SO TOUGH: Princeton Day School girls’ soccer player Sophia Miranda, right, boots the ball in a game earlier this season. Junior defender Miranda’s work on the back line has helped PDS post an 11-2-1 record as it heads into postseason play. This week, the Panthers will start action in the Mercer County Tournament where they are seeded second and slated to face 15th-seeded WW/P-North in a first round contest on October 17. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As the Princeton Day School girls’ team soccer heads into the Mercer County Tournament, it experienced a sense of déjà vu when it surveyed this year’s bracket.

Having produced another superb campaign, PDS, now 11-2-1, is seeded second in the MCT and its road to another title game could go through such familiar foes as seventh-seeded Princeton High, third-seeded Pennington, and top-seeded Hopewell Valley if form holds.

“They always put Princeton on the same side of the bracket; it seems like that is the route every time we get there,” said Panther head coach Pat Trombetta, whose team faced PHS in the MCT semis in 2013, Pennington in the MCT semis in 2016 and 2018, HoVal in the county title game in 2013 and 2016.

“We are confident. We have great depth on this team, it is probably more deep than we have been in the past. We have been getting some good minutes off the bench.”

Earlier this month, the
Panthers put up a good fight in a possible MCT title game preview when it tied Hopewell Valley 1-1 on October 5.

“We were up for that game, we knew it was going to be an important game,” said Trombetta, who got a goal from Kelly Beal in the tie with goalie Riley Felsher making six saves.

“They have run through the country, beating everyone that they have played. We have got a history with them as far as meeting them in the Mercer County championship. Outside of that we really haven’t faced them much in the regular season.We were happy to have the opportunity to play them in the regular season and it was a good test for us.”

Tuning up last weekend for the county competition, PDS topped Riverside 6-0 on Friday and then routed the George School (Pa.) 7-0 a day later.

“What it did was give us an opportunity to give a chance to players who have worked hard through the season and maybe haven’t had the minutes,” said Trombetta, reflecting on the wins.

“They were able to show their stuff and display their talents. We had a lot of girls find the back of the net for us in those two games.”

As usual, the stingy PDS defense kept its foes from finding the back of the net.

“Nine of our 11 wins have come by shutout; obviously Riley has done a good job in goal,” said Trombetta.

“When we called upon Riley in a couple of the big games against Pennington and Steinert, she came up up big. Outside of those games, our back four of Anna [Ellwood], Cailyn [Jones],  Soph [Miranda], and Tulsi [Pari] have done a tremendous job limiting the opponents’ scoring opportunities.”

The Panthers are excited for the opportunity to add to their tradition of postseason excellence.

“We are looking forward to it; when we set our goals in the beginning of the year, we wanted to make a run in the county as well as defend our state Prep tournament,” said Trombetta, whose program has won five straight state Prep B crowns and is seeded first in that tourney.

“The defense has played well but I also think we have a balanced attack; we have had 15 different girls score for us. We have played some stretches of good, solid soccer. I would like to see it be more consistent from that standpoint now that we are in tournament time.”