SHOWING OFF: Princeton High girls’ lacrosse player Shoshi Henderson heads upfield during a 2019 game. Senior star Henderson is primed for a big final campaign for PHS. The Tigers open regular season play by hosting Allentown on April 23. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Using the slogan “cohesive unit” as a rallying cry two years ago, the Princeton High girls’ lacrosse team produced a spectacular campaign, winning the Central Jersey Group 4 sectional title and posting an 18-3 record.

With the 2020 season having been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the squad is resurrecting that phrase to provide inspiration as it gets back on the field this spring.

“That gave us a lot of power in relying on each other; we used to write it on our hands,” said PHS head coach Meg (Reilly) Dunleavy.

“So ‘cohesive unit’ is definitely our motto again this year. I think it is going to ring more true than it ever has because it is not one clear standout player. It is multiple players with a lot of speed and a lot of skill who need to be doing a lot of different things.”

Just being able to play together again has resulted in cohesion for PHS.

“There is just so much joy to be out on the turf again,” said Dunleavy, whose team opens its 2021 campaign by hosting Allentown on April 23.

“They are all so positive, the attitude is so positive, encouraging and excited. They are thrilled to be back and with each other finally after missing last year. I have never seen so much energy before in a practice.”

The program’s winning mentality remains intact despite the lost season.

“There are lot of girls coming back that are raised on that,” said Dunleavy, a former PHS girls’ lax standout herself.

“The culture remains competitive with the positive encouragement for each other.”

PHS boasts the offensive firepower to be competitive, starting with the one-two punch of senior Shoshi Henderson and junior Kate Becker.

“Shoshi is looking the best I have ever seen her, she has all the skills that she always had but now she has a big burst of leadership and confidence,” said Dunleavy, noting that Henderson is headed to Pomona College where she will be playing for its women’s lax program.

“Shoshi is a low attacker and she is phenomenal but this year she is going to have to be playing midfield. It is the same thing with Kate, she is going to be playing midfield and attack. Kate is super strong, believe it or not, she is even faster than she was as a freshman. She has so much poise and confidence and has a very high lax IQ. She sees the field super well, she knows three steps ahead what is going to happen.”

Junior Cartee O’Brien and a pair of freshmen, Riley Devlin and Sarah Henderson should also make things happen around goal.

“Cartee has always played attack, she is one of those players who can always sneakily get open,” said Dunleavy.

“She is a good cutter, she is somehow always open in the middle. We don’t know how she does it. Riley is a great athlete, I am very excited to see her. I had never met her before at middle school because of COVID. She was an awesome surprise. We have Shoshi’s little sister, Sarah Henderson, she will be playing attack and midfield. She plays a lot like Shoshi, having a strong shot.”

Junior star defender Grace Rebak will help the Tigers at both ends of the field.

“Grace is very capable of bringing it across the restraining line and being in the settled attack,” said Dunleavy.

“Someone will pull back for Grace and then we will switch. You will see her in the mix in the settled attack, she is not afraid to go all the way up from defense.”

The PHS defense will be led by junior goalie Gigi Peloso, who emerged a star from day one during her freshman campaign in 2019.

“Gigi is even more proactive and aggressive than she was as a freshman,” said Dunleavy.

“She comes out of the cage so often and she can clear to the opposite goal. She is phenomenal. She is the next Mira [former PHS and University of Michigan star goalie Mira Shane] with that intimidation factor. Two years ago she broke her stick because she smacks it against the cage to get fired up. She is just a beast. We are so excited to have two more years of her.”

The trio of Rebak, junior Sarah Glenn, and sophomore Catie Samaan will patrol things in front of Peloso.

“Grace is a very smart player because she is able to slide quickly,” said Dunleavy.

“She sees where her teammates need to be and is very communicative. She will direct the defense. Sarah is a strong defender. She is the most positive player, she makes everybody upbeat and helps people forget when they make mistakes. Catie will be back on low defense with them. She is a very physical player and I like her physical strength.”

While PHS may make some mistakes in the early going as it fits the pieces tougher, Dunleavy believes the squad is poised for a strong campaign.

“We are going to have to see a lot of flexibility in terms of position movement,” said Dunleavy.

“People are going to be rotating a lot and learning new positions. It is definitely a learning year in terms where you sit best on the field and where you can contribute best for the team. It is also going to be about speed which is something that I am seeing more so than I ever had in tryouts. We need to utilize the speed that we have and use that towards our advantage. We are going to want to see very quick transitions.”