GOING TO MASS: Hun School boys’ soccer player Mass Verduci, left, goes after the ball in recent action. Last Saturday, senior star Verduci tallied two goals and an assist as Hun defeated Peddie 3-0 in its season finale. The Raiders, who improved to 12-4-2 with the win, clinched at least a share of the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) title with the win. Earlier in the week, second-seeded Hun fell 4-0 to third-seeded Pennington in the Prep A state semis. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

It was the third and final installment of a trilogy when the second-seeded Hun School boys’ soccer team hosted third-seeded Pennington in the Prep A state semis last Thursday.

In late September, Hun topped Pennington 3-0 in a regular season contest. On October 18, the Red Hawks turned the tables on the Raiders in the Mercer County Tournament, pulling out a 1-0 win over Hun with a late goal on the way to winning the county crown.

So when the rivals met last Thursday in the rubber match, Hun head coach Pat Quirk didn’t tinker with his game plan

“We didn’t think we had to change much from the two previous games,” said Quirk.

Yet in a big change from the earlier meetings, Pennington charged ahead early on, taking a 2-0 lead in the first half.

At halftime, Quirk urged his players to keep pressing forward.

“We were just trying to continue to bring a little more energy and just try to create a little bit more,” said Quirk. “We had opportunities in the first half, we just didn’t finish them.”

It was the Red Hawks, however, who did the finishing,  scoring two goals in the first four minutes of the second half on the way to a 4-0 win.

“They made a couple of good saves,” said Quirk. “We continued to hold the ball and move it. That is what we were trying to do. They just outplayed us today.”

Quirk credited junior Michael D’Aulerio, senior Will Zeng, junior Joey Bucchere, and senior Mass Verduci with starring for the Raiders in a losing cause.

“Michael played really well in the back, I thought he did awesome,” said Quirk. “Will played well in the midfield. Joey had some good runs. I thought Mass up top worked his butt off and battled nonstop. He was never going to give up.” more

SHE’S BAAACK: Princeton University women’s hockey player Sarah Fillier skates up the ice in a 2020 game. Junior star Fillier has returned to Princeton after a two-year hiatus during which she helped the Canadian women’s national team win two world championships and a gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Fillier totaled 114 points on 44 goals and 70 assists in her first two seasons for the Tigers, earning All-American honors each year. Princeton hosts No. 4 Colgate (9-0) on October 28 and No. 8 Cornell (2-0) a day later to start its 2022-23 season. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Cara Morey is experiencing a little trepidation as her Princeton University women’s hockey team prepares to start its 2022-23 campaign.

“I don’t know what to expect this weekend,” said Princeton head coach Morey, whose squad, ranked 10th nationally, is hosting No. 4 Colgate (9-0) on October 28 and No. 8 Cornell (2-0) a day later.

“It is just hard because sometimes they are flying and they look great. Sometimes there is a lull and you are like wait, do we have to start all over again.”

The Tiger players are on edge as well. “I think we are ready to play, now we are anxious to get on the ice and play some games,” said Morey, whose team went 13-15-5 overall and 9-10-3 ECAC Hockey last winter on the way to the league semifinals. “It is at that point of preseason where we need to play so then we can kind of figure out where we are at.”

Morey is anxious to see what junior superstar Sarah Fillier can do upon her return after taking a two-year hiatus from Princeton during which she helped the Canadian women’s national team win two world championships and a gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

“Sarah is an X-factor, she is great; the players look up to her,” said Morey of Fillier, who piled up 114 points on 44 goals and 70 assists in her first two seasons for the Tigers, earning All-American honors each year.

“She is an awesome leader. They watch her when she is on the ice which can sometimes be a detriment because they need to play instead of watching her. Overall it is amazing, it has been so great to have her back.” more

FINAL BATTLE: Princeton Day School girls’ tennis player Neha Khandkar hits a forehand last Thursday at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public final at the Mercer County Park tennis complex. PDS, which had defeated Ranney 4-1 in the Non-Public South sectional final, fell 5-0 to powerhouse Pingry in the state final. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Neha Khandkar and Amy Zhou have been singles stars for the Princeton Day School girls’ tennis team over the last four years, and it was fitting that they ended their career on the court at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public final last Thursday at the Mercer County Park tennis complex.

“Amy and I have been together since freshman year; we have been through it all together,” said Khandkar.

Zhou, for her part, has enjoyed sharing the ride with Khandkar.

“Me and Neha were singles during freshman year and through all of the years,” said Zhou. “It has been nice playing all these years. I will remember the hardships and the highs and lows. Sometimes winning feels great, but also losing together is hard.”

The Non-Public final against powerhouse Pingry turned out to be a low as PDS fell 5-0.

“We know it is a tough team to play — we have played them a lot of times before,” said Khandkar.

In her match at first singles against Anika Paul of Pingry, she fought hard in a straight-set defeat.

“The first set was a lot closer; there were times where I was up on changeovers and it gave me a lot of adrenaline,” said Khandkar. “I had a lot of energy in the first set and that sort of dwindled a little bit in the second.” more

By Bill Alden

Time was running out on the Princeton High football team in its quest to get its first win this season.

Having lost its first eight games and trailing Palmyra 21-17 late in the fourth quarter last Saturday with the Panthers in possession of the ball, things looked bleak for PHS.

But then lightning struck as Tiger linebacker Jack Callahan forced a fumble and Joe George scooped up the ball and raced 40 yards to the Palmyra three-yard line.

Two plays later, PHS sophomore quarterback Travis Petrone scored on a one-yard plunge to give the Tigers a 23-21 lead. The Tiger defense then held the fort, stopping Palmyra in downs to seal the deal and finally earn a triumph.

“We had great individual efforts from a lot of guys,” said PHS head coach Charlie Gallagher. “It looks like just a really great team win when you add them all up.”

Gallagher knew his squad needed to make a big effort to contain Palmyra star running back Kwinten Ives.

“We knew that they had this really super talented player in Kwinten Ives,” said Gallagher. “My message to them this week was that we know that this guy is going to get his yards and TDs. We are going to try to contain him and barrel him up. We just need more of our guys to make their plays. Let him do it, but we can’t let anybody else. We have to make up for this one player with five or six of our guys, and you guys have to step up.”

PHS stepped up early, cashing in on two Palmyra mistakes to jump out to a 10-0 lead. After the Panthers didn’t execute a punt, PHS took over at the Palmyra 10-yard line. The Tigers got a 22-yard field goal by Sean Wilton. Later in the quarter, PHS recovered a fumble at the Panthers 26 and Tyler Goldberg ended up scoring on a six-yard touchdown run.  more

HAPPY KAMPER: Princeton High girls’ tennis player Johanna Roggenkamp warms up as she got ready for her first singles match in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 3 state final against Montgomery High last Thursday. Roggenkamp and the Tigers, who defeated Shawnee 3-2 in the Group 3 state semis earlier in the day, fell 5-0 to the Cougars in the final. PHS, who moved 13-2 with the loss, is slated to host Lawrence on October 26 before playing at WW/P-South on October 27 and at Allentown on October 28 to wrap up regular season action. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Coming to Princeton this fall from Germany, Johanna Roggenkamp faced some challenges as she joined the Princeton High girls’ tennis team.

“It is very different,” said junior Roggenkamp, a native of Heidelberg whose parents came to the U.S. for stints at the Institute of Advanced Studies. “It was the first time I have played people that are very much older than me.”

Earning the first singles spot on the squad, Roggenkamp honed her game over the course of the fall.

“I got better at defending because people hit harder,” said Roggenkamp.

On October 18, Roggenkamp helped PHS defend its New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 3 sectional title as it topped Red Bank Regional 3-2.

Two days later, the Tigers headed to the Mercer County Park tennis complex to face Shawnee in the Group 3 state seniors where it pulled out a 3-2 win that came down to 10-point match tiebreaker in second doubles. more

GO TIME: Hun School boys’ soccer goalie Diego Pena clears the ball in a game earlier this season. Last week, senior star Pena made six saves in a losing cause as second-seeded Hun fell 1-0 to third-seeded and eventual champion Pennington in the Mercer County Tournament semis. The Raiders, who topped Lawrenceville 3-1 last Saturday to improve to 11-3-2, will be competing in the Prep A state tournament this week where they are seeded second and will be hosting a semifinal contest on October 27. In addition, Hun will be hosting Peddie on October 29 in a regular season game. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

After spending this past summer playing for the Dominican Republic U-17 national soccer program, Diego Pena was primed for his sophomore season with the Hun School boys’ soccer team.

“You work there with a lot of professional people and they help shape the way you are as a person and as a soccer player,” said Hun goalie Pena.

Last week, Pena showed how good a player he has become, making six saves, including some spectacular stops, in a losing cause as second-seeded Hun fell 1-0 to third-seeded and eventual champion Pennington in the Mercer County Tournament.

With Hun having shut out the Red Hawks 3-0 in a regular season contest on September 21, Pena and his teammates were ready for a battle in the rematch.

“We were coming into this game with a lot of hype,” said Pena. “It was a game we were looking for. We have got to show up and that is what we did. The first game was a really tough game and we came out on top. In this game, they obviously wanted revenge and they came pretty hard.”

Pena held the fort with a lot of help from Hun’s back line.

“I couldn’t ask for more from my defenders, it was a great game for them,” said Pena. “They had a complete game, they cleared everything they should have.” more

WILL TO WIN: Members of the Wilberforce Schools girls’ cross country team are all smiles after they placed first in the Mercer County Cross Country Championships last Thursday at Thompson Park. Pictured, from left, are head coach Lois Szeliga, Sophia Vardeman, Gwen Mersereau, Abby Readlinger, Sophia Park, Virginia Whitman, Adeline Edwards, and Laura Sallade. Wilberforce had a winning score of 88 with WW/P-South taking second with 94. (Photo provided courtesy of Lois Szeliga)

By Bill Alden

Coming into her senior season this fall for the Wilberforce School girls’ cross country team, Sophia Park put in some extra work.

“I trained pretty hard, I got a lot of mileage in,” said Park. “This summer before the preseason started I was running 35-40 mile weeks. My long run was about 10 miles.”

Last Thursday, that work paid dividends at the Mercer County Cross Country Championships at Thompson Park as Park finished seventh individually to help Wilberforce win the team title.

In earning its first-ever county team crown, the Wolverines had a score of 88 with WW/P-South taking second at 94. Following Park for Wilberforce was sophomore Adeline Edwards, who took 11th, freshman Laura Sallade in 20th, sophomore Gwen Mersereau, the 23rd finisher, and senior Abigail Readlinger, who came in 33rd.

Park’s race plan centered on tracking Princeton High runners.

“We actually thought that Princeton High was the team to beat, they were racing really well,” said Park who clocked a time of 20:03.80 over the 5,000-meter course at Thompson Park. “We started the race and there were three of them in front of me. I just kept locking in on the one in front of me.”

As the race unfolded, Park picked off one runner after the other. more

COACHING THEM UP: Princeton High girls’ tennis head coach Sarah Hibbert, left, talks strategy with her first doubles team of Maya-Alexandra Todorov and Ashley Chen during a recent match. Last Friday, third-seeded PHS defeated second-seeded WW/P-North 4-1 in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA)Central Jersey Group 3 sectional semifinals, avenging a 3-2 loss to the Northern Knights in late September. The Tigers, now 10-1, were slated to play at top-seeded Red Bank Regional in the sectional final on October 18 with the victor advancing to the state Group 3 semis on October 20 at the Mercer County Park tennis complex. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

In late September, the Princeton High girls’ tennis second doubles team of Ashna Bushan and Sophie Miller lost a tough three-setter to WW/P-North as the Tigers got edged 3-2 in the match.

When the foes met last Friday at the Mercer County Park tennis complex in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 3 sectional semifinals, the pair of freshman Bushan and senior Miller were primed to turn the tables on North’s Anusha Kumar and Odette Liu.

Bushan saw smarter play as a key in the rematch. “We tried to communicate better and focus more on getting the balls in rather than trying to hit harder,” said Bushan.

Miller was concentrating on bringing a positive mindset to round two.

“The coach (Sarah Hibbert) said not to get frustrated with our last match, and we didn’t do that,” said Miller. “We went in wanting to win and not just being frustrated that we lost last time.”

The PHS pair frustrated their foes, rolling a 6-1 win in the first set. more

NO ORDINARY JOE: Hun School boys’ soccer player Joey Bucchere, center, races upfield against Princeton Day School last week. Junior forward Bucchere tallied a goal and an assist as Hun edged PDS 2-1 in the October 11 contest. On Saturday, Bucchere contributed a goal and an assist as second-seeded Hun defeated seventh-seeded WW/P-South 6-1 in a Mercer County Tournament quarterfinal contest. The Raiders, who improved to 10-2-2 with the victory, were slated to play third-seeded Pennington in the MCT semis on October 18 with the winner advancing to the final on October 20 at Hopewell Valley High. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Joey Bucchere was determined to become a go-to player this fall for the Hun School boys’ soccer team.

“I just want to make an impact, I want to add something to the program,” said junior forward Bucchere. “I really wanted to win this year. Coach (Pat Quirk) put me up top this year and I have really been finding my flow.”

Last week, Bucchere made a huge impact for Hun as it played at Princeton Day School, scoring a goal and assisting on another as the Raiders pulled out a 2-1 win over a scrappy Panther squad.

With PDS packing nine players in front of its goal, Hun’s high-powered offense was bottled up for much of the contest.

“It is a battle every time we play them,” said Bucchere. “It was a great competition. They played a great game and came back. We just kept our heads in it and got the last goal that we needed.” more

KEEN EFFORT: Princeton Day School boys’ soccer player Joaquin Rodriguez, left, controls the ball in a game earlier this season. Last week, senior star midfielder Rodriguez scored a goal in a losing cause as PDS fell 2-1 to the Hun School. The Panthers, who lost 1-0 to Jackson Memorial last Monday in moving to 3-8-2, will be competing in the Prep B state tournament this week where they are seeded fifth and will be playing at top-seeded Gill St. Bernard’s on October 20 in a semifinal contest. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

On paper, it looked like a mismatch when the Princeton Day School boys’ soccer team hosted a powerhouse Hun School squad last week.

PDS brought a 3-6-2 record into the October 11 contest while Hun stood at 8-2-1, including a 3-0 win over a Pennington team that had routed the Panthers 6-0 earlier in the season.

But PDS head coach Brian Thomsen had a plan to slow the Raiders, packing his team in with nine players patrolling the defensive end.

“They are dangerous off set pieces as we saw; they do a good job of counterattacking if you press them high,” said Thomsen. “We tried to minimize as much time as we could on the ball in dangerous spots. We didn’t want Connor [Frykholm] to get the ball in the center of the park. We were OK with Connor getting the ball outside on the wing. We were trying to minimize how much that was happening and it worked for the longest time.”

While Hun did get a goal 10 minutes into the game, the Panther defense held the fort for the rest of the half and the first 18 minutes of the second before it tied up the game on a goal by senior star Joaquin Rodriguez. more

SUPER SAVER: Stuart Country Day School field hockey goalie Emily Harlan guards the cage last Saturday as Stuart played at Princeton High in a Mercer County Tournament quarterfinal contest. Sophomore Harlan made 13 saves in a losing cause as the eighth-seeded Tartans fell 3-2 to top-seeded and undefeated PHS. Harlan passed 100 career saves in the process. Last Monday, Stuart defeated Northern Burlington 6-0 in a regular season game to improve to 8-5. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

With the Stuart Country Day School field hockey team facing undefeated Princeton High last Saturday morning in a Mercer County Tournament quarterfinal contest, Missy Bruvik did some tinkering tactically.

“We knew we would have to add an extra defender back today,” said Stuart head coach Bruvik. “We did that and focused on trying to keep that ball out of the middle third of the field and work the sidelines. I think we were able to execute that pretty well against a very good team.”

For 30 minutes that strategy worked well as eighth-seeded Stuart battled top-seeded PHS to a 0-0 draw.

In the second half, though, the Tigers broke through with two straight goals in the third quarter. Stuart responded with a goal by Alex Mandzij to cut the PHS lead in half.

The Tigers took a 3-1 lead early in the fourth quarter but the Tartans kept fighting as senior star Emily Ix found the back of the cage with 47 seconds left in regulation. That tally turned out to be the final score of the contest as PHS held on for a 3-2 win and improved to 13-0.

“I am just proud of the way we were able to finish today and put the ball in,” said Bruvik. “We got our corner opportunities for sure. I just thought we played pretty relentlessly in good spurts that kept our momentum going. I feel like we gave a very good team a good battle.” more

By Bill Alden

This past Sunday was not a day of rest for the Princeton Day School girls’ tennis team.

With the Prep B state tournament condensed into a single-day event last Sunday at Thomas A. Edison Park in Edison, PDS hit the road at 7:30 a.m. for the 9 a.m. start and didn’t leave the court until 5:15 in the evening.

“We did it all in one day, it was a long day,” said Panther head coach Michael Augsberger. “It was like an 11-hour day.”

Battling hard in the marathon session of tennis, PDS won two flights of the competition as senior Amy Zhou prevailed at third singles and the first doubles pair of senior Josephine Baranski and junior Ashlyn Du also finished first. In the team standings, the Panthers took second with 10 points, two points behind champion Pennington.

Augsberger was thrilled to see Zhou come through. “Amy has been brilliant all year,” said Augsberger of Zhou who posted a 6-1, 6-1 win over Lauren Decker of Pennington in her final. “She plays third singles like first singles in the sense of the way she plays her points and her style of play. A lot of third singles matches take a long time. The semifinal match between her opponent and Rutgers Prep went four hours just because their style of play. Amy plays very aggressively. She has a gorgeous backhand and she deserves it. It is great for her to have a senior crowning moment.”

Baranski earned a crowning moment as she stepped in at first doubles at the last moment as sophomore Arya Kalra couldn’t make it to Edison because of illness. more

DOGGED PURSUIT: Princeton University men’s soccer player Daniel Diaz Bonilla, right, goes after the ball in a game earlier this season. Last Saturday, senior star forward and co-captain Diaz Bonilla made history, scoring the first goal for the men’s squad in the new Roberts Stadium as Princeton hosted Yale. The tally by Diaz Bonilla, though, was not enough as the Tigers fell 3-1 to the Bulldogs. Princeton, now 4-4-1 overall and 1-1 Ivy League, plays at Columbia on October 15 and at Virginia Tech on October 18. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Daniel Diaz Bonilla and his teammates on the Princeton University men’s soccer team were fired up last Saturday to finally play their first game at the new Roberts Stadium.

After their originally scheduled debut at the new venue against Monmouth on October 4 was postponed due to a rainstorm, Princeton hosted Yale four days later.

“It is a total privilege to play here,” said Princeton senior star forward and co-captain Diaz Bonilla. “It is a beautiful venue, it is probably the best venue in the Ivy League.”

But the debut turned ugly for the Tigers as the Bulldogs jumped out to a 3-0 lead by early in the second half and held off a late Princeton charge to earn a 3-1 win, snapping its eight-game winning streak in Ivy League play over the last two years.

“We are really disappointed that we couldn’t open up the stadium with a win,” said Diaz Bonilla, who ended the game on the sidelines with his left knee wrapped in ice after taking a knock late in the second half. “It is sad we couldn’t get a win on this beautiful field.” more

DOUBLE COVERAGE: Princeton High girls’ soccer players Rowan Gilmore, left, and Alysse Kiesewetter mark a Trenton High foe in a game earlier this season. PHS, which fell 2-1 to Robbinsville last Saturday to move to 8-3-2, starts play in the Mercer County Tournament this week. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Rowan Gilmore has been making some noise this fall along the back line for the Princeton High girls’ soccer team.

“I am definitely trying to be very vocal on the field, yelling a lot and communicating,” said PHS senior defender and co-captain Gilmore. “If people don’t know where they are supposed to be, I am letting them know. Encouragement is such a big thing and just letting everyone know that they are doing well.”

Last Saturday as PHS hosted Robbinsville, Gilmore got some encouragement from her teammates as the program held its annual Senior Day.

“It is definitely a very emotional day,” said Gilmore. “It is always a lot of fun getting to see how the juniors and everyone decorates for us. It is awesome. It is very emotional but a lot of fun too.”

There were some sad emotions Saturday for the Tigers as they fell 2-1 to Robbinsville. PHS yielded a goal with 17:20 left in the first half and held the Ravens scoreless for the next 51 minutes. Robbinsville found the back of the net with 5:40 left in regulation but PHS kept battling and Alysse Kiesewetter buried a penalty kick with 2:54 remaining to make a 2-1 game. more

MAC ATTACK: Princeton Day School girls’ soccer player Ella McLaren, left, prepares to boot the ball in recent action. Last Thursday, freshman midfielder McLaren tallied a goal and an assist as fourth-seeded PDS defeated fifth-seeded Morristown-Beard 3-1 in a state Prep B quarterfinal contest. The Panthers, who defeated George School (Pa.) 1-0 last Saturday to improve to 8-3, will be hosting Pennington on October 13 and then starting play in the Mercer County Tournament. In addition, PDS will be playing at top-seeded Rutgers Prep in the state Prep B semis on October 20. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

It was Ella McLaren’s first tournament game for the Princeton Day School girls’ soccer team and things didn’t get off to a good start.

With fourth-seeded PDS hosting fifth-seeded Morristown-Beard in a state Prep B quarterfinal contest last Thursday, the visiting Crimson tallied a goal in the first 30 seconds of the game.

“It was definitely a challenge; it is not great to fall behind but it didn’t bother us,” said PDS freshman midfielder McLaren. “It motivated us to work harder. It was a wake up we needed to play better and more together.”

That work paid off as PDS knotted the game at 1-1 when junior star Adriana Salzano converted a penalty kick with 2:24 left in the first half.

“That helped us with our mentality,” said McLaren. “It was alright we are tied, we don’t have to be rushed and panicked. Now we can settle down and play our game and not worry about playing theirs.”

McLaren broke the deadlock with 8:34 left in regulation, taking a corner kick from senior star Grace Romano and knocking it off her chest into the goal.  more

DIOS MIO: Hun School field hockey player Ana Dios, left, controls the ball in recent action. Junior transfer Dios, a native of Spain, has been a catalyst in the modified for Hun as it has produced a 7-2 start. In upcoming action, the Raiders play at Stuart Country Day School on October 12 and host the Hill School (Pa.) on October 15. In addition, Hun will be starting play in the Mercer County Tournament. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

After winning its first seven games this season, the Hun School field hockey team tasted defeat twice last week.

While Hun head coach Tracey Arndt was disappointed to see her squad fall 1-0 to Pennington on October 3 and then lose 4-3 at the Blair Academy last Saturday, she believes the setbacks could be a positive in the long run for the Raiders.

“Sometimes losses early in a season prepare you for postseason,” said Arndt. “The Blair game and Pennington showed we can hang with these teams. Blair is good and they are aggressive and so was Pennington. We got bumped around and we held our ground and no matter what the score was, we kept battling. Those are all the things that are helpful as you prepare for playoffs.”

Hun gave undefeated Blair (9-0) a good battle, jumping out to a 1-0 lead at the end of the first quarter and trailing 2-1 at halftime. After the Buccaneers scored two unanswered goals in the third quarter, the Raiders responded with two straight goals in the fourth quarter.

“It was 2-1 at halftime, it was a competitive game; that was exactly what we needed,” said Arndt. “We really felt that we played hard. I really appreciated the grit and the perseverance that the girls showed. At the end, we just ran out of time. We scored with hardly any time left, who knows if we had five more minutes. Their team was very good.”

Junior Ava Che had a very good game for the Raiders against Blair, scoring both of the fourth quarter goals.

“Ava usually plays back for us, she has got nice skills has a great hit,” said Arndt. “Typically we don’t bring her up to the corners because she is a defender and I am always conscious of a transition ball. We had nothing to lose then so I put her on the first corner and the last corner. It paid dividends, she just ripped it.”

With Hun not losing in September on the way to a 7-0 start, the players gained a lot of self-belief.

“The girls had created several goals for themselves this year and one of them was to be undefeated in September so that was very cool to do that,” said Arndt. “Over the last few years, we really had to look at minor, little victories so I think that was a large victory for them. It gave them the confidence that they need. Our league is really strong and our county is really strong, setting that goal and achieving it was really great.” more

IMMEDIATE IMPACT: Princeton High girls’ volleyball player Naomi Lygas leaps up for the ball in recent action. Freshman outside hitter Lygas has made an immediate impact for PHS as she has 75 kills, tied for team best with senior Sarah Villamil. PHS, which defeated WW/P-North 2-0 (25-11, 25-9) last Monday to improve to 10–0, hosts Northern Burlington on October 6 and Paul VI on October 8 before playing at Lawrenceville on October 10. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As a grade schooler, Naomi Lygas focused her energy on excelling in gymnastics.

But hitting a plateau, Lygas decided to go in another direction athletically.

“I was doing gymnastics for a while, I was pretty good, but I wasn’t very flexible,” said Lygas. “We were looking for something new to try so I tried volleyball.”

It didn’t take long for Lygas to feel at home in her new sport. “I started when I was 11,” said Lygas. “It was instant; I felt like my natural talent was there.”

Utilizing that natural talent, Lygas has emerged as a star this fall in her freshman season for the Princeton High girls’ volleyball team.

Last Wednesday, outside hitter Lygas had a team-high 11 kills to help PHS defeat Hopewell Valley 2-0 (25-21, 25-12).

“We didn’t start out as strong as we normally do,” said Lygas. “We didn’t start out fast, but we ended up finishing strong and that is all that matters.”

With PHS locked into a tight battle in the first set against HoVal, Lygas helped the Tigers pull it out with her strong play at the net. Building on that, PHS got into a rhythm as it produced a strong second set.

“I would like to say that my court vision is pretty good from experience,” said Lygas. “In the second set, we minimized our own errors, which is really what got us in the first set.”

Despite being a freshman, Lygas already has a lot of volleyball experience under her belt. more

BEST FOOT FORWARD: Princeton Day School boys’ soccer player Todd Devin kicks the ball upfield in a game earlier this season. Sophomore Devin has been a standout in the midfield for the Panthers this fall. PDS, which fell 3-1 to Lawrence High last Monday to fall to 2-6-1, plays at Rutgers Prep on October 6 to open action in the state Prep B tournament and will then play at George School (Pa.) on October 8 and host Hun on October 11. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Falling behind local rival Lawrenceville 1-0 late in the first half last Saturday evening, the Princeton Day School boys’ soccer team turned up the intensity.

PDS came out flying after halftime, drawing a red card and then proceeding to generate a number of scoring opportunities as it dominated possession. Unfortunately, the Panther shots went just a bit wide, high, and on one sequence, the Lawrenceville goalie stuck out his leg in desperation to deflect a potential goal.

In the end, PDS fell 1-0 but Panther head coach Brian Thomsen liked what he saw notwithstanding the final result.

“Things happen and we tried to get back into the game,” said Thomsen. “Obviously it wasn’t for lack of trying, it was just not putting the ball in the back of the net. That is OK, it happens.”

In Thomsen’s view, the Panthers showed progress.

“I think tonight was a good step in the right direction from a work ethic perspective and just trying to see if we can get something going,” said Thomsen. “We use today as a learning experience. The game could have gone either way, it is one of those things.” more

CENTURY CLUB: Stuart Country Day School field hockey player Lily Harlan dribbles upfield in a game earlier this fall. Last Friday, senior star and Boston University commit Harlan tallied two goals and an assist as Stuart defeated Peddie 3-0. Harlan, who recently passed the 100-point mark in her Stuart career, now has 13 goals and nine assists this season, both team-highs, for the 6-2 Tartans. In upcoming action, Stuart hosts Burlington City High on October 5 and the Pennington School on October 7. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Coming off a rough 9-2 loss to the Blair Academy last Wednesday, Lily Harlan and her teammates on the Stuart Country Day field hockey team believed that the setback could benefit them as they played at Peddie two days later.

“It wasn’t our best game, but I think those types of games are what a team needs to get better,” said Stuart senior star forward and co-captain Harlan. “In the past for the tournaments, like the Prep Bs and the MCT, playing those harder teams is what prepared us. Our team is very hardworking, very fast, and I really think we can hold our ground against any team after seeing the Blair game. There were many things we could have done differently; you need to lose to learn.”

Last Friday, Harlan applied some lessons against Peddie, weaving through the Falcon defense to score a goal with 9:23 left in the first quarter as the Tartans forged ahead 1-0.

“For me that is how it starts, I score early and that usually gets me going,” said Harlan. “It is so exciting. The team is so nice, they always celebrate. It is very motivating when you have such a good team and coaches because you are not just doing it for yourself.”

Harlan kept doing it, chipping in a goal and an assist in the second half as Stuart pulled away to a 3-0 win over Peddie.

“We just needed to care more, we needed to sprint to every ball because Peddie came in with greater energy,” said Harlan. “They were running all the time. They made it hard, they cared so much the whole time. We just needed to step it up — we were playing sloppy. Once we started making strong block tackles, looking upfield for our teammates and not just passing it nowhere, dodging opponents, making smart moves, that was really the difference. That is how we had so much possession.”

With Stuart improving to 6-2 in the wake of the win, Harlan believes the Tartans can make a strong stretch run. more