Sports

(Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) NEW DEVELOPMENT: Brett Wilson heads up the ice during his career with the Princeton University men’s hockey team. Last month, the recently graduated Wilson got to showcase his skills as he skated in the Chicago Blackhawks development camp.

PU Hockey Alum Wilson Enjoyed NHL Aura in Playing at Blackhawks Development Camp

Ed Benkin

For at least one week last month, Brett Wilson had the chance to live the dream.

The former Princeton University men’s hockey star stepped into the same Chicago Blackhawks locker room where young NHL stars such as Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews dress for game action.

Wilson slipped on a Blackhawks jersey with the logo worn by the likes of Stan Mikita and Tony Esposito. It was all part of Wilson’s opportunity to skate at the team’s NHL development camp in Chicago.

“It was definitely a big moment for me,” said Wilson. “Being at my first professional camp was a big step. You’re a bit in awe when you go into the arena and the dressing rooms, but all of the guys there were really good and everyone on the coaching staff made you feel comfortable.”

PU Star Goalie Kalemba Sharpened Skills During Camp With NHL’s San Jose Sharks

Bill Alden

In the early stages of this summer, Zane Kalemba’s preparation for his senior season with the Princeton University men’s hockey team centered on workouts conducted in the Garden State.

“I had been coming down to the Princeton Sports Center and skating with Sam Sabky, Brad Schroeder, and Dan Bartlett,” said star goalie Kalemba, a resident of nearby Saddle Brook. “I have also been doing a lot of stationary bike and off-ice training.”

But in late June, Kalemba got a call that changed the course of his summer training and sent him to the Golden State for a stint with the NHL.

Former PU Rower Davis Competes at U-23 Worlds, Will Pass on Lessons as Hun School Crew Coach

Bill Alden

It was the culmination of eight years of rowing for Madeline Davis.

After finishing her career with the Princeton University women’s lightweight program this June, Davis made the U.S. team in lightweight double for the U-23 World Rowing Championships in Racice, Czech Republic.

As she flew to Europe in late July, Davis was a bundle of emotions. “I was a little nervous, for sure, but mostly excited,” said Davis who was rowing in the double with Lindsay McAlpine, a former Brown standout. “It was the first international race for me, Lindsay, and our coach (Scott Wisniewski).”

P.U.’s Greenman Leads U.S. to Silver at Maccabiah, Learning Valuable Coaching Lessons Along the Way

Bill Alden

Scott Greenman enjoyed just about every minute of coaching last month at the Maccabiah Games in Israel except for one sequence of a few seconds.

The Princeton University men’s basketball assistant coach led his U.S. Youth boys’ team to a 6-0 record in round robin play, steamrollering its foes by an average of 51 points a game.

In the gold medal game against host Israel, though, a last-second shot proved decisive as the U.S. fell 79-77 and had to settle for silver.

PHS Trainer Koch Having Big Summer Working With Sky Blue FC of the WPS

Bill Alden

It was an opportunity that Shannon Koch felt she must pursue.

Seeing that the Somerset-based Sky Blue FC team needed an athletic trainer for the first season of the Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) league, Koch applied for the job.

Aided by her background working with the New Jersey Wildcats of the W-League, the longtime Princeton High trainer got the position.

Catching on with Sky Blue made for a busy spring for Koch, necessitating a juggling act as she fulfilled her responsibilities at PHS.