SOUTHERN STATE: Princeton High boys’ hockey Cooper Zullo controls the puck in a game earlier this winter. Last Friday, freshman forward Zullo scored the lone goal as ninth-seeded PHS fell 4-1 at eighth-seeded Southern High in the first round of the Public B state tournament. The defeat left the Tigers with a final record of 18-4-2. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Having lost 6-1 to Southern High in a regular season meeting in early February, the Princeton High boys’ hockey team was determined to put the pressure on when the foes met for a rematch last Friday in the first round of the state Public B tournament.

“We were trying to screen the goalie more and take advantage of the opportunities that we got,” said PHS head coach Joe Bensky.

“We just really needed to finish more, that was evident the first time we played them.”

Having rallied from a 5-0 deficit a week earlier to defeat Hun 7-5 in the Mercer County Tournament final, ninth-seeded PHS wasn’t fazed when it fell behind eighth-seeded Southern 1-0.

“We were really controlling and dominating the game, we just had an issue putting the puck past the goalie,” said Bensky.

“We scored with about a minute left and then they scored  six seconds later to make it 2-1, that was unfortunate. We worked really hard to get that goal the whole game and it was unfortunate to give one back.”

In the third period, PHS kept working hard but it was unable to add to the tally by freshman star Cooper Zullo as Southern pulled away to a 4-1 victory even though it was outshot 40-20 by the Tigers.

While PHS had hoped to make a deep run in the state tourney, the loss couldn’t put a damper on a special winter that saw the Tigers go 18-4-2.

“It was an absolute success; one of our two goals was to win the Mercer County Tournament,” said Bensky, reflecting on his debut season at the helm of the program.

“We battled all 45 minutes in that game; we were down 5-0 and we ended up winning the country tournament, scoring seven straight goals. It took me a while to process how amazing that really was. It was a special win from a special group that doesn’t give up and they just kept fighting until the end. They are a very talented group.”

Bensky credited the squad’s seniors with keeping things positive from the beginning to the end.

“The entire group was amazing but what made the group so amazing was that the seniors had such a big part of that,” said Bensky, whose senior class included Stephen Avis, Aidan Trainor, Ryan McCormick, Rocco Salvato, Matt Constantine, Jeff Kim, and Victoria Zammit.

“I remember when I was a freshman [at WW/P-North] and when a senior would cheer me, it would mean the world. With this group, they would cheer the freshmen on in practice, on the bus, at the games and that is what made them such a close-knit group. The seniors set the tone in accepting everyone and being close. They did stuff for each other and that is why we had a special season.”

Welcoming back such talented players as juniors Colm Trainor, Austin Micale, and Patrick McDonald along with sophomores Daniel Prokoshin, John Zammit, and John O’Donnell and freshman Zullo, PHS has the foundation in place to keep doing special things.

“We have a very promising future with many talented freshmen, sophomores, and juniors,” said Bensky.

“We are excited for the future, we have a good group. and they are getting better each and every day. We learned a lot from the lows when we played Hunterdon Central (a 9-6 loss on January
21) and Southern the first time, I think this will motivate them moving forward. They were all obviously upset and sad that we lost. I know they are very proud of the season, they gave it their absolute all. Coach [Matt] Strober and I couldn’t be more more proud of them.”

Bensky and Strober enjoyed their first season coaching the Tigers.

“It was an amazing year for coach Strober and I; the fact that they are such a talented group is not the only thing that made them special,” added Bensky.

“We were beyond sad that it was over, we wanted to make a long run in the states. We had such a great time, I hope they had a great time as well.”

Utilizing that experience, Bensky is expecting greater things for the program.

“You are going to reflect on the year and ask yourself how can I do a better job, whether it is in practice, in game situations or in communication,” said Bensky. “This was a year that coach Strober and I learned a lot. We are looking forward to year two being even better.”