(Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) POLE POSITION: Princeton Day School boys' lacrosse star defender Warren Wilson, middle, wreaks havoc in a game this season. Wilson, a rising senior, and classmate Jake Lipkin will be the team's co-captains next spring.

PDS Boys' Lax Struggled With Injury but Tuckman Sees Depth on the Way

Bill Alden

Rob Tuckman knows that the Princeton Day School boys' lacrosse team faces an uphill battle every season.

"We're a small school and we play in a very competitive league," said Tuckman, who just completed his first season as the PDS head coach. "We really need to get every ounce of energy out of our players."

The Panthers showed plenty of energy as they got off to a 5-4 start in Tuckman's debut campaign but then things went south as PDS dropped its final six games.

The team's lack of depth played a major role in its struggles down the stretch. "We got banged up at midseason," said Tuckman.

"People weren't playing at 100 percent and we don't have depth like other teams. It was a tough way to end the season but it showed us what we need to do."

In Tuckman's view, the program made progress as the players got used to his approach. "In the first season, there are always adjustments; the true effectiveness of a coach doesn't come until the third year," explained Tuckman. "I was pleased by how things went. I know it is going to take time, Rome wasn't built in a day."

The new coach credited his group of seniors with aiding the transition process. "We made a major change and they bought into the program," asserted Tuckman. "They showed the younger kids that we have a program to be proud of."

Tuckman was particularly proud of the courage shown by senior star Derek Mayer as he fought through injury. "Derek blew out his hamstring in the Pennington game; he popped it on the first faceoff," said Tuckman, whose other senior stars included Joey Horowitz and Dave Beard. "He played just about every game after that. He really showed guts."

Tuckman is expecting the same kind of guts from his rising seniors who are led by defensive stars Warren Wilson and Jake Lipkin.

"Our No. 1 pole is Warren Wilson; he is looking really good," added Tuckman.

"He's deep into the summer camps right now as he goes through the recruiting process. Jake Lipkin also did well; he and Warren will be our two co-captains next year. We had 21 in that class when they were freshman and we still have 15 on the team. They will have been playing together for four years. I like that continuity; they know where each other will be on the field."

It looks like PDS may have more strength in numbers on the way. "Our initial sign-up for next year is 54; since there are only about 150 boys in the whole upper school, that's a good sign," said Tuckman.

"We have some real nice kids coming out of the middle school program. Pete Higgins (Tuckman's predecessor as head coach) is running the middle school program; he is very experienced and has a lot of knowledge. I have been working with him."

Tuckman, for his part, enjoyed working with the players in his debut season at the helm. "It's a wonderful experience to be able to lead a group of young men in a game I've gotten so much from," said Tuckman, who credited assistant coach Mark Adams with providing him with invaluable input.

"In 20 years when they think about their high school experience, they will remember great teachers but a lot of their memories will fall in their extracurricular activities. As a head coach, I try to create a community."

Tuckman is hoping that players in upcoming seasons will leave PDS with memories of some big victories. "We're not always going to have big years," said Tuckman.

"We go against some big dogs. There are seasons where we are going to be real competitive in the Preps and the Bianchi Division. I hope those seasons will be coming soon and often."

Return to Previous Sports Story | Return to Top | Go to Next Story