SCORING SPREE: Princeton High field hockey player Delaney Keegan gets ready to send the ball up the field in recent action. Last Thursday, senior star midfielder and Cornell commit Keegan tallied four goals and an assist as PHS defeated Hightstown 9-0. Keegan has scored 12 goals and four assists so far this season. The Tigers, who improved to 5-0 with the win, host Princeton Day School on October 4 before playing at Hamilton West on October 6. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Getting a rare night game as it played at Hightstown High last Thursday evening, the undefeated Princeton High field hockey team was primed to put on a show.

“The team as a whole was ready to come out here and play, definitely being under the lights gave us a lot of energy,” said PHS senior star Delaney Keegan. “We knew this was going to be a competitive game. We definitely wanted to come out strong and keep the energy up.”

Dominating play from her defensive midfield spot, Keegan got PHS off to a strong start, tallying two goals in the first quarter as the Tigers jumped out to a 2-0 lead.

“We worked cohesively as a unit and I could not have done that well without my team,” said Keegan, reflecting on her first quarter outburst.

Keegan works well with classmate Erin Liggio as the two have formed a deep connection over the years.

“I have been playing with her for almost eight years,” said Keegan, whose first goal against Hightstown came on an assist from Liggio. “It has been school and club, all of that has definitely kept us connected.”

In the second quarter, the Tigers displayed their offensive firepower, outscoring the Rams 5-0 as Keegan, Liggio, and Mia Ramirez each scored one goal with Reva Doshi chipping in two.

“Going into it, we wanted to keep our energy consistent the whole game no matter what the score was,” said Keegan. “Coming out for the second quarter, we had a lot of energy. We kept it strong on the ball.”

PHS never looked back as they rolled to a 9-0 victory, improving to 5-0 on the season.

“Our team is really good, it has done a really good job at connecting this season and really adjusting to each other’s play,” said Keegan, whose team ended up with four goals and an assist in the win and now has 12 goals and four assists on the season. “We are all in it for each other — no one is in it for themselves. I think that is a really big thing to have on a team, a connection like that is really important. I am really happy playing with these girls. It is really nice.”

With her superb skill set, Keegan is happy to play anywhere for the Tigers.

“Depending on the game, I will do whatever is needed,” said Keegan. “If I need to hang back more defensively, I have played some back this year. If I need to help the offensive play, I will play offensively. I have become a more offensive player this year. I have stepped up more from the back, playing defensive mid for two years in the row.”

Looking ahead, Keegan will be bringing her game to the next level as she has committed to attend Cornell and play for its field hockey program.

“I am really happy, it was a long process,” said Keegan, noting that her mother is a Cornell alumna.

“It was stressful to say the least but I am really happy with the whole entire thing. I am really excited to be part of that program, they are doing really great right now. I love the coach, the girls are great. I am really excited.”

PHS head coach Heather Serverson was excited by the way her team came out of the gate against Hightstown.

“Our goal is to start off with intensity, we have had some issues with that,” said Serverson. “We knew that Hightstown was going to really come after us and bring their A-game and they did. They really tested us nicely. One of our main goals today was to really play with intensity and get two goals as fast as possible.”

In the second quarter, the Tigers played some of their best hockey of the fall so far with their five-goal effort.

“We have really been working on that tight, small passing game and looking for the long ball when it is open,” said Serverson. “They were spot on with that today. It was literally like they took the drills that we did this week and put them right into the game. It was awesome. I am so happy.”

Serverson is happy with the team’s offensive balance as Liggio tallied two goals and two assists against the Rams with Doshi scoring two goals and Ramirez chipping in one goal and two assists in addition to Keegan’s output.

“We are not a one-woman show, we have the ability to score all over the field,” said Serverson. “Even some of our defenders have great offensive skills.”

While Keegan has displayed her scoring ability this fall, she has done so within that the team context.

“Delaney is a very skilled player but she is also a team player,” said Serverson. “She is not out here to pad her own stats.”

The Tiger defense is putting up some impressive stats, having only yielded one goal in its first five games.

“They have been improving each game,” said Serverson. “They have also been working on their marking and their communication which looked really good today.”

With PHS getting off to an impressive 5-0 start, Serverson likes the way her players have come together on and off the field.

“I am just happy about the way they are connecting on the field,” said Serverson. “We have a supportive team environment. Everyone is getting along, everyone is encouraging each other.

We actually work on that first before the hockey. The main goal coming into preseason is keeping everyone happy and on the same page, kind of like a family.”

Over the long haul, Serverson believes that the Tigers need to pace themselves in order to achieve their goal of making a deep postseason run.

“We just need to stay heathy and stay well rested,” said Serverson. “Being a student-athlete comes into play with all of the homework but we are really trying to do a lot to manage their hydration, their nutrition, and their sleep schedules. We started in the preseason with those conversations. We didn’t have those games for a couple of weeks and I was telling the girls our season is getting very condensed, it is going to get very physical and you are going to feel tired. We have to make sure that we take care of our bodies now and they are doing a good job.”

Keegan is confident that the Tigers will keep doing a good job.

“It is just taking it one game at time and being there for each other,” said Keegan. “It is being a team at the end of the day and just keep working the way we are working. I am confident in this team. I am really, really happy about the direction of this team.”