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 (Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) caption:
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Magic Run Ends for PHS Boys' Hockey; Core of Sophomores Hungry for More
By Bill Alden
Resourcefulness had been the calling card for the Princeton High boys" hockey team in a stirring late-season run that featured overtime wins in the Mercer County Tournament (MCT) title game and the opening round of the state playoffs.
The Little Tigers, though, ran out of tricks last Wednesday as they hit a brick wall and fell 5-0 to fourth-seeded Chatham in the Public state tournament round of 16.
"We didn"t generate any real quality scoring chances," lamented PHS head coach Paul Merrow as he reflected on his 20th-seeded team"s exit from the tournament in a game played at Mennen Arena in Morristown.
"The best chances we had came on the power play when we hit the pipe a couple of times. They had a really good defense. We played a very good team."
But with PHS finishing the season with a glittering 19-5-1 mark, there can be little doubt that they were a very good team this winter.
"It was a great season, record-wise and improvement wise," asserted Merrow, who completed his ninth season guiding the Little Tigers. "We went from a freshman-laden team that struggled to a sophomore team that was really strong."
For Merrow, the MCT crown rates as a particularly memorable accomplishment. "As it stands, the county title was a real feather in our cap," said Merrow, whose club upset Hopewell Valley in the MCT semis and then outlasted top-seeded Notre Dame in overtime to win the championship.
"Coming into the tournament, we were one of the top four teams in our league. We put on quite a run."
PHS" high-octane offense played a key role in the team"s heroics. The Little Tigers boasted three of the top scorers in the area in sophomores John Ryan and Peter Teifer and junior Sam Finnell.
The prolific Ryan scored 59 points on 35 goals and 24 assists to lead PHS. Teifer chipped in 46 points on 21 goals and 25 assists while Finnell contributed 43 points with 18 goals and 25 assists.
"They were great for us," said Merrow, referring to his high-powered trio who formed the Little Tigers" top line for much of the season.
"Toward the middle of the season, we switched it up a little so that teams couldn"t key on one line. To get the production we did from them was great."
PHS also got great work from diminutive sophomore goaltender Shane Leuck who anchored the PHS defense. "Shane was a rock for us all season," declared Merrow, who also cited the work of such defensemen as Brad Carduner, Christian McCracken, Justin Faulkner, and Jon Forman.
"He had one year of high school hockey under his belt. He didn't play club hockey during the season so I think he was fresher at the end."
In Merrow"s view, the team also developed a special camaraderie that helped it thrive in pressure situations. "They were a tight group," added Merrow. "They are all friends on and off the ice. There was not much tension before big games. They were loose."
With his core of stars returning, Merrow hopes the team has only scratched the surface of its potential. "We"re not losing that many players," said Merrow, noting that the club had only four seniors- Forman, Nick Brener, Derek Bronsteen, and Andrew Mahon.
"I hope they have the same attitude next year. They need to do some work in the weight room and to play on clubs together this summer. Anything less than the MCT finals and the final 16 of the state tournament would be disappointing. They definitely want more next year."
