TIGHT BATTLE: Princeton Day School girls soccer star Maddie Coyne, left, battles Bryonna Worthy of the Hun School for the ball last Thursday. Senior defender Coyne’s free kick in overtime led to an own goal against Hun which gave the Panthers a hard-fought 1-0 victory over their local rivals. PDS, which moved to 3-2 with a 1-0 win over Wardlaw-Hartridge last Monday, plays at Blair Academy on September 23 before hosting Peddie on September 25. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Maddie Coyne wasn’t trying to do anything fancy for the Princeton Day School girls’ soccer team as she launched a free kick early in overtime against Hun last Thursday.

“I was looking to get into the general direction of goal, that is always my goal on those,” said PDS senior star center back and co-captain Coyne.

Coyne’s boot from just in front of the midfield line sailed through the air and caromed off the head of a Hun defender into the back of the net for an own goal to give the Panthers a 1-0 victory.

“That is super unlucky for them because the goalie called it and the girl flicked it,” said Coyne.

PDS was due for some luck after falling 2-1 to Morristown in overtime on September 11.

“It was tough because we played a really good game against Morristown; we just couldn’t put it in but our energy was really good in that game,” said Coyne.

“So it was good for us to come out with this win. I think we dominated most of this game. Our center mids played so well and then we had Kelly Beal making all of those runs.”

During the Hun game, Coyne made several runs up the field from her center back spot.

“That has something I have been doing pretty frequently, it just gives other people opportunities to make runs,” said Coybe.

“There are outside mids that will take the ball; it gives me an opportunity to play them for a goal.”

With PDS generating several scoring opportunities in the second half, including a sequence as the end of regulation where the Panthers just missed on a point blank flurry, Coyne and her teammates were confident heading into overtime.

“We had a lot of momentum going into the overtime period in the last game we played and it was just one little letdown for a second that made us lose,” said Coyne. “I knew we would come out with something; I am really proud of everything we put forth today.”

PDS head coach Pat Trombetta liked the way his team built momentum through the contest.

“We picked it up in the second half, we created a number of opportunities,” said Trombetta. “Those are the opportunities we have to finish, we have to find a way to finish those.”

With the loss to Morristown fresh in his mind, Trombetta urged his players to finish with a win against Hun.

“We spoke after the end of regulation, we have been here before and we know what it feels like to come up short,” said Trombetta

“We spoke about that and we said let’s not let that happen to us twice in one week.”

Trombetta had the sense that Coyne would come up big when she got the chance to send the ball into the box early in overtime. “It was a nice kick in by Maddie, she is a threat from deep on the free kick,” said Trombetta. “It is unfortunate the way the game ended for them but we will take it.”

With six freshmen seeing significant time for the Panthers this fall, Trombetta believes his newcomers will take a lot from the win over Hun.

“For all of those young players, these games where it is down to the wire is going to be good experience for them come tournament time,” said Trombetta, whose team moved to 3-2 with a 1-0 win over Wardlaw-Hartridge last Monday and plays at Blair Academy on September 23 before hosting Peddie on September 25.

“They are building some confidence and they are getting to play in some very competitive games.”

Coyne, for her part, is looking to lead those young players along with fellow defender and co-captain Becca Kuzmicz.

“It is a lot of responsibility; as center backs we always have everything in front of us so we see everything and we are able to direct things,” said Coyne.

“Becca and I have that down pat. I am so excited that these new girls are stepping up and they are really impacting things.”