HERE COMES THE SOHN: Princeton High girls’ hockey player Isabelle Sohn heads up the ice in recent action. Last week, junior forward and assistant captain Sohn tallied a goal and assist to help PHS top Academy of New Church (Pa.) 7-1. The Little Tigers, who fell 4-3 to Summit last Wednesday to move to 3-5, host Pingry on January 23 at Baker Rink before facing Holton Arms (Md.) on January 24 and Shady Side Academy (Pa.) on January 25 with the latter two games taking place at Princeton Day School. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Even though the Princeton High girls’ hockey squad brought a four-game losing streak into its game last week against Academy of New Church (Pa.) (ANC), Isabelle Sohn and her PHS teammates weren’t down in the dumps.

“I think with this group of girls, everyone is always really excited to play,” said junior forward and assistant captain Sohn.

“Everyone has a positive attitude no matter what the record because we have gone through a couple of difficult seasons. It is our identity as a team that we are always able to bounce back and continue to play hard and enjoy ourselves on the ice. I think this game was no different. We were excited to see what we could do and see what happened.”

Sohn made some good things happen against ANC, setting up Sophie Corrodi for the first goal of the contest and then scoring a goal minutes later as PHS jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the first period in the January 13 contest.

“That was really fun, Sophie is one of my closest friends on the team; it is a bond on and off the ice,” said Sohn, reflecting on her assist.

“I was not expecting my goal to go in. It went off on my backhand, I was throwing it towards the net. It hit her skate and it went in, that was a nice surprise so I enjoyed that too.”

PHS enjoyed a nice evening as it went on to post a 7-1 victory, earning its third win of the season in snapping the losing streak.

“We have been in the opposite situation so often,” said Sohn. “It is kind of nice to be more comfortable in the situation we found ourselves in.”

Having already exceeded last year’s win total when PHS went 2-11. Sohn feels the program is in a good situation.

“We have gained some really valuable players and some of the returning players have improved over the season,” said Sohn. “I feel like we may be more cohesive this year in the way we are working together.”

The team’s seven seniors have helped hold the team together. “They are good role models in terms of watching how they play along with the work ethic and dedication they bring to the team,” said Sohn.

“As a junior I have watched them; I have been playing with them for a couple of years. There is good team rapport and the seniors are such an integral part of the team.”

Sohn has put in a lot of work to be a better player. “I am skating harder,” said Sohn. “I think my shooting has definitely increased. I practiced more in the off season than I have in the past.”

PHS head coach Christian Herzog liked seeing his team find the back of the net early and often against ANC.

“It is good to see when they start coming together collectively, making their passes and building it,” said Herzog, who got a goal and three assists from senior star Lucy Herring in the win with sophomore Maggie Herring chipping in two goals and an assist and junior Corrodi and senior Anna Daly each contributing a goal and an assist.

“We are hoping to break the mold a little bit, the last four games, we haven’t been playing really strong hockey from the top of the lineup to the bottom.”

Having struggled before the holiday break, PHS was looking to produce a strong performance.

“We needed it,” said Herzog. “The confidence was there, the girls knew they had it in them to defeat this team just based on having beaten them last year.

In Herzog’s view, his players have it in them to play even better hockey over the last month of the season.

“We need to do a lot better with the puck movement,” said Herzog, whose team fell 4-3 to Summit last Wednesday to move to 3-5 and will look to get back on the winning track when it hosts Pingry on January 23 at Baker Rink before facing Holton Arms (Md.) on January 24 and Shady Side Academy (Pa.) on January 25 with the latter two games taking place at Princeton Day School. “We need to move the puck faster and integrate all five players on the ice.”

Sohn, for her part, is savoring simply spending time on ice with her teammates.

“I think it is just to win as many games as possible and to enjoy ourselves,” said Sohn.

“Hockey is such a fun sport to play even with the practices at 5:30 a.m. It is funny, all of the other kids at school are like you guys who get up so early but then we get to go to Wawa. Nobody is grumpy in the locker room. It is a little quiet and then when we get out on the ice, everyone gets energized.”