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Vol. LXV, No. 2
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Happy New Year!
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Wednesday, January 12, 2011
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Vol. LXV, No. 2
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Happy New Year!
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Wednesday, January 12, 2011
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(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
MILESTONE WEEK: Princeton University women’s basketball star Addie Micir heads to the hoop last Saturday against visiting Penn. Senior guard and co-captain Micir scored a game-high 18 points to help Princeton top the Quakers 56-45 in the league opener for both teams. Earlier in the week, Micir passed the 1,000-point milestone in her Tiger career. She was later named the Ivy League Player of the Week. |
Addie Micir is known as “grandma” by her teammates on the Princeton University basketball team due to her reassuring nature and vast experience.
Last Saturday, the senior guard and co-captain had to draw on those qualities as Princeton found itself in a tough battle with visiting Penn in the Ivy League opener for both teams.
The Tigers trailed the upstart Quakers 10-5 midway through the first half and had to rally to pull into a 20-20 tie at halftime.
As they headed into their team room at intermission, Micir and her teammates knew they were in a battle.
While Jeff Kampersal wasn’t happy to see his Princeton University women’s hockey team start the season by winning just three of its first 14 games, he didn’t push the panic button.
“I was not desperate at 3-10-1,” said head coach Kampersal, who is in his 15th year guiding the Tigers.
“I knew we had been playing well but we had faced some really tough teams. We have good kids and I knew if they hung in there we would get better.”
Even though they lost to Hopewell Valley last month, Will Greenberg and his teammates on the Princeton High boys’ ice hockey team gained a lot of confidence from the experience.
“The Hopewell game was close and we knew we were almost as good as them,” said junior forward Greenberg, reflecting on the 4-3 defeat to last year’s state tournament finalists.
“We knew that they were one of the best teams and if we could play with them, we could play with anyone.”
Since that loss, PHS has been playing better than anyone around, having reeled off five straight wins.
The big-time college basketball coaches and other luminaries were out in force last Friday evening as the Princeton Day School boys’ hoops team hosted Rutgers Prep.
Temple head coach Fran Dunphy stood in one corner of the packed gym while assistants from Rutgers and St. Joe’s were also on hand.
Sitting in the second row, dressed in his trademark suit and tie was distinguished Princeton professor Cornel West.
But PDS sophomore star Davon Reed, the drawing card for the college coaches, wasn’t fazed by the hoopla.
This past fall, Janie Smukler took on leadership responsibilities in addition to her role as the top scorer for the Princeton Day School girls’ soccer team.
The junior star displayed maturity and production, helping PDS win the state Prep B title, culminating the season by tallying two goals and two assists in the championship game.
This winter, Smukler has been charged with assuming a similar dual role for the PDS girls’ basketball team.