ZACH IS BACK: Princeton University men’s basketball player Zach Martini pulls down a rebound in a game last season. Last Friday, junior forward Martini had season-highs of eight points and four rebounds in 13 minutes off the bench as Princeton defeated Division III Kean 88-70 and improved to 9-4. Martini, who was sidelined earlier this season for nearly two months due to a collapsed lung, is emerging a key frontcourt reserve for the squad. The Tigers begin their Ivy League campaign when they host Harvard on December 31. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Zach Martini was primed to make a big impact this winter in his junior season for the Princeton University men’s basketball team, but he got hit with an injury in the preseason that nearly derailed him.

At a practice in early October, the 6’7, 235-pound forward collided with a teammate and he knew something was seriously wrong.

“My lung collapsed taking a charge, I was hospitalized for about five nights,” recalled Martini, a native of Warren. “It was really scary. It definitely changed my perspective on basketball and life. I didn’t think I would be able to play.”

After being sidelined for nearly two months while he recovered, Martini returned to action against Cairn on November 30.

“I am just really, really fortunate to play and be back on the court again with my team, the guys I love and support,” said Martini. more

PUSHING THROUGH: Princeton High boys’ basketball player Chris Rinaldi dribbles upcourt in a game earlier this season. Last Thursday, senior guard Rinaldi scored eight points in a losing cause as PHS fell 48-33 to Hightstown. The Tigers, now 0-3, will be competing in the Montgomery High tournament on December 27 and 29 and then playing at Nottingham on January 3. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Chris Rinaldi got things off to a good start for the Princeton High boys’ basketball team as it hosted Hightstown last Thursday, draining a three-pointer a minute into the contest to put the Tigers up 3-0.

Senior guard and co-captain Rinaldi added another three pointer in the second quarter to help PHS jump out to a 16-11 halftime lead.

“I was feeling my shot from the start,” said Rinaldi, reflecting on his perimeter play. “I felt we were playing really good defense, we just had to score. That is what it was going to come down to in the end.”

In the second half, Hightstown got it going on the offensive end, outscoring the Tigers 22-8 in the fourth quarter to pull away to a 48-33 win.

In reflecting on the defeat, which dropped PHS to 0-3, Rinaldi acknowledged that cold shooting doomed the Tigers to defeat.

“We turned it over, we weren’t converting on offense and they went on a run,” said Rinaldi. “Holding Hightstown to 11 points in the first half was pretty good. Our defense is really good, but we have to find a way to put the ball in the basket.” more

GOING THE DISTANCE: Princeton High girls’ swimmer Kyleigh Tangen shows her freestyle form in a race last season. Junior Tangen starred as PHS defeated Robbinsville 119-47 last Wednesday, winning the 200-yard freestyle and taking second in the 500 free. PHS, which improved to 3-0 with the win, has a meet against Hopewell Valley on December 22 at the Pennington School pool. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Kyleigh Tangen displayed her endurance this fall as she starred for the Princeton High girls’ cross country team.

Junior Tangen placed 11th at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 4 Central Jersey sectional and 16th at the Mercer County championship meet.

Last Wednesday, Tangen demonstrated her stamina in the water for the PHS girls’ swimming team, winning the 200-yard freestyle and placing second in the 500 free to help the Tigers top Robbinsville 119-47 as they improved to 3-0.

“I have been having a lot of fun doing the distance races, it brings a lot of new energy,” said Tangen. “I feel like I can meet a lot of new people because you are not racing the same people.”

PHS has been having fun in the early going as its swimmers have been experimenting with different events.

“It is nice in the beginning to mix and match races, I really enjoy that,” said Tangen. more

By Bill Alden

After making a solid debut for the Princeton High boys’ swimming team last winter, David Brophy is looking to take things to a higher level as a sophomore.

“I have been really working hard in the offseason, my freestyle has improved a lot,” said Brophy, who also competes for the PTAC (Princeton Tigers Aquatics Club) team. “I would say the biggest improvement for me is probably the 500 free and the 200 free.”

Last Wednesday against Robbinsville, Brophy showed that progress, placing first in the 500-yard free in a time of 5:11.21.

“I was trying to keep it steady, it was a good swim,” said Brophy. “I got a nice time off of it — I was really proud of myself.”

With PHS posting a 105-59 win over the Ravens to improve to 3-0, Brophy is proud of the squad’s efforts overall.

“The whole team has improved a lot because they have all been working hard in the offseason,” said Brophy. “That is great, we are going to keep it going.”

Helping the Tigers win the Mercer County championship meet, the Public B Central Jersey sectional title and advancing to the Public B state final on the way to a 14-1 record last season as a freshman, gave Brophy a great boost.

“It was definitely a confidence builder but it was also we need to do that again this year,” said Brophy.

Brophy draws confidence from competing with a sophomore class that includes such standouts as David Xu, Jaiden Xu, Daniel Guo, Tyler Cenci, Matias Da Costa, and Jaiden Jung.  more

STICKING WITH IT: Princeton High girls’ hockey player Annie Terry, left, goes after the puck in a game last season. Senior defenseman and assistant captain Terry is looking to have a big final campaign for the Tigers. PHS, which fell 10-2 to Randolph last Friday to move to 0-3, faces Chatham on December 21 at the Mennen Arena in Morristown. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Christian Herzog ran into an equipment issue with his Princeton High girls’ hockey team due to the turnout for preseason practice.

“It is the most girls I have had in a few years — I used up all of our jerseys and I had to get a few extra ones,” said PHS head coach Herzog, who is carrying 26 players on his roster. “I have some significant numbers this year, something was in the water.”

Since many of the players are newcomers to the sport, Herzog is looking to build a solid foundation for success down the road.

“We are skating our way to the future; the reason I am keeping so many players is that I am laying the groundwork for the future,” said Herzog, whose team lost 10-2 to Randolph High last Friday to move to 0-3. “I have a ton of freshmen and sophomores. There are already girls who are asking about ‘what can I do over the summer?’ There are some people who are invested.”

PHS features two experienced sophomores, Cassie Speir and Maya Hagt, who are very invested in the program.

“Cassie is a workhorse, she is extremely hard working; I have her on defense,” said Herzog of assistant captain Speir, who has scored all four of PHS’s goals this season. “Cassie has speed, she has a shot, and she has grit. She is not easy to push over. Maya has got some skill. It is good to have them both on the ice at the same time. Maya is the head captain, she is in a big leadership role. She follows through — she was essential in getting all of these girls to play.” more

HAIR-RAISING EXPERIENCE: Princeton Day School boys’ basketball player Jaden Dublin, right, dribbles past a defender last Saturday against Nottingham. Senior guard Dublin scored a team-high 16 points in the contest to help PDS edge the Northstars 64-62 and improve to 2-0. In upcoming action, PDS will be competing in the South Hunterdon tournament from December 27-28. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

It took Jaden Dublin a while to get acclimated when he joined the Princeton Day School boys’ basketball team last winter as a junior.

“I transferred in, so I didn’t play many games,” said Dublin. “I had to wait 30 days.”

Coming into this winter, Dublin had a much greater comfort level.

“Starting off this season, being able to play, it just shows,” said Dublin. “This offseason, I put in a lot of work. I was in the gym every day with my team — we did hours in and hours out.”

Dublin’s work showed last Saturday as PDS held off a furious rally by visiting Nottingham to pull out a 64-62 win over the Northstars.

“We just wanted to come out and be resilient and be strong,” said Dublin, who had tallied a team-high 16 points and 11 rebounds in the victory. “We know this is going to be a tougher team that we are playing, so we just have to be strong. Last year, our record wasn’t too good. This year we have a different mindset.”

PDS got off to a strong start, jumping out to an 18-12 lead in the first quarter and taking a 36-27 advantage into halftime. more

ACTION JACKSON: Princeton Day School boys’ hockey player Liam Jackson, center, battles for the puck in recent action. Last Thursday, junior forward Jackson tallied two goals and an assist as PDS skated to a 5-5 tie with Gloucester Catholic. PDS, who topped St. Joseph (Montvale) 3-0 last Monday to improve to 2-2-1, was scheduled to host St. Augustine on December 22 before going on holiday break. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Liam Jackson was ready to step up for the Princeton Day School boys’ hockey team this winter in his second season with the program.

“Coach [Scott Bertoli] has put a lot more responsibility on me to do more of the scoring as opposed to last year,” said junior forward Jackson. “I am just trying to play with more confidence. It is hard playing with the crowd there in high school with bigger kids. I definitely made some improvements in confidence, and I am looking to continue that this year.”

Last Thursday against Gloucester Catholic, Jackson scored a goal and an assist in the second period as PDS jumped out to a 3-0 lead.

“It was a good play by Riley Schmidt on the face-off, getting it forward and to the front of the net,” said Jackson, reflecting on the goal. “Han [Shin] made a great play jumping up into the play on the assist. He broke up the play and I just knocked it up to him. He had a great finish.”

The Panthers extended the lead to 4-0 early in the third period on a second goal by Shin but it was Gloucester who finished strong, scoring five straight goals to forge ahead 5-4.

“We wanted to come out with a lot of energy and I think we did, going up 4-0 there and then we let our foot off the gas pedal,” said Jackson. “We let up. We played a good game until the third period … when it started to all go down.” more

SPEED SKATER: Princeton Day School girls’ hockey player Eibhleann Knox brings the puck up the ice last Monday against Randolph High. Sophomore star forward Knox scored a goal to help PDS prevail 9-1. The Panthers, now 3-0-1, are next in action when they host Summit on January 5. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As the Princeton Day School girls’ hockey team hosted Randolph High last Monday, Eibhleann Knox didn’t waste any time setting the tone for the home squad.

Getting the puck off the opening face-off, sophomore forward Knox raced down the ice to goal and fired the puck into the back of the net to give PDS a 1-0 lead 14 seconds into the contest.

“I wasn’t really expecting to skate through them,” said Knox. “I got the puck, it was a pass from Nora [Appleby]. I just skated through and shot and it went in.”

With PDS coming off a 0-0 tie against Oak Knoll on December 15, that tally opened the floodgates as the Panthers built a 6-0 lead after one period and went on to a 9-1 triumph in improving to 3-0-1.

“We wanted to get a few goals at the start and start rotating some new players in and not have to worry about them coming back,” said Knox. more

BURNING COLES: Princeton University wrestler Danny Coles, right, controls a foe in a match last season. This past Sunday, sophomore Coles edged No. 8 Sammy Alvarez 4-3 at 141 pounds as Princeton battled Rutgers. The teams were tied 16-16 after the 10 bouts with each winning five and none of the matches being decided by falls, forfeits, defaults or disqualifications. That sent the match to the third criteria, total points scored, and Rutgers had a 42-39 edge to win 17-16 on the criteria point. Coles was later named the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) Wrestler of the Week, standing out as the only unranked wrestler to top a ranked foe in the matchup. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Justin Feil

Chris Ayres has different parts to his job as head coach of the Princeton University wrestling team, but one thing stands out for him.

It’s the chance to help a wrestler develop to reach another level.

“It’s every day what I live for,” said Ayres. “I do a lot of stuff in my job — like fundraising and recruiting — but my favorite thing is trying to push those buttons to figure out how a guy makes a breakthrough. I think it’s all of our coaches’ favorite thing. Our guys were all the best kids in high school, and it’s trying to figure out how to unlock them and make them be the best they can be in college. And it’s not like a linear gradual gain, it’s a big jump. You have a mental shift where you’re like here’s where I am.”

The Tigers staff saw one such jump Sunday. Despite a loss to InterMat No. 17 Rutgers on tie-breaking criteria points after Princeton tied them with five match wins apiece, the Tigers had something to build on with a win at 141 pounds from Danny Coles [The teams were tied 16-16 after the 10 bouts with none of the matches being decided by falls, forfeits, defaults, or disqualifications. That sent the match to the third criteria, total points scored, and Rutgers had a 42-39 edge to win 17-16 on the criteria point.] Princeton’s InterMat-ranked trio of Patrick Glory, Quincy Monday, and Luke Stout all won as expected along with Blaine Bergey at 165 pounds, but Coles had the most significant win of the day.

The teams were tied 16-16 after the 10 bouts with each winning five and none of the matches being decided by falls, forfeits, defaults, or disqualifications. That sent the match to the third criteria, total points scored, and Rutgers had a 42-39 edge to win 17-16 on the criteria point.

The Canadian native was the only wrestler on either team to upset an InterMat-ranked opponent. Coles scored a first-period takedown and a last-period escape in a 4-3 win over eighth-ranked Sammy Alvarez at 141 pounds.  more

SURE SHOT: Princeton High girls’ basketball player Rachel Luo puts up a shot in a game last winter. Coming off a superb junior season, senior guard Luo figures to be a key performer for PHS this winter. The Tigers tip off their 2022-23 season by playing at Princeton Day School on December 15. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Boasting a blend of newcomers and some battle-tested veterans, there is a sense of optimism around the Princeton High girls’ basketball team heading into the 2022-23 season.

“We have a lot of new faces,” said PHS head coach Dave Kosa, who guided PHS to a 10-11 record last winter. “They are really jelling with one another, we are excited. There are a couple of freshmen that are going to play a lot of minutes, I think they are ready for it. They are pretty talented. It is good that we are going to be young and hungry.”

It is also good for Kosa to have senior Rachel Luo, junior Riley Devlin, and junior Ava Caruso returning in the backcourt.

“We thrust Rachel into the point guard role last year and she wasn’t really ready for it,” said Kosa. “I think this year we are going to do it more by committee. Riley can play it, Rachel can play it, and Ava can play it. Those are the three guards that will be handling the ball for us.”

Two new faces, freshman Sephora Romain and sophomore transfer Gianna Grippo, should see action at guard.

“Sephora is super athletic, she is going to add a lot of quickness,” said Kosa. “She might be in the mix as the season wears on. Gianna transferred from Bridgewater — she might see some minutes as well. It provides us with depth.”

Junior forward Gabby Bannett provides experience and versatility. more

PAIGE ONE: Princeton Day School girls’ basektball player Paige Gardner fires a pass in a game last season. Senior guard Gardner, who also stars in lacrosse, brings athleticism to the backcourt for PDS. The Panthers will be tipping off their 2021-22 campaign by hosting crosstown rival Princeton High on December 15. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As the Princeton Day School girls’ basketball team has hit the court for the preseason, Seraphine Hamilton likes the mindset and versatility she is seeing from her players.

“We have a more competitive group and a lot of talent,” said PDS head coach Hamilton, who guided PDS to a 5-13 record last winter. “We are pretty fluid, everybody plays everything.”

The Panthers are getting an infusion of talent with the arrival of four freshmen — Ella McLaren, Jules Hartman, Makayla Rondinelli, and Sophie Barber.

“Ella and Jules bring a lot of the similar things to the basketball court that they bring on the soccer field,” said Hamilton, whose team will host Princeton High on December 15 in its season opener. “Jules is really composed and makes great decisions under pressure. Ella is attack-oriented and athletic. Mikayla and Sophia come fresh off of their AAU season — they are ballers. That is a good addition.”

The return of senior guard Paige Gardner, who stars in lacrosse and has committed to attend Fairfield University and play for its women’s lacrosse program, brings athleticism to the Panther backcourt.

“I have coached her all four years in basketball; she was a little peanut when she was a freshman and now she is an athletic presence,” said Hamilton. “She has grown; she is a D-I athlete on the court and she knows how to cut across the court from lacrosse. Our offense lends itself to the way that she can play.” more

BOUNCE IN HIS STEP: Princeton Day School boys’ basketball player Mason McQueen dribbles the ball in a game last winter. Senior guard McQueen’s energy helped spark PDS to the Prep B state final last season. The Panthers start their 2022-23 campaign by hosting WW/P-North on December 15. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As Eugene Burroughs looks ahead to the upcoming season for his Princeton Day School boys’ basketball team, he believes two tournament losses last winter have positively impacted his returning players.

While PDS fell to Trenton Catholic Academy 50-43 in the opening round of the Mercer County Tournament and then lost 69-59 to Doane Academy in the Prep B state final, Burroughs saw those performances as a turning point.

“I think our game at TCA was a moment where I felt our team realized how hard we have to play,” said PDS head coach Burroughs, whose team went 5-13 in 2021-22. “We really competed with a lot of energy; I told them after that game this is the standard of how we have to play. The Doane game was another game where I felt like we played as a team at a high level. It was a physical game, we competed. Having returning kids who have experienced that is a great carryover for them this year. I feel that those guys all have improved their skill set as players. When you have that with the chemistry that our returning guys have, I think you are heading in the right direction.”

As his team has gone through preseason practices, Burroughs is seeing a carryover of intensity.

“Our energy has been great in the preseason, the best it has been since I have been here,” said Burroughs, who is in his third year guiding the program. “I feel my returning players have really just turned the corner on my expectations of them as players with our ability to move the ball on offense and rotate on defense.” more

SWOOPING IN: Hun School boys’ hockey player Elian Estulin, left, tracks down a puck in a game earlier this season. Last Friday, senior star and team captain Estulin picked up two assists in a losing cause as Hun fell 7-3 to Holy Ghost Prep (Pa.). In upcoming action, the Raiders, now 5-4, play at LaSalle College High (Pa.) on December 14 and get a rematch at Holy Ghost Prep (Pa.) on December 16. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Riding a three-game winning streak, outscoring its foes 25-0 in that stretch, the Hun School boys’ hockey team was rolling as it hosted Holy Ghost Prep (Pa.) last Friday evening at the Ice Land Skating Center.

Midway through the second period, it looked like the good times were going to keep coming as Hun took 3-1 lead on Justin Laplante’s second goal of the contest.

Hun head coach Ian McNally liked where his team’s mentality was as it had overcome an early 1-0 deficit against Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference (APAC) rival Holy Ghost with two straight goals in a 50 second span late in the first period to take a 2-1 lead.

“Things were going good so I think the mindset coming into this was more like things are good right now rather than we are playing Ghost,” said McNally. “We didn’t start that well but we responded by scoring goals.”

Unfortunately for the Raiders, Holy Ghost responded with four unanswered goals in the last eight minutes of the second period and never looked back on the way to a 7-3 win. more

MAC ATTACK: Hun School boys’ basketball player Mac Kelly drives to the basket in recent action. Last Wednesday, junior guard Kelly scored 28 points, including 24 in the second half, to help Hun defeat Pennington. The Raiders, who defeated Peddie 70-59 in a third-place game at the Peddie School Invitational Tournament last Sunday in improving to 5-3, host the Life Center Academy on December 15 in its last action before the holiday break. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Coming from Long Island this fall to join the Hun School boys’ hoops team, Mac Kelly took a while to get up to speed.

“Early on, it is nerve-wracking, it is different,” said Kelly, a 6’1 native of Mineola, N.Y. “The level of play is higher. I have been able to adjust to it and grow. I think now I feel I am right in there. There are no more nerves which is big.”

Last Wednesday as Hun hosted Pennington, Kelly displayed his growth, tallying 28 points, including 24 in the second half, to help the Raiders pull away to a 90-68 victory.

With Hun clinging to a 33-32 halftime lead and missing several players due to injury and illness, Kelly was ready to take things to another level in the second half.

“I came into the locker room at halftime, I knew I had to step it up,” said Kelly. “It was a tight game.” more

HEY BRO: Princeton High boys’ swimmer David Brophy displays his freestyle form in a race last season. Sophomore Brophy figures to be a key contributor for the Titers this fall. PHS starts its 2022-23 campaign with a meet at Steinert on December 8. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Featuring depth, talent, and a positive chemistry, the Princeton High boys’ and girls’ swimming teams both produced dominant performances last winter.

Each squad placed first in the Mercer County championship meet with the boys going on to win the Public B Central Jersey sectional title and making it to the Public B state final on the way to a 14-1 record. The girls, for their part, went 11-1, advancing to the North 2 Group B sectional semis.

Heading into the 2022-23 campaign, PHS head coach Carly Misiewicz knows that her boys’ squad will have a bull’s eye on it.

“Something I stressed to them at the beginning of the season was that the target is definitely on our back this year,” said Misiewicz. “There is that pressure, if you want to call it that, to repeat.”

Buoyed by its upbeat mentality and bonds among the swimmers, Misiewicz believes the squad will be unfazed by such pressure.

“I think the guys are more than willing and up to the challenge,” said Misiewicz. “They are such a good group. They mesh so well, they all get along with each other so well. They are really the definition and the perfect version of whatever I could ask for in a team with the way they treat each other and the way they all talk to each other. They hang out with each other outside of their swimming.” more

CHASING SUCCESS: Princeton Day School girls’ hockey player Lauren Chase brings the puck up the ice in action last winter. Senior defenseman Chase is poised for a big final campaign for the Panthers. PDS hosts Cranford on December 9 in its season opener. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Julie DeSimone is confident that the Princeton Day School girls’ hockey team won’t miss a beat as she takes the helm of the program.

Having served as an assistant coach for PDS over the last four seasons, DeSimone brings continuity as she succeeds previous head coach John Ritchie.

“We have such a good coaching team and even under John, it was so collaborative, it didn’t feel like there was hard, fast hierarchy,” said DeSimone. “It was a nice transition, just continuing to work with Mike [Adams] and Jaimie [Davis] and having Shavonne [Leacy] on board as well. That has been a huge advantage, she has been fitting in really well. We have all always divided and conquered. We are just continuing that model that was set up under John. We were kind of a united force, I don’t think it has been that big of a shift.”

DeSimone and her staff are determined to keep the program on the winning track that saw it go 14-6 last winter, capturing the Prep state title and advancing to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) state final in the process.

“We are really happy with how we ended the season last year and we want to keep building on that success,” said DeSimone. “It was really fun. We are really happy about how we built the program and the success we have had over the last few years. The returning players are definitely excited to get back to competing against those teams we played last year and what we did. We are well-positioned to do that again.” more

CHASING SUCCESS: Princeton Day School girls’ hockey player Lauren Chase brings the puck up the ice in action last winter. Senior defenseman Chase is poised for a big final campaign for the Panthers. PDS hosts Cranford on December 9 in its season opener. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Even though Tony Bowman just retired after a long career as an investigator with the N.J. Department of Gaming Enforcement, he is not taking it easy.

Instead, Bowman is keeping busy by starting a return engagement as the head coach of the Stuart Country Day School basketball team, a program he previously guided from 2003-11.

“It has been different; when I got there last time I had like 14, 15 girls,” said Bowman, who is taking over a team that went 8-8 last winter. “I had a few more basketball players and I had more multi-sport athletes. I don’t have that this time, either the numbers and that kind of athlete. Right now, I have nine players.”

As he tries to get the most out of his scrappy band of players, he is going back to basics.

“I am focusing on fundamentals, teaching basketball and making sure everybody is on the same page,” said Bowman. “My ideal is to make the players that are good to get better and the ones that are just learning basketball to be better than what they were when they got started. That is what I am doing.” more