PUTTING ON A SHOW: Princeton High girls’ lacrosse player Shoshi Henderson heads to goal in recent action. Last Wednesday, senior star and Pomona College-bound Henderson tallied six goals and four assists to help fourth-seeded PHS defeat 13th-seeded Monroe 17-8 in the first round of the South Jersey Group 4 sectional. Two days later, Henderson had four goals and five assists as the Tigers topped fifth-seeded Southern 16-6 in the sectional quarters to improve to 9-5. PHS was slated to play at top-seeded Cherokee in the sectional semis with the victor advancing to the final on June 10. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As Shoshi Henderson took the field for the Princeton High girls’ lacrosse team when it hosted Monroe in a South Jersey Group 4 sectional first round contest last Wednesday, she brought a straightforward approach.

“It was ‘don’t lose’; I didn’t want this to be my last game,” said PHS senior star midfielder and co-captain Henderson. “That was the main thing, come out intense with urgency.”

The fourth-seeded Tigers jumped out to a 3-0 lead over 13th-seeded Monroe but then found themselves locked in a 4-4 tie. At that point, the one-two punch of Henderson and junior Kate Becker took over, sparking an 8-0 run as PHS built a 12-4 lead at halftime and never looked back on the way to a 17-8 lead.

“I love playing with Kate. It is just so fun to have someone who has a high lax IQ that loves the game as much as I do,” said Henderson, who also had an assist to her younger sister, freshman Sarah, in that stretch.

“We have gotten so good at catching and passing. I pass it to her before she is even open, I know where she is going to be.”

While Henderson looks to set up her teammates with slick passing, she hit the shot of the day, flinging the ball from the midfield line into the net as the buzzer sounded at the end of the first half.

“That was crazy, I had no idea, I kind of just launched it,” recalled Henderson with a laugh.

“It is like in basketball when you see them chuck it up at half court and it is ‘why not.’ It is not something I practice at all. I think it beat the horn.”

Hustling at her midfield spot, Henderson also helped the PHS defensive effort.

“Our defense was solid in the first half, but we thought she could do a little better and communicate better, have the slides, and definitely shut them down a little more, which we did a lot,” said Henderson.

“We had the momentum coming into halftime and we wanted to keep that same momentum.”

All in all, it ended up as one of the better efforts at both ends of the field for PHS.

“We put everything together, the transitions got a lot better,” said Henderson, who ended up with six goals and four assists against Monroe with Becker tallying six goals and junior Cartee O’Brien chipping in two.

“The clears were good, Gigi played amazing in goal. The freshmen have done really well protecting themselves, it is still a high level game for them. I am proud of everybody, we really put together a great game.”

Two days later, the Tigers had another great game, topping fifth-seeded Southern 16-6 in the sectional semis as Henderson contributed four goals and five assists. PHS, which improved to 9-5 with the win, was slated to play at top-seeded Cherokee on June 8 with the victor advancing to the sectional final on June 10.

As a battle-tested senior, Henderson has enjoyed assuming a leadership role this spring.

“I have been the young person on this team the whole time,” said Henderson.

“I am just really trying to channel what Mariana [Lopez-Ona] and Shaylah [Marciano] and all of those upperclassmen did for me. I am trying to mentor these young ones and hopefully we will really have a strong sophomore, junior, and senior class.”

After seeing her junior campaign get canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Henderson is savoring the final weeks of her high school career.

“I am just so grateful that I have gotten a chance to do it,” said Henderson, who has committed to attend Pomona College and will be playing for its women’s lacrosse program.

“The fact that we are playing well and I have done well is just so special.”

PHS head coach Meg Dunleavy credited Henderson producing a special effort against Monroe.

“Shoshi plays very well when she stays composed and feels supported by her teammates and is helping others around her,” said Dunleavy.

“Today she got the opportunity to take it herself a lot. When she took very smart drives, she executed perfectly.”

The Tiger defense also executed well, led by junior goalie Gigi Peloso and junior defenders Grace Rebak, Sarah Glenn, and Sarah White.

“Gigi had 10 saves and three caused turnovers,” said Dunleavy.

“Gigi ran the game, defense ran the game, and we gave it to attack. They held the ball and did everything they had to do. Grace and Sarah Glenn deserve to be mentioned because of their caused turnovers. Sarah can bring it all the way down too as much as Grace. Sarah White had four ground balls but it seemed like much more because every time the ball was on the ground, she came up with it. She knows how to get her body over the ball perfectly.”

In order to keep advancing in the sectional, the Tigers will need to keep up that gritty play.

“We need to make sure that we are on to every single 50/50 ball,” said Dunleavy.

“That is going the be game-changer for us, ground balls and possessing the ball on attack.”

No matter how many games that PHS ends up playing this year, Henderson is leaving with fond recollections of competing for the Tigers.

“There have been a lot of ups and downs, but lacrosse has been a highlight of my high school career, sports in general,” said Henderson, who starred in the fall for the Tiger field hockey program.

“I love everybody on those teams. That sectional title in 2019 was such a special season. Now it means so much more knowing that I didn’t have my junior year. These are such good memories I will have for the rest of my life, so I love it.”