FINAL PUSH: Princeton Day School girls’ soccer player Adriana Salzano, left, controls the ball in a game earlier this season. Last Friday, senior star and Monmouth commit Salzano tallied a goal and an assist as fifth-seeded PDS topped 12th-seeded Donovan Catholic 4-1 in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Non-Public A tournament. The Panthers, who improved to 14-3-1 with the win, were slated to host 13th-seeded Mount St. Mary in the quarterfinals on October 31 with the victor advancing to the semis on November 2. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

For Adriana Salzano, her stellar career with the Princeton Day School girls’ soccer team reached the do-or-die stage last Friday as the squad started play in the Non-Public A South Jersey tournament.

With PDS having lost 1-0 to Steinert in the Mercer County Tournament quarterfinals and having been edged by the Blair Academy in a shootout in the quarterfinal round of the Prep state tourney, senior star midfielder Salzano was down to her last competition as a Panther when the team hosted Donovan Catholic last Friday to open play in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Non-Public A tournament.

“This is knockout, win or go home; we knew that we needed to come out here and kill the game immediately,” said Salzano. “That was our main goal, come out with fire and intensity and get it done.”

The Panthers misfired early on as they generated a slew of opportunities but failed to find the back of the net.

“It is something we have worked on the entire season — finishing,” said Salzano. “We had a lot of chances and we didn’t capitalize.”

With 8:07 left in the first half, sophomore Juliana Hartman scored to break the ice for PDS.

“That definitely relaxed us, we were a little bit frantic before,” said Salzano.

In the last minute of the half, Salzano doubled the Panther lead as she nudged a ball past the Donovan Catholic goalie after it pin-balled through the box.

“Sometimes it is not the prettiest goal but to put it in the back of the net, that is all that matters,” said Salzano.

In the second half, PDS put two more in the back of the net as freshman
Ava Katz scored twice to help the Panthers pull away to a 4-1 win, improving to 14-3-1. PDS was slated to host 13th-seeded Mount St. Mary in the quarterfinals on October 31 with the victor advancing to the semis on November 2.

After the Griffins scored a goal early in the second half to make it a 2-1 game, Salzano set up Katz’s first tally, slotting a free kick to the freshman star.

“We looked at each other and we said we need to come out and respond to that,” said Salzano. “That is something we have been good at the entire season. I just set the ball up. I saw the gap and it was like you know what, I am going to put this right in front of her. I wanted her to get a foot on it and put it in the net and that is exactly what happened.”

The play of Katz has been a big plus this fall as she has tallied five goals and a team-high 14 assists.

“She has been really amazing for us, she has definitely been an impact player,” said Salzano, who has a team-high 13 goals along with four assists. “I love to work with her on the field.”

While getting the tournament win was a confidence builder for the Panthers after their tough postseason setbacks, Salzano knew the victory didn’t guarantee anything going forward.

“We can’t take anything for granted,” said Salzano. “We can’t come back out here and think it is going to be a smooth ride from here on out. We have to come back even harder on Tuesday.”

In Salzano’s view, PDS can produce a special ride in the Non-Public competition.

“I definitely think we can, we have so much talent individually and then collectively,” said Salzano. “When we come out here, it is like all the puzzle pieces just go together so I definitely think we could make a title run.”

PDS head coach Chris Pettit sees Salzano as a key piece of that puzzle.

“She has been very good; she has been typical Dre, playing wherever we have needed her,” said Pettit. “Jules has been injured and Dre has been playing a little defensive mid the last few weeks. Today was her first game back in her more natural spot at attacking midfielder, which is good because she links up so much of the play and brings so many things through. She can hold the play up and connect with AK (Katz) up top. She can bring the wide players in.”

Katz has been very good as well. “What she has done has been incredible; we had high hopes as the beginning of the year and I thought she could do it but you never know coming into high school,” said Pettit. “As the year has gone, she has grown in confidence, she has had some success. She has 14 assists and she has started adding goals lately. She has been such a focal point for our attack which has really helped us. She has really gone under the radar because a lot of people focus on Abby [Weed] or Dre. For her to come in and do that and do it so well has been a huge positive.”

The Panther defense has also been a positive this fall. “We have been very good defensively,” said Pettit. “We have had nine or 10 clean sheets.”

With PDS boasting a balanced attack to go along with the stingy defense, Pettit believes the Panthers can earn a title in its last tournament of the season.

“We haven’t given up many goals and we have created a lot of chances,” said Pettit. “It comes down to the first half, where against the better teams, you are not going to get 10 chances. We need to be more clinical and I think if we can do that, we can really make a good run. I think all of the games will be close because we have got a good defensive record. We are well set up and everyone knows their roles. This group deserves it, they have the talent. It is just can we convert some of those chances. The chances are falling to six or seven players so we just need one or two of those to get confident. It is good that AK got a couple of goals today, Dre got another goal. So hopefully that confidence does come.”

Salzano is confident that she can make her final days in a PDS uniform memorable.

“That has been in the back of my mind, this could be my last game, the next one could be,” said Salzano, who is headed to Monmouth University next fall and will be playing for its women’s soccer program. “I have to come out here and do whatever I can to not make it be my last game. To get this title, that is what I am working for right now. I want to go out with a bang. We are not done yet, we still have stuff to take care of.”