SHEER BRILLIANCE: Princeton Day School field hockey goalie Lexie Hausheer goes to her knees to guard the cage in a 2018 game. Last Wednesday, senior star Hausheer came up big to help second-seeded PDS blank third-seeded Stuart Country Day 1-0 in the state Prep B semis. The Panthers went on to fall 2-0 at top-seeded Morristown-Beard in the Prep B final last Monday to end the fall 8-7-3. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Lexie Hausheer has been a fixture in goal for the Princeton Day School field hockey team, starting from day one as a freshman in 2016.

Over the last four seasons, Hausheer has established herself as one of the top goalies in the area, helping the Panthers to a state Prep B title, two runner-up prep finishes, and two appearances in the Mercer County tournament final.

So when second-seeded PDS hosted third-seeded Stuart Country Day School in this year’s Prep B semis last Wednesday afternoon, Hausheer was determined to extend her career for one more game.

“I did not want my high school career to end today and I know that none of our seniors did,” said Hausheer. “We did lose a couple of key players but the whole season, this was the goal.”

Stepping up, Hausheer posted a shutout as PDS prevailed 1-0. “All of us were just focusing on coming out together and playing our game,” said Hausheer. “It was just doing what we do and keeping our composure.”

Hausheer credited the team’s back line with keeping its composure throughout the contest.

“I am really proud of them, they have been training this whole season,” said Hausheer.

“They played exactly how the coaches have been asking them to. They were marking who needed to be marked. We were really working together, we were all one unit.”

The PDS defense was under the gun for a five-minute stretch late in the contest when Stuart generated a series of penalty corners to no avail.

“It was just play, it is nothing too new,” added Hausheer, reflecting on that stretch of the contest which saw her make a couple of diving saves.

“They know what they are doing; all of us play and stick together and do what we do.”

While PDS ended up falling 2-0 at top-seeded Morristown Beard in the title game last Monday, Hausheer is proud of how far the Panthers have come this season.

“It has been amazing, it is just putting all of the pieces together,” said Hausheer.

“Even in the beginning in practices, you could tell there would be moments, there would be great passes. In games, even in some of the ones where we ended up losing, there were moments of good passing or a lot of possession. We have gradually been able to put it all together, get the goal and keep the goals out and put it all together for 60 minutes.”

Hausheer’s partnership with classmate and  star midfielder/defender Caroline Haggerty has helped spark that progress.

“All of the seniors have stepped up; Caroline and I play all year round together; we play for a club and high school together,” said Hausheer.

“We always, along with the other seniors, work together and step up and encourage one another to do our best.”

PDS head coach Heather Farlow sensed that her team was primed to step up against a surging Stuart squad that was coming off a run to the Mercer County Tournament final.

“We thought that we have improved quite a bit,” said Farlow. “We were really focused on playing our game, maintaining our structure and a passing game.”

The Panthers showed focus on the defensive end, repeatedly repelling the Stuart attack.

“Our defensive corner structure held so we were pretty pleased with that,” said Farlow.

“We are confident with who we have back there with Lexie anchoring it and getting the shutout. With her experience, four years in the goal, she is very relaxed in there. She doesn’t get rattled; she has just been our cornerstone on defense. She played phenomenally well in the MCT, getting 23 saves in our loss to Allentown in the quarterfinals.”

Even though it produced a shaky 2-4-1 start this season, PDS didn’t get rattled collectively.

“Our goal was to get better with every game; we kept telling this team they were on the verge of greatness and they just had to put it away,” said Farlow, who got a second half goal from freshman star Jadyn Huff in the win over Stuart.

“We have been positive and they have been positive. It was always our goal to get as far as we can in Mercer County and get back to the Prep final. It was important for these seniors because they won a Prep championship their freshman year, they want to bookend it.”

Although the Panthers fell short of the Prep B title, Farlow  believes the program laid the foundation this fall for continued success.

“We have made steady progress because we did graduate such impact players,” added Farlow, whose team ended the fall with an 8-7-3 record.

“We just knew that we had to play a team game and we have done that. We have been waiting for people to step up and get it done. No one is selfish on this team. They are happy for everyone to have success so we are super excited about our progress.”

Hausheer, for her part, has enjoyed helping the program progress over the last four years.

“I can’t believe it is going to be over; it feels like I could still be a sophomore, it is insane,” said Hausheer, who has committed to attend Cornell and play for its Division I field hockey program.

“Every single year, it is a different team and we all come together. This year our team dynamic is especially good personalty-wise. All of us are a family on and off the field. We see each other in the halls and we take care of one another, making sure that everyone is doing well.”