Despite controlling possession throughout its Mercer County Tournament opening round contest against visiting Stuart Country Day School last Saturday, the Princeton High field hockey team had nothing to show for its hard work 58 minutes into the game.

With the local foes knotted in a scoreless tie and the prospect of overtime looming, PHS sophomore midfielder Eleanor Wilkinson acknowledged that the Little Tigers were getting concerned.

“I think towards the end we got a little flustered,” said Wilkinson. “In the circle, they tended to crowd around each other and not be marking players. It was hard because there were so many people in the circle to get around.” more

SINGULAR FOCUS: Princeton High girls’ tennis player Nicole Samios rips a serve in recent action. Sophomore Samios posted a win at third singles but it wasn’t enough as third-seeded PHS fell 3-2 to sixth-seeded South Brunswick in a Central Jersey Group 4 sectional quarterfinal match on October 10. The Little Tigers bounced back from the setback to defeat Steinert 4-1 last Monday in a regular season match to improve to 12-2. PHS hosts Nottingham on October 20. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Coming into the fall, Nicole Samios was primed to have a big season in the first doubles spot for the Princeton High girls’ tennis team. more

COACHABLE MOMENT: Princeton High football head coach Charlie Gallagher exhorts his players during a game earlier this season. PHS, which fell 48-13 to WW/P-South last Friday to drop to 0-6, hosts Northern Burlington this Friday night to highlight Homecoming Weekend. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Stephen Hennessy was a member of the supporting cast for the Princeton High football team last fall. more

GETTING IT DONE: Princeton Day School boys’ soccer player Donovan Davis, right, goes after the ball against Hun last Thursday. Senior midfielder Davis scored a goal to help PDS rally for a 2-1 win over the Raiders. Last Monday, Davis tallied a goal and an assist as second-seeded PDS rolled to a 9-0 win over seventh-seeded Morristown-Beard in the state Prep B quarterfinals. PDS, now 9-5, will host a Prep B semifinal contest on October 26. In addition, the Panthers will start play in the Mercer County Tournament, where they are seeded ninth and slated to play at eighth-seeded WW/P-North in an opening round game on October 19. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Donovan Davis and his teammates on the Princeton Day School boys’ soccer squad knew there was a lot on the line when they hosted the Hun School last Thursday in the annual clash between the crosstown rivals. more

COLE POWER: Hun School girls’ soccer player Nicole Angelini tracks down the ball in a game last season. Last Friday, sophomore midfielder Angelini contributed a goal to help Hun defeat the Hill School (Pa.) 3-1. The Raiders, now 6-6, play at Lawrenceville on October 21. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

With a season of high school soccer under her belt, Nicole Angelini is looking to be more assertive this fall in her sophomore season for the Hun School girls’ soccer team. more

SAVING GRACE: Stuart Country Day School field hockey goalie Sam Johnson kicks the ball away in a game earlier this season. Last Saturday, senior star Johnson made 20 saves in a losing cause as 11th-seeded Stuart fell 1-0 at sixth-seeded Princeton High in the opening round of the Mercer County Tournament. The Tartans, who improved to 7-6-1 with a 1-0 win over South Hunterdon last Monday, start play in the state Prep B tourney this week where they are seeded third and slated to host No. 6 Newark Academy in a quarterfinal contest on October 18. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Last fall, the Stuart Country Day School field hockey team saved its best for last.
Producing a dramatic run, Stuart toppled two higher seeds on the way to making the state Prep B title game where it fell to Princeton Day School. more

MAJOR DEVELOPMENT: Evan Barratt controls the puck during his career with the Hun School boys’ hockey team. Barratt, who played at Hun from 2013-15, moved on to the U.S.A. Hockey’s National Team Development Program. Last month, Barratt, who has committed to play his college hockey at Penn State, was chosen in the third round of the NHL draft by the Chicago Blackhawks as the 90th pick overall. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

For Evan Barratt, it was the opportunity of a lifetime.

After helping the Hun School boys’ hockey team win the state Prep title and its second straight Mercer County Tournament crown during his sophomore season in 2014-15, star forward Barratt was asked by U.S.A. Hockey to try out for its National Team Development Program. more

IN CHARGE: Having been involved in athletics administration in the Princeton Public Schools for nearly 20 years, Brian Dzbenski is well suited for his new role as the district’s Supervisor of Physical Education and Athletic Director (AD). After serving as interim Athletic Director in the wake of the passing of former AD John Miranda last August, Dzbenski was named to the position this spring.

Princeton High held graduation in late June and the 4th of July holiday has come and gone but that doesn’t mean it is time for Brian Dzbenski to take a summer break.

As the recently hired Supervisor of Physical Education and Athletic Director for the Princeton district, Dzbenski has a lot on his plate even though school is out. more

LOYALTY POINTS: Davon Black puts up a shot for LoyalTees in recent action in the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League. Last Monday, former Princeton High boy’s hoops star Black scored 18 points to help LoyalTees top King’s Pizzarama 58-52 to improve to 5-2. In other games on Monday, Majeski Foundation defeated the PA Blue Devils 72-53 to improve to 7-0 and Princeton Special Sports/Liquid Outdoor Advertising edged PEAC Performance 66-63. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Although the LoyalTees team was put together just weeks before the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League started action this June, the squad has come together quickly.

The team jumped out to a 2-0 start in the first week of league play and is battling for second place in the eight-team league. more

LEADING THE WAY: Members of the Princeton High boys’ cross country team take off at the start of the Mercer County Championships last fall. The PHS cross county squad produced a season for the ages last fall, winning the state Group 4 title and the Meet of Champions, finishing the campaign as the top-ranked team in the state. The heroics of the Little Tiger distance runners helped PHS get ranked 50th in a list of the Top 50 programs for 2016-17 compiled by NJ.com. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Capping off a superb year for Princeton High athletics, the school has been included in a ranking of the Top 50 programs for 2016-17 compiled by NJ.com.

The rankings were created by analyzing the accomplishments of each athletic program — individual team rankings, championships, individual awards and accolades, etc. — during the recently completed school year. more

LOCKED IN: Princeton Post 218 American Legion baseball player John Girouard waits for a pitch in recent action. Last Wednesday, Girouard, a rising Princeton High senior, went 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs in a losing cause as Princeton fell 10-9 to Trenton Post 93/182. Princeton, which moved to 2-13 with a 10-1 loss to Hightstown Post 148 last Friday, plays at Ewing Post 314 on July 5, hosts Hopewell Post 339 on July 6, South Brunswick on July 7, plays at Hamilton Post 31 on July 9 and at Hopewell on July 10, and then hosts Allentown on July 11.

John Girouard and his teammates on the Princeton Post 218 American Legion baseball team didn’t hang their heads when they fell behind visiting Trenton Post 93/182 in the top of the first inning last Wednesday evening. more

Last winter, Jack Coolahan assumed a supporting role for the Babson College men’s basketball team when it won the NCAA Division III national championship.

As a freshman guard for the Beavers, the 6’4, 185-pound Coolahan, a native of Newtown, Pa., averaged 1.8 points a game in nine appearances.

This past Friday in the Princeton Men’s Summer Hoops League, Coolahan stepped into a leading role for the PA Blue Devils, scoring a team-high 21 points to help them pull away to a 70-60 win over King’s Pizzarama at the Community Park courts. more

BLOCK PARTY: Matt Hawes, right, delivers a block in the Sunshine Football Classic last Thursday evening at The College of New Jersey. Recently graduated Princeton High standout Hawes helped the West to a 24-7 win over the East in the 21st edition of the all-star game. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Matt Hawes will never forget the last play of his high school football career. more

HANDS ON: Princeton High football player Ethan Guerra, left, battles in the trenches during a game last fall. Recently graduated star lineman Guerra will play the final game of his football career as he competes for the West team in the 21st annual Sunshine Football Classic at The College of New Jersey on June 29. He will be joined on the squad by PHS teammates Alex Solopenkov and Matt Hawes. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Ethan Guerra experienced plenty of ups and downs during his career with the Princeton High football team. more

SOLO PERFORMANCE: Alex Solopenkov heads up the field during his career with the Princeton High football team. Recently graduated Solopenkov will wrap up his high school football career as he plays for the West team in the 21st annual Sunshine Football Classic at The College of New Jersey on June 29. He will be joined on the squad by PHS teammates Ethan Guerra and Matt Hawes. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Transferring to Princeton High from North Brunswick midway through his sophomore year, Alex Solopenkov was an unknown quantity when he hit the football field for the Little Tigers in the fall of 2015. more

ACTION JAXON: Princeton Little League (PLL) player Jaxon Petrone takes a rip in the opening round of the District 12 Intermediate 50/70 tournament last Sunday. Petrone went 2-for-4 with a double, a run, and three RBIs to help PLL defeat West End 18-6. Princeton will face West End in the championship round of the tourney, needing one win to clinch the crown in the double-elimination competition. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

There was nothing complicated about the game plan for the Princeton Little League (PLL) as it faced West End in the opening round of the District 12 Intermediate 50/70 tournament last Sunday. more