RAISING CANE: Princeton High field hockey player Jordyn Cane fires a shot against Burlington last Wednesday. Senior Cane scored two goals in the game but it wasn’t enough as PHS fell 3-2. The Little Tigers, who moved to 10-2-1 with a 3-0 win over Lawrence High last Monday, are next in action when they play in the Mercer County Tournament. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Jordyn Cane is determined to savor her final season on the Princeton High field hockey team.

“It is really sentimental for all of us seniors,” said Cane. “We just want to come out and have the most fun, the best season, and the most competitive.”

Hosting Burlington last Wednesday, PHS found itself in a competitive contest as the Falcons kept the ball in their offensive end for most of the first half.

“It was good hockey today, they came out stronger than we anticipated with a really good defense,” said Cane.

“They were very strong on the ball so it was hard to defend that; the possession was awesome on their side.”

With the foes knotted at 0-0 heading into the second half, Cane broke the ice, blasting in a goal with 9:12 remaining in regulation.

“I think everyone was a lot more motivated in the second half,” said Cane. “I was really hungry and I know the whole team was really hungry. Luckily my shot was able to get into the back of the cage.”

Burlington, though, responded with three unanswered goals over the next 7:44 to seize control of the game. Cane kept battling, tallying with less than a minute left in regulation to end the scoring as the Falcons held on for a 3-2 win.

“I think when they had scored the two goals on the fast break that motivated us to come back out with stronger intensity,” said Cane.

“We had our heads down for a little bit but then we started communicating and everyone knew that we were there for each other. It started to click more; it just flowed a lot better with more passing and more execution.”

Cane has been clicking more in recent action, having totaled three goals and four assists in PHS’s previous four games heading into last Wednesday.

“I changed positions, I was center mid and now I am a little bit more forward as a side mid,” said Cane, reflecting on her recent scoring surge.

“I think it is just the way the team has been playing; I can’t really say that it is just me. I think my teammates have really been helping me out. I have been getting the ball a fair amount, the passing has been better from where we started in the beginning of the season, playing more as a unit. We are getting into our groove for sure and that is what is happening.”

Getting pushed by Burlington should help PHS as it looks to raise the level of its play in the upcoming Mercer County Tournament.

“This was a good test for us, I think we needed a little bit of a challenge,” said Cane.

“This is a wakeup call, we need to fix some things that were causing issues. I think this will help for games further down the season.”

While PHS didn’t get the result it wanted, Cane viewed the game as another memorable experience in her final run with the Little Tigers.

“Today was a really good game, even though we lost,” said Cane. “I had a lot of fun today, it was a great match. I had a good time today and we are having a good time this season and that is all that really matters.”