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PHS Girls' Hockey Turned to "Mahofia" To Help It Rub Out Foes This Winter
By Bill Alden
When the Princeton High girls' ice hockey team needed to rub out an opponent this winter, it often turned to its "Mahofia" to do the job.
Playing together on a line that became known among the Little Tigers as the "Mahofia," sisters Blathnaid Mahon and Dee Dee Mahon together with cousin Cami Mahon, made a vital contribution to PHS' fortunes this winter.
Blathnaid, a junior, had 12 points, while Dee Dee, a freshman added 17 and Cami, a sophomore, chipped in 12.
Although they were separated down the stretch due to tactical considerations, the Mahons relished their time playing together.
"We have a good chemistry," said Blathnaid, who focused on gymnastics and ballet before taking up hockey in the eighth grade.
"Usually we say that because we¹re related but I think we do play well together. I think Dee Dee is the fastest of us and Cami has a really strong shot. We work really well together. We know where we are going on the ice and we just know how each other plays."
The three Mahons essentially forced PHS head coach Matt Becan to give them a shot at playing together.
"We always asked to play together in scrimmages and at practice," recalled Blathnaid, noting that the three have also formed a line for the Nassau Under-19 girls' club team. "He got the idea that we played together a lot."
Once the Mahons became a unit, it didn't take long for their teammates to come up with the "Mahofia" nickname.
"Kristen Naylor thought of it because we always stick together," said Blathnaid with a grin. "She thought it was funny and the team had fun with it. When we would go on the ice, they would scream Mahofia, Mahofia."
Cami, who has been playing with Dee Dee with the Nassau club since they were in elementary school, said the two of them have forged a special connection on the ice.
"Dee Dee and I have always played together," said Cami. "We just complement each other very well. Dee Dee and I have plays, like little drop passes. We know each other's style very well from playing so long together."
For Dee Dee, playing with her older sister and cousin helped ease her transition to high school hockey. "Playing together was fun, we really work well together," said Dee Dee. "All of our skills come together. There is a higher skill level in high school hockey. You go against a lot of good teams. I like playing the really hard teams. Afterwards you feel like you've really worked hard."
The Mahons and their teammates worked hard as they fought through an up-and-down campaign that saw PHS start out 7-1 only to finish 9-7.
Cami, for her part, thought the positives outweighed the negatives despite the tough results down the stretch.
"The team grew," said Cami. "I think the end of the season was a little bit of a disappointment. Even though we lost to tough teams like Morristown-Beard (the state prep runner-up), I thought that we played really hard and with our hearts."
With their family bonds, the Mahon girls certainly gave the Little Tigers an extra measure of heart on the ice this winter.
