(Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) HEADING HOME: Princeton Day School senior star Nina Crouse (No. 3) heads to goal in recent action. Last Monday, Crouse made a lot of trips to goal as she fired in eight goals to help lead PDS to a 15-6 win over Morristown-Beard in the state Prep A quarterfinals. The second-seeded Panthers, now 10-0 on the season, will host No. 6 Hun on May 7 in the semis with the winner to advance to the title game on May 14.

With Crouse Stepping Up her Production, 10-0 PDS Girls' Lax On Track for Goals

Bill Alden

The slogan on the T-shirts worn by the Princeton Day School girls' lacrosse team reads "unfinished business."

But the PDS squad has faced a major hurdle in taking care of its business in the wake of the recent season-ending knee injury to high-scoring senior star Katie Briody.

With Briody cheering and coaching from the sidelines last week with a large brace on her left knee, PDS hosted Hun School, primed to handle a bit of that business as it looked to avenge last spring's bitter one-goal loss to the Raiders.

The players in uniform rose to the occasion, building an early 7-2 lead and then grabbing a late 14-10 advantage before hanging on for a dramatic 14-13 win.

In reflecting on the win, PDS senior star attacker Nina Crouse said the team needed all hands on deck to repulse the Raiders. "We made sure to come out of the gate and play hard," said Crouse, who scored two goals in the victory. "It was not just a couple of people scoring or a couple of people playing 'D,' it was everyone."

Even though PDS went full throttle from the opening draw, the game turned into a nailbiter. After PDS sophomore Mariel Jenkins scored with 10:34 left in the second half, PDS held a seemingly comfortable 14-10 lead.

But Hun responded with a three-goal run to transform the game into a thriller. The Raiders had two opportunities to tie the game in the waning moments but PDS senior goalie Maria Cannavo came up with two crucial saves.

"It was stressful and exciting at the same time," said Crouse, who exploded for eight goals last Monday as second-seeded PDS routed Morristown Beard 15-6 in the Prep A quarterfinals to improve to 10-0 on the season. "I think we had it; we had some core people on defense and some people on offense. The transition is what we tried to do."

Crouse said PDS is trying to make the best out of the loss of Briody. "We still have her voice which is one of the main assets of what she had on the field," said Crouse. "But losing how she plays with those great goals is a real loss. We still have so many other people who can gain from that."

Crouse and her twin sister, Allie, along with dominant senior midfielder Keely Langdon, help keep PDS on the same page. "Me and Allie know where each other are going to go in field hockey and lacrosse," said Crouse.

"I can tell where Keely is going to go to if it's not there. I know to get out and draw my defender out of that. I think we all read each other as a team."

PDS head coach Jill Thomas liked how her players worked with each other in the win over Hun. "I'm proud of the kids; we came to play today and we never trailed," said Thomas, whose second-seeded team will host No. 6 Hun in the Prep A semis on May 7.

"We just kept thinking positive and Maria came up big. Everyone knew we had this game coming up and the chemistry is great. The confidence is there now."

PDS has reacted to the loss of Briody by being even more focused. "When you lose a key player, it's important that you regroup," said Thomas. "You can use that as an excuse or be what we are. They decided to be what we are. We still have the same goals."

And the Panthers still have plenty of talent on the field to accomplish its goals. "The Crouses and Langdon are the ones who put the ball in the net but it takes work to get the ball in the net," explained Thomas.

"Hans [Hannah Epstein], Cammie [Linville], and Mariel [Jenkins], everyone is working with everybody. Claire Alsup played the game of her life today. Allison Sorrentino had some key minutes; that's a sophomore knowing roles. You gotta have a team in this business."

Perhaps the player who has stepped up the most in her role is senior Maria Cannavo, who is playing in her first season as a goalie. "She's not a surprise any more, she's 9-0," said Thomas. "She gets better all the time. Don't forget in the first half when we were up 7-2; it wasn't because they weren't shooting the ball."

In Thomas' view, it isn't just talent that has helped the Panthers get better and better. "I think that's where character comes in," asserted Thomas. "They'll forget the scores of these games but they won't forget the effort they put in together to make sure it happened."

Crouse, for her part, believes the team's togetherness could help it produce a memorable climax to the season. "We haven't been here for a very long time; having the feeling of where we are going to go next is amazing," said Crouse, referring to the team's undefeated record.

"We're developing our skills; we're working hard in practice. We have a real chemistry. We all get along really well; we don't have conflicts with each other. We're all encouraging each other."

That kind of unity should help PDS take care of business no matter what other obstacles come its way.

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