HEADY PLAY: Princeton Day School boys’ soccer player Todd Devin heads the ball in a game earlier this season. Senior midfielder Devin scored the lone goal for PDS as it fell 5-1 to Lawrence High last Thursday. The Panthers, who lost 3-1 to Steinert last Saturday to move to 3-3, play at Hamilton West on September 26 before hosting Hopewell Valley on October 1. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

With the Princeton Day School boys’ soccer team bringing a 3-1 record into its game against Lawrence High last Thursday, Todd Devin and his Panther teammates were looking to build on the progress they have made since enduring a rough 3-16-1 season last fall.

“We have improved a lot from last year, we didn’t score a goal until well past halfway of the season,” said senior midfielder Devin. “Last year, we didn’t have an identity. This year we are creating our identity and we are learning. In the past two years, we didn’t have a lot of the ball so we know how to play without the ball. With coach [Gary] Roberts coming in, we are getting an identity with the ball. We are working on getting the ball off of our feet quicker with more patterns of play and ways to create chances on goal.”

After PDS dug a 2-0 hole against Lawrence, Devin found the back of the net with 6:33 left in the first half to make it a one-goal game.

“It was off the kickoff, Grant [Burns] kicked it long, their center backs miss-hit it,” said Devin, reflecting on his tally. “I picked up the goalie, he was a little bit on the left side so it was an easy finish.”

But the Panthers failed to build on that as they generated some scoring opportunities in the opening moments of the second half but didn’t convert and Lawrence responded with three unanswered goals to pull away to a 5-1 win.

“We definitely felt good, in the first five minutes of the second half, we had a lot of chances,” said Devin. “I think if we put one of those chances in, it is a different game. We just held on for too long and they got the next goal. I don’t think the score shows how competitive the game was. It was a close game up until the 20th minute of the second half.”

Over the last four years, Devin has raised the level of his game. “As a freshman, I don’t have as much responsibility, I still played a part,” said Devin. “My role has always been defensively first in the middle of the field. I progressed through the years. When I was a freshman, I used to not have that much stamina and I got pushed off the ball. Since I have grown, I have been able to control the game more and set the pace a little bit better.”

Playing for the MatchFit club program has helped Devin make progress.

“On that team I usually play center back, so it is a little bit of a change when I come to midfield for this season,” said Devin. “It takes me a couple of games with the stamina and the fitness. Then I sort of work on getting up more in the attack. On my club team, I am a center back all day, just distributing the ball.”

PDS first-year head coach Roberts pointed to the early sequence after halftime as pivotal in the loss to Lawrence.

“The difference in the game was that we were all over them for the first eight minutes of the second half, but we didn’t finish three easy chances,” said Roberts. “They go down and score. We had a really hard time dealing with any long ball that was played at our backs. I give Lawrence credit, they were a lot better than their record.”

In the view of Roberts, Devin makes a big difference for the Panthers.

“Todd is an amazing player,” said Roberts. “He does things that very few players can do with the ball. He uses his body and his vision. He has got feet and he has got strength. He has got a work rate.”

PDS has been getting good work from sophomore Keegan Fullman, senior Penn von Zelowitz, senior midfielder Hart Nowakoski, and senior goalie Oren Yakoby in addition to Devin.

“Keegan is great for a sophomore — he is only 14 years old,” said Roberts. “Penn always gives you a massive work rate. Hart is just a rock solid dude. I really like the three of them, basically our team is going to be carried by Todd, Hart, Penn, and Keegan. Oren is always going to be there too.”

Roberts believes that PDS is primed to play some solid soccer as it builds on its promising start.

“We have got to just keep getting better, we have to find time to practice and work on things,” said Roberts, whose team lost 3-1 to Steinert last Saturday to move to 3-3 and will play at Hamilton West on September 26 before hosting Hopewell Valley on October 1. “We have had moments in games where we really got into a style of play but we get away from it too quickly. I want to play the game, I don’t want to lump it all over the place. We will be back.”

Devin, for his part, is confident that the Panthers will get back on the winning track.

“Even though we lost this game, we competed,” said Devin. “Overall, we are going to be able compete with all of the teams in the CVC. Last year we would go into games knowing that we weren’t going to win. I think this year we have a chance of winning every game, which is good.”