CRUNCH TIME: Princeton High boys’ soccer player Jamie Reynolds, right, thwarts a foe in recent action. Senior defender Reynolds has helped key a superb back line for PHS which has gone 15-1 with 14 shutouts. Last Monday, the second-seeded Tigers topped seventh-seeded Allentown 6-0 in the quarterfinal round of the Mercer County Tournament. PHS will face third-seeded Steinert in the MCT semis on October 18 at Hopewell Valley with the victor advancing to the final on October 21, also at HoVal. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Jamie Reynolds’ ultimate career goal is to jump out of airplanes for an elite military unit.

“The ROTC U.S. Army is my main focus, I am looking to go to the University of Richmond as an ROTC officer,” said Reynolds. “Going into the U.S. Army as a paratrooper for the 82nd Airborne, that is my dream unit.”

This fall, senior defender Reynolds has been focusing on helping the Princeton High boys’ soccer team fly high as it has enjoyed a dream season, getting off to a 15-1 start.

Last Thursday, Reynolds and the Tigers achieved the first of their goals for the season, clinching a Colonial Valley Conference title as they rolled to a 5-0 win over WW/P-North.

“This is a big, big step, one of four,” said Reynolds. “It is first win the CVC and now it is on to the Mercer County Tournament and then sectionals and then the state semis. This is step one and this is the first time since 2016 that we have won the CVC.”

Providing some offense from the back line, Reynolds helped get PHS going as he assisted on first goal of the contest, sending a long pass to senior Pasquale Carusone who slotted the feed into the back of the net.

“I saw Pasquale put his hand up and just beamed it up to him,” said Reynolds. “I wanted to make sure it went over the defender so he had a one touch for a simple goal and that worked out perfectly.”

With PHS leading 1-0 at halftime, Carusone took over the game in the second half, scoring three straight goals to break the game open.

“He is an amazing player; he has the technical aspect, he is very good, moving it back and forth,” said Reynolds of Carusone, who did a back flip to celebrate after his fourth goal. “He has a really good chemistry with every player on this team. It is a very big motivator when we see him playing well. Everyone wants to get up to his level and that improves overall team play. Finally it is his physicality, he just wants to get after it. He doesn’t care how big you are or how strong you are or how fast you are, he will beat you. He is the total missing piece in our squad and makes us a complete team.”

PHS needed Carusone’s heroics to spark the offense as the Tigers misfired a bit in the first half,

“We were a little sloppy, but once our coach (Ryan Walsh) told us to settle down and use the width,” said Reynolds. “We got into our position and then we just started moving it back and forth and pinned them down and won the game.”

The Tiger back four of senior Nick Matese, junior Connor Hewitt, senior Patrick Kenah, and Reynolds pinned down the Northern Knights throughout the contest.

“We try to keep it as simple as possible, we are all big, experienced players,” said Reynolds. “We have played together since we were young players in elementary school as club teammates. We have played together at a young age, since probably 6, 7 years old. It has just translated into this final piece right here where we are one of the best defense units in the CVC.”

Having played at forward last year, Reynolds feels at home on the Tiger defensive unit.

“I found my calling in the defense and it is way more fun, I am allowed to be more myself, more physical,” said Reynolds. “I see myself as the big, strong, center back, kicking it up far. I am more the sweeper and Nick has that better soccer IQ and technical ability to go up the field. I am happy covering back and making sure that (goalie) Nick Holmelund has his easiest day every day.”

The Tigers had a tough day when they fell 3-2 to Robbinsville on October 3 to suffer their only loss this fall, but have used that setback as motivation.

“It really set our attitude, it took us off our high point for sure,” said Reynolds. “We were getting a little cocky — this reset us a little bit and made us say, ‘hey we are not invincible, but now let’s just push as hard as we can.’”

In the view of Reynolds, PHS is primed for a big final push as it pursues the squad’s other goals.

“We are getting better every day,” said Reynolds. “The energy is getting better every day. We are learning more and we are learning each other better. It is getting better and better every day.”

PHS head coach Walsh believed his players were misdirecting their energy in the early going against WW/P-North.

“Our quality wasn’t great in the first half,” said Walsh. “We weren’t using the width of the field, we were jamming it down the middle. Our tactical change at halftime was using the width a little more. Our guys had a heavy week this week, it was the third game of the week. It was tired legs, everything was just a little bit off.”

The indefatigable Carusone certainly benefited from that change in tactics.

“That kid doesn’t get tired, he is a great player,” said Walsh of Carusone, who now has a team-high 21 goals this season. “We haven’t had that type of goal scorer here in a couple of years. This is his first year with us and he has really fit in with the team really well.”

Reynolds has proven to be a great fit for the PHS defense. “Jamie played forward last year actually for us,” said Walsh. “He came to me in the spring time and said he played defense for lacrosse and for club too. I said let’s do it in the summer. He is a big athletic kid and he has transitioned really well to center back.”

The Tiger back line has played a big role in the success of PHS this season, having posted 14 shutouts.

“They are always in control, Jamie and Nick at center back are just two peas in a pod,” said Walsh. “They always know what the other one is going to do. Nick the goalie has had a phenomenal year. He has made some big saves all year.”

Winning the CVC title was a big step for the Tigers. “It is really exciting; it is the first outright CVC championship for us since 2016,” said Walsh. “As much success as we have had, we had a little lull here. It is great to get back on top.”

Competing in the Mercer County Tournament this week, PHS got off a successful start as the second-seeded Tigers topped seventh-seeded Allentown 6-0 in a quarterfinal contest last Monday. The Tigers will face third-seeded Steinert in the MCT semis on October 18 at Hopewell Valley with the victor advancing to the final on October 21, also at HoVal.

“We have to continue to defend like we have been defending and just focus on one day at a time,” said Walsh. “It is never look ahead and never look past a team, no matter who we play. I always tell the guys to be where your feet are, to be in the moment.”

Reynolds, for his part, is confident that PHS will seize the moment when it counts the most.

“It is definitely resilience, it is all about mentality,” said Reynolds.

“Physically and technical-wise on the field, we are good and we can always get better. Mentally sometimes we are missing that piece and it sometimes bites us because we are not mentally ready for some games. It has happened but now every game we see it as take a deep breath, play our game, and just hit them hard.”