(Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) caption: ZONING OUT: Princeton Day School star defenseman Savannah Hecker clears the puck out of her zone in action last winter. The Panthers will be depending on senior co-captain Hecker this winter for leadership and stellar play along the blue line. The Panthers were slated to start their season by hosting Strath Haven on December 8 and Summit on December 10 before holding their annual PDS Invitational on December 12 and 13.

PDS Girls’ Hockey Looks to Raise the Bar as Smithson Emphasizes Serious Approach

Bill Alden

Kat Smithson has been exposed to some high-powered ice hockey programs over the years.

Smithson was a star and captain for the Millbrook School (N.Y.) girls’ hockey team before going on to become a three-year starter and captain for the St. Lawrence University women’s team.

Now, as Smithson takes over as the sole head coach for the Princeton Day School girls’ hockey team, she is looking to bring some of that seriousness to the Panther program.

“We are supporting two programs now; we have 13 players on varsity and 11 on JV,” said Smithson, who shared the head coaching duties with Gretchen Jaeckel the last two years with Jaeckel now heading the JV program.

“We are moving the program in a new direction. We have our own rink; we are trying to raise the bar with the program. We have brought Annie Greenwood (former Princeton University woman’s star) in as an assistant coach; that has been a huge addition.

With the Panthers scheduled to start their season with a home game against Strath Haven on December 8, Smithson is expecting sophomore forward Megan Ofner to raise the level of her game.

“I am looking to Megan a lot; she plays travel hockey for the New Jersey Rockets,” said Smithson of Ofner who had 10 goals and eight assists last winter in her debut season.

“She is one of the most motivated players I have seen at that age; she is in the gym 24/7. Her off-ice work ethic is amazing; she is constantly asking me what she needs to do to take the next step.”

Smithson is also expecting some good work at forward this winter from senior co-captain Stephanie Sydlo, who scored 17 points last season on five goals and 12 assists.

“Stephanie is stepping up,” asserted Smithson, whose team will host Summit High on December 10 before holding its annual PDS Invitational on December 12 and 13. “She hit the weightroom in the fall; she is much stronger on the puck. I have seen a lot of growth in her.”

Senior forward Courtland Lackey has grown into a formidable presence for the Panthers.

“Lackey is not a captain but she is a leader; she understands the game better,” said Smithson of Lackey, who is also a star defender for the PDS girls’ soccer team.

“She is passing that knowledge down to the younger players. She lights the fire when comes to being competitive.”

One of the quickest learners for PDS has been junior forward Carly O’Brien.

“Carly is an unconventional player; she is all over the place,” said Smithson.

“She has a lot of energy and she somehow gets it done. She is bubbly and provides comic relief. She is excited to come back and learn more about the game.”

At defense, the Panthers have two players with a lot of game in senior co-captain Savannah Hecker and junior Courtney Klein.

“Savannah is the leader of the defense; she gives us on-ice stability,” added Smithson.

“I am looking for her to direct things back there. Klein is one of the most consistent players we have; I can count on her to bring her A-game everyday. She understands the angles better and is developing a voice on the ice.”

PDS may have a developing star in freshman Kat So. “Kat plays on the Tiger Lilies; she is an outstanding player and we will use her mainly on defense,” said Smithson, whose corps of defensemen will also include freshman Louise Hutter and junior Kayleigh McLaughlin. “She is a strong competitor and a strong skater.”

With four-year starting goalie Bryanna Mayes having graduated, the Panthers are going to need a strong debut from sophomore Lucy Marquez.

“It is her first year playing goalie and she has gone into it with a tremendous attitude,” said Smithson of Marquez, who also played goalie this fall for the PDS field hockey team.

“Annie has been working with her every day. In our first scrimmage, I couldn’t believe what she was able to do. She was going down into butterfly and sliding across the crease.”

As a result of Marquez’s inexperience, Smithson is expecting her defensemen to take a greater role in the crease area.

“The defenders have to be a little more observant about what is happening in front of the net,” explained Smithson.

“They are responding to Lucy and she to them. It is a challenging role, and as Lucy says, she is taking baby steps. She will be good if she keeps making the progress she has made so far.”

In Smithson’s view, the team’s more serious approach should result in some progress this winter.

“I have a good feeling about this year; we will try to have a better record,” said Smithson, who helped guide the Panthers to a 10-10 record last winter.

“We will strengthen the things we were weak on last year. With this group being so small, the practices are more intense. They have a great understanding of positioning. They need to stay together as one cohesive unit. In the past, we had different lines and did some mixing and matching. We are getting them working together better.”

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