FULL SPEED AHEAD: Stuart Country Day School lacrosse player Emily Ix (No. 14) races upfield in recant action. Last Monday, senior star Ix tallied six goals and three assists to help Stuart defeat Hamilton West 18-10. The Tartans, who improved to 2-2 with the win, host WW/P-North on April 17. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Even though the Stuart Country Day School lacrosse team fell 16-7 to Peddie School in its season opener, Missy Bruvik saw her players improve within the contest.

In the loss to the Falcons on March 30, Stuart trailed 11-1 at halftime but then outscored Peddie 6-5 in the second half.

“We saw a lot of resilience, we have a lot of kids who are first time players on the field for the very first time in a game situation,” said Tartan head coach Bruvik, who has served as assistant coach for the program and has switched roles with Mark Maser, the head coach since 2020. more

THE PRICE IS RIGHT: Princeton High pitcher Wes Price fires a pitch in a game last spring. PHS is depending on senior Price to emerge as a key starter this season. The Tigers, who fell 8-7 to Hightstown in their season opener last Monday, host Hamilton West on April 5,WW/P-North on April 6, and Robbinsville on April 11. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

In Dom Capuano’s view, the key to success for his Princeton High baseball team comes down to his players just being themselves.

“We need to make sure that we understand who we are,” said PHS head coach Capuano, who guided the Tigers to an 11-14 record last spring. “We have been preaching it. They have been doing a good job of it, making sure we are doing the little things right to maximize what we can do.”

As PHS has gone through the preseason, Capuano has seen that message getting through. more

GETTING TO GOAL: Princeton High boys’ lacrosse player Patrick Kenah goes to goal in a 2022 contest. Junior star Kenah figures to trigger the PHS attack this spring. The Tigers start their 2023 campaign by playing at WW/P-North on April 6 and then hosting Scotch Plains-Fanwood on April 8 and Notre Dame on April 11. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Peter Stanton enjoyed a legendary tenure as the head coach of the Princeton High boys’ lacrosse team from 1996 to 2015, getting inducted into the New Jersey Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2015.

Shifting roles within the program, Stanton has served as an assistant coach for PHS starting in 2016.

But with head coach Chip Casto on sabbatical for the 2022-23 school year, Stanton is back at the helm of the program this spring.

“It is pretty great but to be honest, I had some self-doubt just because stepping back there is lot more to being head coach,” said Stanton, who guided the program to more than 220 wins, two Mercer County Tournament crowns, and six Colonial Valley Conference titles during his tenure. “It is 24/7, it is always lacrosse season. I am very much an all-or-nothing person. I didn’t know if I could bring what I used to bring to it. It is not entirely like riding a bicycle, there are things that I forget.” more

OPENING SALVO: Princeton High girls’ lacrosse player Riley Devlin controls the ball in a game last spring. On Monday, junior midfielder Devlin tallied two goals and two assists to help PHS defeat Hightstown 16-7 in the season opener for both teams. The Tigers were slated to host WW/P-South on April 4 and are next in action when they play at Hillsborough on April 15. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

On one hand, the Princeton High girls’ lacrosse team is dealing with a major void in the wake of the graduation of a senior class that drove the squad.

But as the Class of ’22 moves on, with four of the six playing at the college level, a corps of promising freshmen has arrived on the scene to fill that gap.

“The freshmen are really a special group, so I am excited to see what they do,” said PHS head coach Katie Federico, who led the Tigers to a 12-6 record last spring and a spot in the Mercer County Tournament semifinals. “They really look up to the upperclassmen and they are trying to learn through that. They stick together, they connect and they have been playing Ultimate club together. It reminds me of last year’s seniors, this crew is kind of the same.” more

TURNING THE PAIGE: Princeton Day School girls’ lacrosse player Paige Gardner races upfield in 2022 action. Senior star and Fairfield University commit Gardner figures to spark the PDS attack again after having scored 78 goals last season as the Panthers won both the Prep B state and New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public Group B titles. PDS, which will be led by new coach Tracy Young in the wake of the retirement of the legendary Jill Thomas, was slated to open its 2023 campaign by hosting the Blair Academy on April 4, Shore Regional on April 6, and Pennington School on April 11. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Succeeding a legendary coach is never easy, but Tracy Young appears to be up for the challenge in getting promoted to lead the Princeton Day School girls’ lacrosse program.

With Jill Thomas, a member of the New Jersey Lacrosse Hall of Fame, having retired last year and going out in a blaze of glory guiding PDS to both Prep B state and New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public Group B titles, longtime assistant Young is now in charge of the Panthers.

Having served seven years a coach with the program, it has been a smooth transition so far for Young and her players.

“I think they were relieved — they know me and they know my coaching style,” said Young, a third grade teacher in the PDS lower school. “I think there is a sense of relief because they weren’t going have to start anew. I know the program, I know the players, I know the parents. Some of these are kids I have taught in my classroom. I have a very strong connection with the players and a strong connection with a lot of the families.” more

GETTING IN THE SWING: Princeton Day School baseball player Ryan Vandal takes a swing in a game last spring. Senior Vandal figures to help PDS on the mound and with his bat in his final campaign. The Panthers, who fell 13-0 to Middlesex High last Monday in their season opener and first game under new head coach Eric Schnepf, play at Manville High on April 6, at New Hope Solebury High on April 10, and at Montclair Kimberley on April 11. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As Eric Schnepf takes the helm of the Princeton Day School baseball program, he is espousing a philosophy that goes well beyond the diamond.

“We put a huge emphasis on controlling what we can control,” said Schnepf, who starred at Bridgewater-Raritan and then went on to play at Tufts University and served as an assistant coach for the Somerville High baseball program last year in his first taste of high school coaching.

“In sports, baseball, and life, you need to focus on the things you can control and master. We place a huge emphasis on competitiveness and the ability to overcome adversity. That is built on a standard of attitude, energy, and effort.”

Schnepf has been seeing those qualities from his players as they have prepared for the season. more

POWER SOURCE: Hun School softball player Lexi Kobryn smacks the ball in a game last season. Junior Kobryn enjoyed a huge sophomore campaign last spring, hitting .500 with team highs in homers (7), RBIs (28), and runs (30) in addition to being the team’s pitching ace with six no-hitters and 190 strikeouts in 87 innings. Kobryn’s heroics helped Hun go 18-1 and win its first Prep A state title since 2017. Picking up where they left off, the Raiders started their 2023 campaign by sweeping a doubleheader from Mercersburg Academy (Pa.) last Sunday, winning 16-0 and 15-0. Hun will be playing at the Lawrenceville School on March 30, at Penn Charter (Pa.) on April 1, and at the Peddie School on April 4. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

There is a target on the back of the Hun School softball team as it comes into its 2023 campaign.

Having rolled to an 18-1 record last spring and winning its first Prep A state title since 2017, Kathy Quirk warned her players that they will be getting the best efforts of their foes this spring.

“As we told them, every team is going to be out to get you,” said head coach Quirk, who is entering her 48th season at the helm of the program.

In order to prepare for that challenge, the Raiders headed south to Vero Beach, Fla., for their annual preseason trip and some bonding.

“It was a great experience that way; the girls had a lot of time together, we went golfing one day,” said Quirk. “It is one of these places where you are stuck on a compound where we do everything together.” more

RISING STAR: Princeton High boys’ basketball player Jahan Owusu goes up for a shot in a game this winter. Junior star guard Owusu emerged as a go-to scorer for the Tigers, tallying a team-high 314 points as PHS went 10-13 and advanced to the Mercer County Invitational final. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

When the Princeton High boys’ basketball team started its 2022-23 campaign by losing five of its first six games, it looked like it could be a bleak winter for the squad.

Instead, PHS found a rhythm, advancing to the Mercer County Invitational final and nearly pulling off a big upset in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 4 sectional on the way to posting a 10-13 record.

“We got better each game, by the end of the year, we really got rolling,” said PHS head coach Pat Noone. “Throughout the season, that is what you want. You want them to get better each day and these guys definitely did that. It was a lot fun and it made an enjoyable end of the season run.” more

TAKING HIS SHOT: Princeton Day School boys’ basketball player Jaden Dublin puts up a shot in a game this winter. Senior guard Dublin proved to be a catalyst for PDS as it went 8-16 and advanced to the Prep B state semis. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

The mantra that Eugene Burroughs repeated throughout this winter to his Princeton Day School boys’ basketball team was “advance the program forward.”

Employing a gritty style and featuring a trio of superb senior guards in Jaden Dublin, Jaden Hall, and Mason McQueen, PDS did just that.

“We won three more games than last year which is a testament to this group and how they meshed together,” said Panther head coach Burroughs, whose team posted an 8-16 record. “We were probably one shot away from moving on in that state tournament and we played well enough to win.” more

PASSING LANE: Stuart County Day School basketball player Emily Ix passes the ball in a game this winter. Senior star Ix provided production and leadership as Stuart showed progress down the stretch in going 5-6. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

For the Stuart County Day School basketball team, ending the winter with a pair of wins exemplified the progress it made in a season of transition.

With Tony Bowman returning to take the helm of the program after guiding the Tartans from 2003-11 and the roster down to seven players, it took a while for Stuart to get in sync.

“It was challenging in the beginning and then it became fun and we started playing basketball,” said Bowman, whose team topped STEM Civics 57-16 and Hamilton West 40-31 in the last week of the season to end the winter with a record of 5-6. “It was definitely a process. The kids had to get used to me and I had to get used to them. You come into somebody else’s system and then it breaks down from 12 kids to seven. Those are some of the things that you don’t foresee.” more

MIGHTY MIKE: Hun School baseball player Mike Chiaravallo takes a swing in action last season. Senior outfielder Chiaravallo led the Raiders in homers with nine last spring as they won the program’s first-ever Mercer County Tournament crown and cruised to the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) title. Hun opens the 2023 season by hosting Lawrenceville on March 23. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

With the Hun School baseball team coming off a banner campaign that saw it win the program’s first-ever Mercer County Tournament crown and cruise to the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) title, there is a positive vibe around the squad as it looks ahead to this spring.

“There is lot of confidence and a lot of excitement too, there are some guys who are going to get more opportunities to play than they have in the past that are ready for it,” said Hun head coach Tom Monfiletto who guided the Raiders to a 20-4 record in 2022. “There is also a lot of room to grow too, which is exciting for the coaching staff.” more

WINTER STORM: Princeton High girls’ basketball player Anna Winters drives to the basket in a game this winter. Freshman forward Winters emerged as star for PHS in her debut campaign, leading the Tigers in scoring with 296 points. PHS posted a final record of 13-12, winning the Mercer County Invitational along the way. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

For the Princeton High girls’ basketball team, winning the Mercer County Invitational in the last week of the season was a major confidence builder for the young squad.

“It was very exciting; we were prepping for that and we definitely got on a little bit of a run,” said PHS head coach Dave Kosa, whose team topped Princeton Day School 48-32 in the MCI quarterfinals on February 11 before edging Hopewell Valley 33-30 in the semis three days later and edging Steinert 41-39 on February 17 in the final in the tourney which was ‘B’ bracket of the Mercer County Tournament. more

IN STRIDE: Hun School boys’ hockey player Vincent Gregoire streaks up the ice in recent action. Senior defenseman Gregoire helped Hun go 11-13 this winter as it advanced to the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference (APAC) semifinals. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Heading into the final week of the season, the Hun School boys’ hockey team had plenty to play for and it rose to the occasion with two key wins.

Hun defeated Malvern Prep (Pa.) 5-2 in the first round of the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference (APAC) playoffs and then posted a 5-2 victory over local rival Princeton Day School in a regular season meeting before falling 5-1 to La Salle College High (Pa.) in the APAC semis.

In the playoff win, Hun posted its third straight victory over Malvern Prep this winter, having previously topped the Friars 4-2 and 2-1 in two regular season meetings. more

ROSE IN BLOOM: Princeton High senior Ava Rose is all smiles last Saturday at Atlantic City as she shows off her path to victory at 114 pounds at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Girls’ State Wrestling Championships. It marked the second straight state title for Rose, who is headed to the University of Iowa where she will be competing for its women’s wrestling program. (Photo provided by Bruce Rose)

By Justin Feil

Ava Rose completed a dominant run to her second straight New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Girls’ State Wrestling Championship.

It’s another achievement for the Princeton High School senior, who has far bigger aspirations, including an Olympic gold medal.

“It was a lot cooler,” said Rose of capturing back-to-back crowns at 114 pounds. “It was really awesome. I didn’t really take it all in until I was on the podium, and then I was looking around.” more

NO FEAR: Princeton High boys’ hockey goalie Noah Vitulli makes a save in action this winter. Sophomore Vitulli emerged as a key performer for the Tigers in his first season of varsity action. PHS won the Mercer County Tournament and advanced to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Public A state tournament quarterfinals this winter on the way to posting a 15-7-1 record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Heading into its first-round contest of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Public A state tournament at Passaic Tech, the Princeton High boys’ hockey team didn’t know exactly what it was getting into.

“It was a game where we didn’t have much intel about them and I don’t know what they knew about us,” said PHS first-year head coach Rik Johnson as he looked ahead to the February 23 contest.

Coming off a dramatic 3-2 overtime victory against Hopewell Valley in the Mercer County Tournament final a week earlier, the Tigers were determined to stick their winning formula. more

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS: Princeton High girls’ hockey head coach Christian Herzog addresses his players during a stoppage of play in a game at Hobey Baker Rink this season. The Tigers stuck together as they posted a 0-15 record this winter. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Although the Princeton High girls’ hockey team didn’t taste victory this winter, Christian Herzog had a positive message for his players at their year-end banquet.

“I was, ‘Look ladies, I appreciate you sticking with it — the season is what it is,’” said PHS head coach Herzog, whose squad ended up with a final record of 0-15. “‘You could tell that your hockey skills got better from the first practice to the last game; 99 percent of the girls on this team are still new to ice hockey. We have a lot of sophomores and freshmen.’” more

INSIDE JOB: Hun School boys’ basketball player Anthony Aririguzoh heads to the basket in a game this season. Senior star Aririguzoh provided leadership and production this winter to help Hun go 14-13 and advance to the semis of both the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) and Prep A state tournaments. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

For the Hun School boys’ basketball team, its two games against the Lawrenceville School this winter proved to be a microcosm of a season filled with highs and lows.

In a regular season meeting between the local rivals on January 31, Hun sputtered in a disappointing 85-65 loss. But when the foes met in the first round of the Prep A state tournament two weeks later, the Raiders turned the tables on the Big Red, rallying from a late deficit to pull out a dramatic 68-66 win as Anthony Aririguzoh drained a half-court buzzer beater. more

STICKING POINT: Princeton University men’s lacrosse player Coulter Mackesy looks to elude a defender in a recent game. Last Saturday, sophomore attacker Mackesy tallied three goals but it wasn’t enough as Princeton fell 11-5 to defending national champion Maryland. The Tigers, now 2-1, will look to get back in the winning track as they host Georgetown on March 4. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

For the Princeton University men’s lacrosse team, powerhouse Maryland proved to be its kryptonite last spring.

Last February, Princeton fell 15-10 to the Terps in a regular season contest. On Memorial Day weekend, the Tigers lost 13-8 to Maryland in the NCAA semis as the Terps went to win the national title to cap an undefeated campaign.

Last Saturday, when the foes met for an early season showdown at Class of 52 Stadium, the Tigers had last year’s setbacks in the rear view mirror.

“It is a very different team for us this year and for them too so there was not too much harping on those two last season,” said Princeton head coach Matt Madalon, whose squad came into the game ranked No. 3 nationally in the Inside Lacrosse media poll with Maryland at No. 9. “We were just trying to put our guys in a good position to win.” more

PERFECT ENDING: Princeton High girls’ swimmer Beatrice Cai displays her breaststroke form in a race this season. Last Saturday, senior star Cai placed third in the 200-yard individual medley and 100 butterfly to help third-seeded PHS defeat top-seeded Chatham 91-79 in New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group B state final. PHS ended the season with a 14-0 record as it earned the program’s first girls’ state title since 1993. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Things were quiet around the Princeton High girls’ swim team as it went on a bus ride last Saturday morning down to the Gloucester County Institute of Technology pool for a battle of unbeatens against Chatham in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group B state final.

“It was very early in the morning so it wasn’t that loud, a lot of people were still tired, getting up early,” said PHS senior star Beatrice Cai. “Our boys’ team had gone against Chatham last year in the state finals and they lost, so we kind of wanted to win this for the boys. We were all very nervous about that part.” more

WILL TO WIN: Princeton Day School boys’ hockey player Will Brown streaks up the ice in a game earlier this season. Senior defenseman and assistant captain Brown tallied two goals and one assist as fifth-seeded PDS defeated 12th-seeded Morristown-Beard 5-2 last Wednesday in first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public tournament. Last Monday, the Panthers fell 8-4 to fourth-seededGloucester Catholic in the Non-Public quarterfinals to end the season with a 7-11-3 record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

It was Will Brown’s last game at McGraw Rink for the Princeton Day School boys’ hockey team and he wanted to make it a special evening.

“I was excited to play and just go out and put on a good show and get a win with the team,” said PDS senior defenseman Brown, reflecting on the matchup last Thursday which pitted fifth-seeded PDS against 12th-seeded Morristown Beard in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public tournament.

“It is a great group of guys here and we just wanted to keep playing for one more. We didn’t want to have it end on our home ice.” more

TOURNAMENT RUN: Princeton Day School girls’ hockey player Emily McCann, right, goes after the puck in recent action. Last Thursday, junior forward McCann, who also stars in cross country and track, tallied a goal and an assist to help fourth-seeded PDS defeat 13th-seeded Newark East Side 8-1in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) girls’ hockey state tournament. On Monday, PDS edged fifth-seeded Summit 1-0 in the state quarterfinals. The Panthers, now 7-5-3, face top-seeded Morristown-Beard in the state semis on March 2 with the victor advancing to the title game on March 6 at the Prudential Center in Newark. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Emily McCann got things rolling for the Princeton Day school girls’ hockey team as it started play in the NJSIAA girls’ hockey state tournament by hosting Newark East Side last Thursday afternoon.

Just over four minutes into the first period, junior forward McCann poked in a rebound to give fourth-seeded PDS a 1-0 lead over 13th-seeded Newark East Side in the opening round contest.

“I was just trying to get my rebound that was there,” said McCann. “I was just trying to get things moving, especially so the rest of the team could play.” more

OVERJOYED: Princeton High boys’ hockey player Ethan Garlock celebrates after scoring a goal last week in the Mercer County Tournament. Last Wednesday, senior forward and captain Garlock scored the winning goal in overtime as second-seeded PHS edged fourth-seeded Hopewell Valley 3-2 in the MCT title game. The Tigers, who improved to 14-6-1 as they earned the program’s first county crown since 2020, will start play in the state tournament this week. PHS is seeded 10th in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Public A state tourney and will play at seventh-seeded Passaic Tech in a first-round contest on February 23. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

For Ethan Garlock, helping the Princeton High boys’ hockey team win a Mercer County Tournament title has been a goal of his for years.

“For a lot of the seniors, we had older brothers and we would come to this game countless times as a kid in the stands,” said PHS senior forward and captain Garlock. “We knew that once we were seniors, we were going to play in the game and take control and come out on top. We worked for this moment all of our lives.”

Last Wednesday evening, Garlock and his teammates got that chances as second-seeded PHS faced fourth-seeded Hopewell Valley in the MCT title game before a packed house at the Mercer County Skating Center.

The Tigers brought some extra motivation into the contest, having lost 7-2 to Notre Dame in the MCT final last winter.

“We had that game on rewind today, we were getting psyched,” said Garlock. “We knew coming into this game there was no such thing as satisfaction; we would have to work until that final buzzer.” more