GOAL-ORIENTED: Princeton Day School girls’ soccer player Hannah Bunce dribbles the ball in a game this fall. Junior star Bunce emerged as the go-to scorer for PDS as the Panthers won the state Prep B title and posted a 17-2-1 record. Bunce scored a team-high 17 goals for PDS and tallied the winning goal in overtime as PDS edged Montclair Kimberley 1-0 in the state Prep B final. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Last spring, Hannah Bunce emerged as a go-to scorer for the Princeton Day School girls lacrosse team, helping it roll to the state Prep B title.

Coming into the fall, PDS girls’ soccer head coach Pat Trombetta was hoping that junior Bunce could fill the same role for his squad.

“On the outside, we have Hannah attacking from the left,” said Trombetta in assessing the team. “She is physical, fast, and has a great left foot.”

Bunce tallied a goal in an opening day 3-3 tie with the George School (Pa.) and didn’t stop producing as the fall unfolded. She had two goals against Abington Friends (Pa.) in a 5-0 victory and the game winner in a 1-0 win over perennial state power Montgomery in early September games. Bunce had both goals in a 2-0 win over Blair Academy and another game winner in a 1-0 win over Hamilton.

She had a hat trick in a 6-0 win over Rutgers Prep to start October, a goal in 2-0 win over Lawrenceville, a goal in 2-1 win over Hill School (Pa.), and a goal in 3-2 win over Morristown.

In the postseason, Bunce continued her lethal finishing. She tallied two goals in 3-0 win over Trinity Hall in the first round of of the state Prep B tourney and had a goal and an assist in a hard-fought 2-1 win over Steinert in the Mercer County Tournament quarters.

Bunce’s crowning moment, however, came in the season finale as she tallied the game-winning goal in OT in a 1-0 win over Montclair Kimberley in the state Prep B championship game.

“I was just thinking you have to score, you have to score,” said Bunce, reflecting on the score which came on a blast from the left flank.

“It is the final two minutes, we have to get one in. Coach told us before we went out there that it is down to whoever wants it the most and has the most heart. That is what was going through my mind.”

Over the course of the season Bunce showed plenty of skill to go with her heart, scoring a team-high 17 goals and contributing seven assists

“I have a lot of confidence and coach has helped me come out of my shell a lot,” said Bunce. “Just having these girls out here to motivate me is what really helps me.”

Trombetta, for his part, wasn’t surprised that Bunce culminated the fall with the golden goal that gave the Panthers the title.

“Hannah has been tremendous all season, what a breakout year for her,” said Trombetta.

“She was knocking on the door all game long. She is a tough mark for any team with her physicality and speed and that left foot is a cannon.”

For emerging as the clutch scorer for PDS and triggering its run to a Prep B crown, Bunce is the choice as the Town Topics top female performer of the fall.

Top Male Performer

Imamu Mayfield came to the Hun School football program as one of the most highly touted players in New Jersey.

The post-graduate running back enjoyed a spectacular 2014 season with Manalapan High, rushing for 1,827 yards and 31 touchdowns before making the move to Hun.

In his first play for Hun this fall in the season opener against Wyoming Seminary, Mayfield wasted no time making an impact, taking a short pass from Simon Vadas and racing 65 yards for a touchdown. The 5’9, 210-pound dynamo piled up 145 yards rushing and 85 receiving as the Raiders rolled to a 70-6 win.

Hun head coach Todd Smith knew that Mayfield was going to make a huge difference for the Raiders this fall.

“We have a lot of playmakers on the team this year so we just want to get the ball in their hands,” said Smith, reflecting on Mayfield’s spectacular debut.

“Imamu is a huge part of that. He is a great running back, he is one of the best in the state.”

That performance was the first of many highlights in a great fall for Mayfield as he rushed for 203 yards and two touchdowns in a 16-0 win over Poly Prep (N.Y.), scored two touchdowns in a 28-12 victory over Blair, ran for 101 years and two TDs in a 36-0 win over Lawrenceville, and rushed for 165 yards and gained 71 yards receiving with two touchdowns in a 40-13 win over Peddie.

Sparked by Mayfield’s heroics, Hun went 8-0 and won its second straight Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL).

For Mayfield, the transition to Hun proved to be smooth. “I love Hun, I was accepted with open arms,” said Mayfield.

“The guys have been nothing but great to me. I have brothers here and it is going to be an experience I am going to remember the rest of my life.”

That brotherhood resulted in a memorable campaign for Mayfield and the Raiders.

“Everyone on the team loves football; that’s where it all matters,” said Mayfield, who ended up with 1,384 yards rushing.

“We practice hard most of the time. We all bonded. There are a lot of PGs on this team and we all love each other. We play for each other so when our backs are to the wall, we really step up and fight hard.”

Smith certainly loved having Mayfield on his squad. “Imamu is a special player; he is often, if not the best player on the field, one of the best players,” said Smith.

“He just makes things happen. He is low to the ground. He is a multiple cut guy so he can make you miss but he has got the power to just run you over.”

By solidifying his status as one of the best players in the state and helping Hun to another championship season, Mayfield earns the nod at the male performer this fall.

Top Newcomers

Val Radvany boasted a special lineage in the sport as she joined the Princeton Day School field hockey team for her freshman season.

Her older sister, Jackie Gaudioso Radvany, produced a legendary career for the Stuart Country Day School field hockey program, scoring a county record 100 goals and leading the Tartans to a state prep title and three MCT championships from 2005-08. She went on to star at the University of North Carolina and helped the Tar Heels win the NCAA title in 2009.

While the younger Radvany is a defensive player, her offensive skills became a critical component of the PDS attack this fall. In addition to shoring up the back line with her physical play, Radvany contributed three goals and four assists to help the Panthers go 5-3-1 in their last nine games as they ended with a 6-13-1 record and advance to the state Prep B semifinal.

In reflecting on her debut season, Radvany felt that she made a lot of progress down the stretch.

 “It has been hard to come out as a freshman and come out and play at the high school level but I think it has really helped me grow as a player,” asserted Radvany.

“I have improved a lot. I think I see the field better and my skills have improved. I have done better.”

PDS head coach Heather Farlow credited Radvany with playing a key role in the team’s late surge.

“Val has really stepped up,” said Farlow. “She is a hockey head. She has really embraced playing the position that she is in. She is making a difference.”

Radvany’s impact at both ends of the field and her role in helping the Panthers show marked improvement, makes her the pick as the top female newcomer.

The powerhouse Princeton High boys’ soccer team boasted a senior-laden group of defenders and midfielders this fall as it looked to maintain its winning tradition.

But as the season went on, sophomore Drew Beamer, in his first varsity campaign, started to take on a greater role. Providing height, savvy, and skill, Beamer’s versatility made him a vital cog for the Little Tigers as they produced an undefeated regular season.

Beamer showed his value in the Mercer County Tournament quarterfinals as he came on for an ill Peter Luther and scored the winning goal on a header in a 2-1 win over crosstown rival Princeton Day School. He also scored a goal as PHS topped East Brunswick 3-1 in the Central Jersey Group 4 sectional quarterfinals.

While the Little Tigers fell in the semis of both tourneys on the way to a 16-2-3 record, Beamer gained a lot in his first varsity campaign.

“It has been great, it is teaching me a lot for next year because all of them are going to leave,” said Beamer.

“The biggest challenges are moving the ball quicker, my first touch, and finding people quicker through the middle.”

PHS head coach Wayne Sutcliffe sees a great future for Beamer. “I am so proud and happy for him to make such a significant contribution to the team,” said Sutcliffe, whose team won the CVC title. “He is very levelheaded; he has so many qualities. He is going to be one of the best we have ever had.”

In becoming a key contributor for PHS in his debut campaign, Beamer is the top male newcomer of the fall season.

Top Coaches

A decorated group of seniors for the Princeton Day School girls’ soccer team culminated a special run by winning the state Prep B title last fall to go with the Mercer County Tournament crown they won the year before, a first in program history.

Coming into 2015, it looked like it could be a transition year for the Panthers as the program welcomed 10 new faces and had just one senior. Looking ahead to the season, PDS head coach Pat Trombetta acknowledged that his squad was a work in process.

“It is a matter of developing chemistry with our new players,” said Trombetta.

“It will be a team searching for its identity. I think there will be bumps early but we should get better and better as the season goes on.”

It didn’t take long for the Panthers to establish their identity as one of the toughest defending teams in the area, starting off 11-0-1 with eight shutouts.

The Panthers earned the top seed in both the Mercer County Tournament and the state Prep B tourney.

After falling to eventual county champion Notre Dame in the MCT semis, the Panthers had one last shot at a title. They proceeded to edge Wardlaw-Hartridge 1-0 in the state Prep B semis and won a 1-0 overtime thriller against Montclair Kimberley in the Prep B championship game.

“The first goal in the beginning of the season was to defend our title, that was our primary goal from day one,” said Trombetta, whose team ended the fall with a final record of 17-2-1.

“We got this opportunity today and we jumped all over it. It is great, this is our third straight championship.”

For doing a great job in guiding the new look Panthers to year another title, Trombetta is the choice as the top coach of a female team this fall.

While Mark Shelley knew his Princeton High boys’ cross country team was stocked with some talented runners, he was unsure how it would fare being switched to Group 4 from Group 3.

“At the beginning of the season when we got moved up to Group 4, I wasn’t sure we would get out of the sectional, looking at everybody and who they had back,” said Shelley.

“I knew we had a chance to have a good year but at the same time there are things you can’t predict.”

The Little Tigers served notice that they were very good when they defeated longtime nemesis and perennial power WW/P-S in a CVC meet in October.

PHS ended October by taking a strong second at the Mercer County Championships, finishing just three points (74-77) behind champion Robbinsville.

“On the one hand, there is the disappointment, the guys feel it,” said Shelley, noting that his team defeated WW/P-S by 13 points (77-90) to earn the runner-up spot.

“But at the same time when we look at where we were a few years ago or when we look at last year, we were a distant fifth 129 points out, I am real proud of them. We focus on what we call process and to me in the grand scheme of life, this is another step.”

After taking third at the Group 4 Central Jersey sectional meet, PHS looked to take a major step as it turned its sights to the state Group meet and a shot at qualifying for the Meet of Champions.

“We will focus on what we can control at this point, you have to trust your training and trust your teammates,” said Shelley.

“We will be smart. We don’t talk about winning championships, we talk about running our race. We will try to pick out competitors who we think will be in good position for us to challenge. It is more to do with teams we haven’t seen.”

PHS ended up running its race with aplomb at the group meet, taking fifth and earning a wild card entry to the MOC in the process.

“They felt like they won a state title, they were so excited,” said Shelley, noting that it was the first time that the PHS boys’ team had qualified for the MOC since 1986.

“This is a historic season. PHS has never done anything close to this, averaging 16:56. I think it is the first PHS team to ever average under 17:00 there. It has been a special season and yesterday was as excited as I have been athletically in a long time.”

In Shelley’s view, the squad’s excitement about the sport and each other made the difference.

“The guys really, really love each other, they pull for each other, ” said Shelley, whose team ended up in 10th place in the MOC.

“They love running, they love what they do. It is a good blend of personalities and leadership.”

Shelley’s spirited leadership in helping the program make history earns him the nod as the top coach of a male team.