ON FIRE: Princeton High girls’ lacrosse player Eva Petrone unloads the ball in a game earlier this season. Last Monday, sophomore star Petrone tallied three goals and two assists to help first-seeded PHS defeat fourth-seeded Monroe 17-8 in the Central Jersey Group 4 sectional semifinals. The Little Tigers, now 12-10, will host second-seeded Rancocas Valley in the sectional title game on May 24. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Having lost 16-15 to Monroe in late April, the Princeton High girls’ lacrosse team didn’t waste any time turning the tables on the Falcons when the foes met in the Central Jersey Group 4 sectional semifinals last Monday.

PHS jumped out to a 6-1 lead and never looked back on the way to a 17-8 triumph.

“We really came together as a team,” said sophomore attacker Eva Petrone, who tallied two goals and two assists in the first half as the Little Tigers built an 8-2 lead by intermission. “We worked together the whole time; our defense had a really good fight.”

Petrone was ready to fight hard in the rematch against the Falcons.

“I came out wanting to win,” said Petrone, who ended up with three goals and two assists in the victory. “I just worked with my teammates and whenever I saw the open net, I put it in.”

Having come off the bench in her freshman year, Petrone has worked hard to become more of a factor this spring for the Little Tigers.

“As a freshman, I spent a lot of time on the sidelines, looking and observing and working hard in practice,” said Petrone.

“I just try my best when I get on the field to work with my teammates and to learn off of other people. We have a lot of good players on the team.”

PHS is saving their best lacrosse for the end, as it is now 12-10 after a 1-5 start and will host second-seeded Rancocas Valley in the sectional title game on May 24.

“Our schedule is very difficult this year,” said Petrone. “Coming into the last half of the season, to MCTs and then states, we really just have worked to pull it all together.”

PHS head coach Sara Doran liked the way her players worked hard all game long against Monroe.

“This team beat us the first time around and it is rare that you get a second chance in a season for redemption,” said Doran. “They played their hearts out from the first whistle to the last whistle.”

On offense, the Little Tigers showed skill to go with their heart. “We needed to play as a team and trust each other,” added Doran who got five goals from senior Serena Bolitho in the win with sophomore Shaylah Marciano contributing two goals and four assists and junior standout Mariana Lopez-Ona adding three goals and two assists.

“As I look at the goals and assists, it is spread throughout the whole offense. Most of our goals off assists so they were playing as team and trusting each other.”

Doran credited Petrone with developing into a force for the PHS offense. “Eva is a phenomenal athlete; she is always the fastest one out there,” said Doran. “She is putting it all together now. I have been working with her on her shot and she is executing that really well. She has really matured this season”

The team’s defensive unit is maturing into something special. “It is so critical for defense to be communicating and for all of them to be doing the same thing at the same time,” said Doran, noting that PHS adjusted its defensive formation for the rematch with Monroe to put more pressure on their feeders.

“That just takes growth over the course of a season and I can see such a difference from the beginning of the season to now. They are really jelling and coming together.”

For Doran, guiding the Little Tigers to a shot at sectional title is bringing back some indelible memories.

“It is very exciting,” said Doran, whose team edged Rancocas Valley 11-10 in a regular season contest on April 13.

“I was member of the 1985 state championship team here. It has a lot of meaning today for me to be here today with my daughter (sophomore defender Lila Doran) on this team and coaching this team.”

Making the sectional final has a special meaning to Petrone as well. “It is amazing; I said in the beginning of the year, the only thing I want to do this year is to get on top and be the best we can be for the season,” said Petrone. “Being sectional champs would just prove that we are a force.”