BRINGING IT ON: Princeton Day School boys’ lacrosse player Harry Bernardi brings the ball up the field in a game last year. Senior attacker Bernardi chipped in an assist as PDS defeated Blair 13-5 in its season opener on April 4. PDS, who topped Pennington 12-5 last Thursday to improve to 2-0, hosts George School (Pa.) on April 14 before playing at Lenape High on April 17. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Coming into this spring, the Princeton Day School boys’ lacrosse team was hungry to get back on the winning track after a disappointing 2022 campaign that saw it go 6-11.

“We are all playing and coaching with a chip on our shoulder,” said PDS head coach Joe Moore, who in his last year at the helm of program, having decided to step back to devote more time to his job at Centercourt and his young family. “We had a salty taste in our mouth at the end of last year and we are taking that with us this year.”

In Moore’s view, the squad’s experience gives it the foundation to have a big year in 2023.

“We have nine of our 10 starters returning this year,” said Moore, whose team has gotten off to a 2-0 start, defeating Blair 13-5 on April 4 in its season opener and topping Pennington 12-5 last Thursday. “We are very mature on both sides of the ball, which is helpful.”

That maturity is exemplified by junior attacker/midfielder Sebastian Rzeczycki, who led PDS in scoring last spring with 38 points on 22 goals and 16 assists.

“I think last year he was a good player, he has good talent but he lacked the maturity,” said Moore of Rzeczycki, who has totaled five goals and seven assists so far this season. “This year coming back, he has so much more control, so much more discipline, especially with ball on his stick. He has stepped up outside of his contributions on the field. He is such a strong leader, he is a vocal leader. He will hold the keys to our offense. He will be playing a little bit of middie and a little bit of attack.”

In addition to Rzeczycki, junior Charlie Hogshire and freshman Andrew Ahrens, senior Harry Bernardi, and junior Matt Whittaker figure to be key guys on attack for the Panthers.

“Our attack will be led by Charlie and Andrew, who we expect a lot of,” said Moore, who got three goals and an assist from Ahrens in his debut, and six goals and two assists from him against Pennington. “We hope to have Harry down there. There is some depth in that area. We have a transfer Matt from Lawrence; he has to sit the first 30 days but he will be cycling into attack.”

In the midfield, senior Oliver Hall, sophomore Hart Nowakoski, and senior Nick Somogyi should provide some firepower.

“We have Oliver, who is a senior this year, he will certainly be one of our initiators,” said Moore. “Hart has gotten bigger, faster, stronger and a ton more confident. We will look for him to initiate alongside Oliver and Sebastian as well in the midfield. Somogyi will be moving back to the defensive side of the ball. He will certainly be involved there and on offense. He will be a do-it-all player for us.”

On defense, a quartet of seniors, Nico Cucchi, Will Brown, Ace Ewanchyna, and Milan Patel, have developed into a solid unit.

“They are our poles, they are looking great,” said Moore. “More than anything, they are just having fun. It is their fourth year playing together for the most part. They are playing with so much confidence. It is less of us coaches having to tell them every little thing and more of them taking the initiative playing with
different looks, jumping into a zone and out of a zone.”

The team’s biggest question mark will be at goalie where freshmen Charlie West and Jake Harrison are vying for time.

“Charlie is so coachable; he has got raw talent, he just needs a little more direction,” said Moore. “Jake is just comfortable in goal, he is a bigger body. He is very athletic. He is not scared of the ball, he will throw his body in front of it. Where he has to improve on is pushing transition. We are fortunate to have a goalie-specific coach (Bassam Rifai) on our staff. Charlie, Jake, and our goalie coach spend a lot of time together. I think they will both get there.”

Looking ahead, Moore is confident that the Panthers will be feeling good at the end of this spring.

“I think it is going to come down to leadership and being able to handle adversity,” said Moore, whose team hosts George School (Pa.) on April 14 before playing at Lenape High on April 17. “There is no doubt we will face adversity. Last year, we really couldn’t handle it. I think it was chalked up to our youth. We were very young last year. This year, we will be relying on our leaders, playing really, really fast and sticking together as a unit throughout the whole season. They are playing for each other. We have 10 seniors this year, that group has been together for a long time.”