirring run in the state tournament. Sparked by sophomore stars Serena Deardorff, Marisa Giglio, and Jen Enos, the Little Tigers won the sectional title.
Coach Hand’s squad fell to Chatham in the state semifinals but that loss couldn’t dim what the team achieved over the course of the winter.
The leadership and skills of senior co-captains Fraser Graham and Dean DiTosto helped the PHS boys’ hockey team skate to the county crown. Head coach Tim Campbell’s team topped WW/P-N and Hopewell Valley on the way to the finals and then defeated Notre Dame 4-1 in the championship contest.
Junior goalie Josh Berger was the MVP of the tournament as PHS enjoyed it first MCT title since 2005. The Little Tigers then produced some more drama as they made their first appearance in the state tournament since the 2006-07 season. The Little Tigers rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat Bernards 4-3 in overtime in the opening round and then fell 5-2 to Middletown South in the next round to finish 18-5.
Senior star Eamon Cuddy provided inside punch and junior guard Davon Holliday-Black guided the backcourt as the PHS boys’ hoops team returned to the state tournament for a fourth straight season. Head coach Jason Carter’s team edged Hopewell Valley 51-47 in the opening round of the Central Jersey Group III sectional before falling to Colts Neck in the quarters to finish with a 12-13 record.
Senior guard Molly Barber provided a major highlight for the PHS girls’ basketball team, hitting the 1,000-point mark in her career. Head coach Steffanie Shoop’s team struggled with injuries as it finished 7-14.
Focusing on developing skills and camaraderie, the PHS girls’ hockey team went 0-14-1. Head coach Christian Herzog’s squad featured some fine individual performances by junior stars Keely Herring and Abby Hunter.
The PHS wrestling team also got some fine individual performances as it posted a 9-7 record in dual matches. Head coach Rashone Johnson’s team showed improved depth as Ian Snyder, Tim Miranda, Frank Bozich, Jeff Barsamian, and Nick Gillette had superb seasons.
Tragedy turned to triumph for the PHS girls’ lax team as it wrote one of the more inspiring stories in recent years. Getting off to an uneven start, the squad was shocked by the passing of senior player Emma Brunskill in April.
Head coach Christie Cooper’s team came together in the face of its grief, going on a hot streak that culminated with the team winning the program’s first-ever county title. Senior Taylor Blair, a close friend of the late Brunskill, scored eight goals in the title game as the Little Tigers topped WW/P-N 11-8. PHS advanced to the second round of the state tournament where it fell to West Morris to finish with an 11-5 record.
Featuring a battle-tested defense, the PHS boys’ lax team nearly won its first county title. Senior defenders Robby Dowers, Michael Irving, and Dean DiTosto together with goalie Griffin Peck shut the door on the opposition as PHS advanced to a championship showdown against Notre Dame.
Head coach Peter Stanton’s squad fell behind the Fighting Irish 6-3 heading into the fourth quarter. The Little Tigers outscored the Fighting Irish 4-1 in the quarter to force overtime but ended up falling 8-7. Rebounding from that setback, PHS advanced to the Group III state quarterfinals where they fell 10-5 at Ridge to end the spring at 14-5-1.
Led by senior distance star Zaid Smart and junior sprinter/jumper, the PHS boys track team had a solid season. Head coach John Woodside’s team placed ninth in the county meet and 14th at the Central Jersey Group III sectional meet.
The combination of distance runners Elyssa Gensib, Amelia Whaley, and Jenna Cody together with jumping standout Rebekka Vuojolainen helped the PHS girls’ track team enjoy another strong campaign. Head coach Jim Smirk’s team placed fifth in the county meet and fifth in the sectionals.
Senior star Fraser Graham solidified his place as one of the greatest players in PHS boys’ golf history, winning his second straight county crown and taking the Central/South Sectional title. The heroics of the Delaware-bound Graham helped head coach Sheryl Severance’s squad take fourth in the county team standings.
The PHS boys’ tennis team maintained the program’s winning tradition, going 15-3-1. Head coach Sarah Hibbert’s team advanced to the Central Jersey Group III semifinals and with singles players Robert Zhao, Eddie Percarpio, and Julian Edgren slated to return, the future looks bright for the Little Tigers.
With sophomore Marisa Gonzalez establishing herself as one of the top players in the area, the PHS softball team continued to make progress. Head coach Craig Haywood’s team finished 8-14 and made a second straight trip to the state tournament.
It was another frustrating spring for the PHS baseball team as it finished with a 5-19 record. Head coach Dave Roberts is optimistic going forward with such young players as Nico Mercuro, Ellis Bloom, Matt Farinick, Clay Alter and Mike Dunlap making strides in 2011.
Featuring the stingy defense that has become the hallmark of the program, the PHS boys’ soccer team posted a third straight undefeated regular season. Head coach Wayne Sutcliffe’s team went on to win the MCT title and the Central Jersey Group III sectional crown. It was PHS’s fourth county championship in the last five years and its fourth sectional title in the last eight years.
Going for a second state title in the last three years, PHS fell short as it outshot Timber Creek in the Group III semis but ended up losing 2-0. While Sutcliffe and his players were disappointed over falling short of their ultimate goal, the plusses surely outweighed the minuses in a 20-1-2 campaign. Afterward, Sutcliffe lauded his group of seniors, Ben Davis and Kyle Ehrenworth, George Kusserow, Bruce Robertson, Ajami Gikandi, and Kellen Kenny, for what they contributed to the program in helping PHS go 53-3-7 over the last three years.
With sophomore Conor Donahue hitting his stride, the PHS boys’ cross country team broke a long drought as it won its first sectional crown since 1986.
Donahue finished sixth in the meet with Will Flemer taking eighth and Sage Healy placing ninth. For head coach John Woodside, a member of a PHS team that won the sectional title in 1973, that breakthrough made it one of the more memorable seasons in recent years.
Led by a core of six seniors, the PHS girls’ tennis team produced a breakthrough of their own as they won the sectional title, the program’s first crown in the competition since 1999. The team’s Class of 2012 featured Sarah Cen, Keely Herring and Alyssa Taylor at singles with Helena Ord, Lena Sun, and Vinita Su playing doubles.
Head coach Sarah Hibbert’s squad ended the season by dropping a 3-2 nailbiter to Montville in the Group III state semis. Hibbert was proud to see her seniors get that far and credited them with leaving a legacy of achievement and class.
Senior Jenna Cody also ended her career on a high note, winning the individual title at the Central Jersey Group III sectional meet. Cody went on to place seventh at the Group III state meet, helping head coach Jim Smirk’s team place 11th in the team standings.
A pair of senior defenders, Mia Haughton and Katie Reilly, combined with junior goalie Lauren Ullmann to give the PHS girls’ soccer team one of the stingiest defenses in the area. While head coach Greg Hand’s team had trouble scoring goals, the Little Tigers rode that defense to the MCT quarterfinals and the sectional quarterfinals. PHS ended the season at 10-4-4, yielding only eight goals all fall.
The arrival of three promising freshmen, Julia DiTosto, Lucy Herring, and Campbell McDonald, gave a lift to the PHS field hockey team. The combination of that trio and veteran standouts Sydney Watts, Vivien Bazarko, Tobi Afran, and Emilia Lopez-Ona transformed the Little Tigers into one of the more dangerous teams in the area. Head coach Heather Serverson’s team went 11-6 as it advanced to the MCT quarterfinals and made the state tournament.
The PHS football team didn’t wait long to snap the 11-game losing streak it brought into 2011, edging Northern Burlington 20-14 in the season opener. Head coach Joe Gargione’s squad continued to progress through the fall, going 3-7. Senior receiver Eric Shorter produced one of the best seasons in program history, making 49 catches for 1,052 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Stuart
Battling through injury, senior guards Amber Bowman and Jasmine Smarr, gave their all in their final campaign with the Stuart Country Day School basketball team. Head coach Tony Bowman’s squad ended up 6-11 as it dealt with the lineup juggling necessitated due to the injuries. With such returning players as Paris Branker, Angela Gallagher, and Jen Diaz, the Tartans will be looking to regain their winning ways in the 2011-12 season.
Undergoing a youth movement, the Stuart lacrosse team predictably took some lumps. Head coach Sara Wagner’s team went 2-10 as it focused on developing skills.
Wagner credited her group of seniors, Kristi Hallowell, Katie Keith, Whitney Charbonneau, and Kate Neubert, with holding things together and setting a good example. Such young players as Meghan Shannon, Christine Zeppfield, Emily Tindall, Cat Reilly, and Isabel Soto made progress and laid the foundation for future success.
In the fall, the Tartan field hockey team also featured a bevy of new faces as it went through a transition year. Head coach Julie Martelli guided the squad to a 5-7-1 mark with the team showing progress down the stretch by beating Hun 1-0 in the first round of the Mercer County Tournament and topping Blair 3-2 in regular season contest. The team’s seniors, Colleen Baker, Ani Hallowell, Susan Knox, Angela Gallagher, Kassidy McNair, and Margo Schmiederer, set a positive tone which aided the development of the younger players.
The Stuart tennis team made strides as it finished 12th at the Mercer County Tournament. Head coach Dede Webster saw juniors Mariah Guarnaccia and Kanika Sharma place first at second doubles in the MCT backdraw consolation bracket while Kyra Bradley advanced to the semis of the backdraw at third singles. First singles player Katherine Hagestad advanced to the second round of the main draw.
With new athletic director Kim Ciarrocca taking the helm, Stuart started a club soccer program. Under the direction of head coach Megan Lipski, the Tartans played against mainly JV teams and posted three wins. Senior stars Lexus Rodriguez and Amethyst Carey were key factors in the team’s progress. The success enjoyed this fall in terms of number of players and on-field competitiveness has the program on track to reaching varsity status in the next few years.
It looked like Princeton Day School girls’ hockey star Zeeza Cole might be down for the count last Sunday when she was sent sprawling to the ice in the second period as the Panthers hosted Shady Side Academy (Pa.).
