HART AND SOUL: Princeton Day School boys’ lacrosse player Hart Nowakoski, right, looks to pass the ball in a game this spring. Junior Nowakoski led PDS is assists this spring with 25 and added 12 goals as the Panthers went 7-12 and advanced to the final of the Mercer County Invitational. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Making the final of the Mercer County Invitational, the ‘B’ bracket of the county tournament, wasn’t the goal for the Princeton Day School boys’ lacrosse team at the beginning of the season, but the tourney run proved valuable for the young squad.

“Being able to play in the finals was really good for us,” said PDS first-year head coach Nick Taylor, whose team fell 8-7 to Lawrence High in overtime in the MCI title game. “You look back at our season and where we are at — we have some returning guys that are going to play a lot of minutes next year, so it was great to have that experience this year.”

The squad’s 11-3 win over WW/P-South in MCI semis was a highlight of the season for the Panthers.

“It was probably one of our more dominant performances, it showed what kind of potential we have as a team,” said Taylor, who came to PDS this season after five seasons as the head coach of the Haverford College men’s lax team. “Unfortunately we couldn’t put it all together this year. I think we have a lot of promise in the years ahead.”

PDS ended the season with a 10-9 loss to Morristown-Beard in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public Group B tournament.

“Lacrosse is a game of runs; we were pleased with where we were at halftime and how we had played,” said Taylor, reflecting on the contest which saw the Panthers leading 5-2 at halftime. “We talked a lot about being the team to start a run. That wasn’t the case in the second half — Mo-Beard had enough to get it going. We had a lot of opportunities at the end of the game and in the first half. I think for the underclassman, it was another learning experience where when you have those opportunities, you have to cash in.”

Playing in several nail-biters down the stretch was a good learning experience for PDS.

“If you looked at our schedule we played in a lot of one-goal games, that is a big positive for us,” said Taylor, whose squad posted a 7-12 final record. “Looking at the guys that are returning, they should be a little more tested in terms of those closer games.”

A strong effort at the defensive end of the field kept PDS close game after game.

“One thing we can look at and be really pleased with how we defended and where we were defensively especially with some newcomers,” said Taylor. “That was a big question mark, I thought they performed really well throughout the year.”

Junior face-off specialist Asher Lewis performed very well this spring as he diversified his game.

“I think our most improved player was Asher Lewis,” asserted Taylor of Lewis who won 286-of-347 face-offs, scooped up 127 ground balls, and contributed 10 points on five goals and five assists.

“He had a really good year last year with the numbers and his numbers were really great this year, but we really saw him come into his own and really start to make more plays. It was not just winning the face-off, but doing the right things that he is supposed to do after that. Having that position locked in for another year is exciting for us.”

The squad’s senior class did a lot of good things for the program. “They will be missed, you lose a lot of points with that senior group,” said Taylor. “It also has some standout defensemen. Han Shin is a hockey player that got to start for us this year and really thrived as a close defenseman. We would have loved to coach him for a couple of more years. Any time you lose a group, you have to re-evaluate where you are at and what your strengths are. They will be missed, but we look forward to what we have coming down the pike.”

The Panthers will certainly miss star attacker/midfielder Sebastian Rzeczycki, who tallied 42 goals and 14 assists this season and ended up with 257 points in his PDS career on 168 goals and 89 assists.

“Seb is a player that loves the game, he is a dynamic player,” said Taylor of Rzeczycki who will be continuing his lacrosse career at Marist College. “He had a bit of adversity this year with injury. We will miss his leadership and his attitude. He is always very positive, hopefully that sets the tone for some of the younger guys.”

Another senior, standout attacker and Vassar commit Matt Whittaker, made a positive impact this spring with 38 goals and 13 assists.

“Matt is a really skilled attackman, someone that we felt really confident that we could run the offense through with or without Seb in the lineup,” said Taylor. “I am happy for those guys that they are both going to continue to play and we will be able to watch them on the collegiate level and wish them nothing but the best.”

With a core of returners featuring midfielder Hart Nowakoski (12 goals, 25 assists in 2024), longstick midfielder Wyatt Ewanchyna (3 goals, 2 assists, 67 ground balls), midfielder Kristian Rzeczycki (8 goals, 7 assists), attacker Tucker Seamens (11 goals, 3 assists), midfielder Colton Simonds (11 goals, 9 assists), midfielder Landon Lewis (4 goals), midfielder Ethan Mack (1 goal), defender Griffin Carmody (1 assist, 21 ground balls), and goalie Jake Harrison (95 saves) along with Asher Lewis, the Panthers have a good foundation in place.

“It is a different group and we will have to evaluate what we need to do to be successful on both sides of the ball schematically,” said Taylor. “We are thrilled to have guys that we can really lean on. Every year that is the challenge, how can you get a team that is different from the year before to trust each other and continue to move your culture forward. That is the big picture for us as coaches. It is not just the points on the field, it is how you put it all together off the field and in the locker room and all of these other times.”

Going through some adversity this spring should help the group come together next season.

“We saw our fair share of ups and downs,” said Taylor. “We learned a lot about each other this year. I was proud of the guys. I think the one thing that is a good indicator of how the season progressed is that we played in a lot of close games at the end of year. We had a chance to play in a tournament and get to the final.”

Taylor relished his chance to coach a high school program.

“When you boil it down, it is the same sport; that is what drives us as coaches, being out on the practice field, enjoying the time with the guys and trying to find ways to get the max potential out of the group,” said Taylor. “It is a learning experience. You come in thinking you are going to be able to do certain things in a certain way and you realize that you can’t. That was a good experience for all of our coaches. You have this blueprint and sometimes you have to throw the blueprint in the trash and start over again.”

Going forward, Taylor is looking to help the Panthers develop deeper bonds off the field.

“As a team we have to find a way to spend more time with each other,” said Taylor. “In college, you have access to your players all of the time. They are living on your campus, you are sharing lunch with them, you see them at breakfast, and you see them at class. At high school, they come to practice and their parents pick them up. You have to create opportunities or moments where you can really grow as a team off the field. We are looking at our spring break and things we can do then. It is trying to find those opportunities and make those opportunities.”