LINCHPIN: Princeton Day School boys’ soccer star Marco ­Pinheiro kicks the ball in recent action. Last Thursday, senior midfielder Pinheiro scored a goal to help PDS top South Hunterdon 4-0. The Panthers, who improved to 3-1-1 with the victory, host the Blair Academy on September 27 before playing at the Hun School on September 30. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Marco Pinheiro is determined to get the most out of his senior year on the Princeton Day School boys’ soccer team.

“I am trying to attack more and with the players we have around me,” said star midfielder Pinheiro.

“CJ [Uche] in the middle has learned how to sit back and control the ball and get it up the field. We have some good holding players up top with Dave [Cedeno] and Connor [Fletcher]. We have some center backs who know how to get the ball up to David and Connor and they lay it off, so it is a lot easier when everybody is on the same page.”

PDS was on the same page last Thursday as it pulled away to a 4-0 win over South Hunterdon, its third win in its last four games.

“I think we are usually good at keeping the ball but today we were able to keep the ball higher up the field and get more people into attack,” said Pinheiro, reflecting on the victory which improved the Panthers to 3-1-1.

“Kevin Hagen was getting up, Peter Sanderson was getting up the line so that was better. We usually keep the ball in the back but today we got forward.”

While Pinheiro was snakebitten early in the game as one of his shots rattled off the crossbar and another went just wide, he slotted a second half penalty kick into the back of the net to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead.

“I just try to stay focused; I tend to go to the same side,” said Pinheiro, reflecting on his approach to PKs.

“You miss a free kick or a shot, it could get into your head. I try to just focus on what is coming next.”

As a senior captain, Pinheiro is focused on developing team unity. “I just try to get everybody together,” said Pinheiro.

“We do things outside of school, we do stuff on the field at practice. We are all together. I think it is a good spirit and that’s what we try to do here.”

PDS head coach Malcolm Murphy is seeing a good spirit collectively from his squad in the early going.

“I am pretty happy with where they are now,” said Murphy. “The concept is getting through to them that if you keep the ball you can manipulate the game. Without the ball, all you are doing is defending. We had a lot of sessions with possession and they are doing well in the sessions, the question is can we bring that to the field now.”

Murphy is very happy with the play he has been getting from Pinheiro, who has three goals on the season.

“He has been an exceptional player for years; he and his brother (Rui, a 2012 PDS alum now playing at Tufts University) have been great for the school,” said Murphy.

“He reads the game very well; he’s got great technique. As a set piece, free kick taker, he is very good. He is confident, he is very composed. Lots of players with that skill level, can be lethargic. He’s not, he is chasing the game. He wants to go play at college and he should at a very high level.”

In the win over South Hunterdon, the Panthers raised their level of play in the second half after squandering a number of scoring chances in the last 40 minutes of the contest.

“At halftime, the challenge for this group after they have missed so many chances, it is that psychology. Can they still compete in the second half or will the opposition come and close them down,” said Murphy.

“Today the three goals that they got in the second half were pure possession, building it up and then balls played back. They did very well, hopefully that will cushion them a little bit when it comes to the psychology of the game. You don’t win games in the first half, it is a long game. You have to play for the 80 minutes.”

Murphy is hoping his team can build on that second half outburst. “I think they are in a very good place right now,” added Murphy, whose team hosts the Blair Academy on September 27 before playing at the Hun School on September 30.

“We have got some hard games coming up. Possession-wise, over 80 percent of the field, I think we can compete with anybody but can we separate ourselves with the finishing. It is no good having all the game and not putting it away.”

Pinheiro, for his part, believes the Panthers can produce a big finish this fall. “It is pretty much the same team as last year, we have just matured a lot,” said Pinheiro.

“People have found their spots and taken over their roles. Everyone is playing well and working for each other. In the loss against Pennington (2-0 on September 11), we played a great game. We were able to keep the ball. We think that we can go out and play with anybody.”