A-PLUS: Princeton Day School girls’ soccer player Ava Katz kicks the ball in action last season. Sophomore forward Katz, who tallied five goals and 17 assists last fall in her debut campaign for PDS, figures to be a key offensive weapon this fall for the Panthers. PDS gets its 2024 season going by playing at Peddie School on September 5 and then hosting the Hun School on September 7. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As the players on the Princeton Day School girls’ soccer team have gone through their preseason preparation, the squad’s veterans are looking to reproduce last year’s heroics.

With PDS having ended its 2023 campaign with a stirring run to the program’s first-ever New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public A title, the Panther returners got a boost of confidence from that achievement.

“I think they are feeling good about what they did last year,” said PDS head coach Chris Pettit, whose squad posted a 17-2-3 record last fall. “It was such an exciting, energizing time, I think there is a lot of enthusiasm to be back to try and recreate that with this year’s team.”

While PDS suffered some key graduation losses, Pettit is enthusiastic about the firepower the squad returns at forward in sophomore Ava Katz (5 goals, 17 assists in 2023), junior Mackenzie Brodel (8 goals, 6 assists), and senior Makena Graham (3 goals, 2 assists).

“Ava got a ton of assists last year, my expectation would be this year that she adds goals,” said Pettit, whose team gets its 2024 season going by playing at Peddie School on September 5 and then hosting the Hun School on September 7. “Mac scored eight last year, I think she can do those numbers or be slightly improved. I would expect Makena get some more moments and contribute some more goals this year as well.”

With that talent on hand, Pettit believes the Panthers can produce a balanced attack.

“We had a lot of people chipping in with goals last year,” said Pettit. “My hope and expectation is the style that we play and the talent that we have, that we can spread the goals around the team rather than being one of those teams that needs somebody to score 30 goals. We could end up with four people all getting eight each. It is a case of re-acquainting themselves with each other in a positional sense and how we want to play and making sure that they understand formation and the movements that we want to see and the passing patterns so the players are in the right position to score eight, 10 goals.”

PDS should also get some goals from its one-two punch in the midfield of sophomore Sophia Vriesendorp (3 goals, 7 assists) and junior Jules Hartman (8 goals, 2 assists).

“Sophia will hopefully chip in with a few again and Jules will also chip in,” said Pettit.

With senior Sophia Zhou sidelined with a leg injury, freshman Eva Najarro and junior Lucia McKee (1 goal) will be shoring up the midfield defense along with Hartman.

“I think Jules will also be playing that position,” said Pettit. “Eva is going to get some time in the middle. Lucia McKee will have to step up now with Sophia [Zhou] injured and play that role as well.”

The Panther back line will feature junior Ella McLaren (1 goal, 1 assist), junior Emma Burns (2 assists), junior Ava “A.J.” Szalabofka (4 goals, 3 assists), senior Reese Overman (1 assist), and junior Zuri Graham.

“Ella was phenomenal last year, her and Tochi [Owunna] really had that partnership, the whole defense last year was led by Tochi,” said Pettit. “This year without her, Ella needs to step up and lead that defensive unit. She will be ably supported. Emma was very strong last year as was A.J., those two were part of that defensive unit last year so they will be the same. Reese was in our defensive unit and played a decent amount last year. Zuri looked good in preseason and will play some of those minutes that have been left.”

At goalie, senior Shelby Ruf (48 saves in 2023) is poised for another stellar season.

“Two years ago, she had never played goal before; you wouldn’t know that if you were to watch her now,” said Pettit. “She committed to a D-I lacrosse program (Merrimack College). Over the summer, she has really worked on her goalkeeping. I am expecting another big season from Shelby between the sticks. Her biggest strength is her mentality, attitude and desire to win and the high standard she sets for herself and her teammates. She is naturally athletic, she has a good physical presence.”

In order to recreate last year’s success, the Panthers will need to display an intense mentality from beginning to end.

“The focus has got to be there, last year some of those losses were losses that should not have happened,” said Pettit. “It was because we would play really well for 40 minutes and then we would switch off for 15 and then would play well again. What happened in states was that we flipped the switch with the girls, saying if we lose we are done. They sharpened their focus and played for the full 80-85 minutes. So for us this year, we are going to need to be focused for that entire time.”