SURE SHOT: Princeton Day School girls’ lacrosse player Ali Surace heads to goal in a game last season. Senior tri-captain and Columbia University-bound Surace is coming off a superb 2021 season that saw her tally 25 goals and 17 assists. The Panthers get their 2022 campaign underway by playing at Clearview on April 2 and then hosting Stuart Country Day on April 4. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

This spring marks the swan song for Jill Thomas after a quarter century at the helm of the Princeton Day School girls’ lacrosse program and she is confident her squad will hit some high notes in her finale.

PDS head coach Thomas, who was inducted into the New Jersey Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2018 and previously announced that she is retiring after 34 years at the school, is going to savor this spring.

“I think it is bittersweet, this is a great group of people,” said Thomas, citing her coaching staff of Tracy Young and Cait Flynn along with strength and conditioning coach Darius Young. “This group of seniors is pretty special. Since 2019, we haven’t had a full season so I think it is going to be great. It is really about them, not me.”

The Panthers got off to a good start with a preseason jaunt to Florida earlier this month as it prepares to open its 2022 campaign by playing at Clearview on April 2 and then hosting Stuart Country Day on April 4.

“It was a great trip, especially after we hadn’t been there since 2019,” said Thomas, who guided the Panthers to an 8-7 record last year and a spot in the state Prep B semis. “It was great for the kids; it was a wonderful experience as it always is. We played against some great teams, got a lot of training in and bonded. It was good.”

PDS brings back some good offensive firepower in senior Maggie Zarish-Yasunas (13 goals, 10 assists in 2021), senior and Columbia University-bound Ali Surace (25 goals, 17 assists), senior and University of California commit Elle Anhut (16 goals, 17 assists), sophomore Tessa Caputo (42 goals, 17 assists), junior Paige Gardner (29 goals, 8 assists), junior Sophia Jaffe (26 goals, 12 assists), and senior Haley Sullivan (5 goals).

Thomas is looking to tri-captains Zarish-Yasunas, Surace, and Anhut to be catalysts.

“They are leaders, they are strong with good chemistry so it is all good,” said Thomas. “Hopefully we are going to score a lot of goals.”

While the defense doesn’t boast a lot of experience, Thomas is confident it has the athleticism to come together.

“We graduated all four of our starters,” said Thomas, who will be looking at senior Frances Bobbitt, senior Lauren Frank, junior Leigh Hillmanno, sophomore Jesse Hollander, and freshman Shelby Ruf with Surace,
Anhut, and Zarish-Yasunas also helping out on the back line.

“It is going to be a mixture, running people in and out. It is going to be interesting, it is a work in progress.”

Junior Arden Bogle, who recently committed to George Washington University, will be moving into the starting role at goalie with the graduation of Hailey Wexler, now playing for The College of New Jersey women’s lax program.

“Arden was behind Hailey and she has stepped in cleverly and wonderfully this year,” said Thomas. “We are looking forward to great things from her. I think she will be fine and now that the pressure is off of committing somewhere, that is good.”

Thomas is looking forward to seeing what the Panthers can do in her final campaign.

“They have to keep being together and playing well together, I think that has been a real key factor since we started.” said Thomas. “We have that chemistry that carries you through the not-so-good times. They have to continue to work hard, they have to continue to move the ball down the field in transition and score a lot of goals. I think they are going to be fun to watch, they are going to be exciting. Kudos to them.”