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Sanford Clicks When it Counts Most As PDS Boys' Lax Rallies to Nip PHS
By Bill Alden
Laddie Sanford and his teammates on the Princeton Day School boys' lacrosse team hit the field with plenty of emotion last Friday as they hosted crosstown rival Princeton High.
Having been trounced 15-4 by PHS last season and mired in a three-game losing streak, the Panthers were ready to battle.
"We were inspired to play, we wanted to go hard today," said senior attacker Sanford. "It was bad last year. We wanted to come out and show them something. We knew we had a better team than last year. We've been getting tired of getting tossed around the field by them the past few years." But having trouble harnessing its emotion and hurt by some sloppy ballhandling, PDS fell behind the Little Tigers 4-2.
Then late in the second quarter, the Panthers' intensity level hit new heights as they lost midfielder Stevie Adams, who was carted off the field in a stretcher and rushed away in an ambulance after suffering a severe rib injury.
After a half-hour break due to Adams' injury, the Panthers huddled together and chanted "Do it for Stevie."
PDS surrendered an early second half goal and then reeled off a 5-1 run to earn a sweet 7-6 triumph that triggered a raucous celebration punctuated with hugging and screaming.
Sanford led the way for the Panthers with five goals, including two fourth quarter tallies that provided the margin of victory.
"We came out pretty sloppy in the first half," said Sanford as he reflected on the victory. "Then when Stevie went down that motivated us even more. We knew we had opportunities. We could beat guys and pass to open guys on their slides."
Some of those opportunities came Sanford's way and he wasn't about to pass them up. "I got the ball in the crease and I was just able to put it away," said Sanford, who has scored a team-high 25 goals for PDS this spring. "We knew we had to get some big goals with the game coming down to the wire like that."
PDS head coach Peter Higgins wasn't surprised that Sanford took advantage of the chances that came his way when it counted most. "Laddie is Laddie, it always takes him a little time to start clicking," said Higgins with a chuckle.
"Once he clicks, he gets big goals. Those two in the fourth quarter were huge. He knows he can finish. He's been working hard on that."
Higgins also got good work from goalie Oliver Burton, who recorded 16 saves against PHS, including several that were of the point-blank variety.
"Ollie came up big and made some great saves," said Higgins of his netminder who converted from defense to fill the hole left by the graduation of star goalie Kenny Miller. "He's really just been a lifesaver for us."
The Panthers will need all the help they can get as they head into the upcoming state Prep B tournament.
"We're always the underdog," maintained Higgins, whose squad improved to 6-4 with the win over PHS and will play at Ranney on May 5 and at Manasquan on May 7. "We're always about trying to give four quarters of fight. We're trying to get to the state final this year."
Sanford, for his part, believes that the fight the Panthers showed Friday bodes well for their post-season chances.
"It's a real confidence booster to get back on the winning side, especially in a tough game like this," asserted Sanford.
"We knew it was going to be a battle from the beginning. We have the preps coming up soon, so we just want to get some momentum coming down the stretch."
If the Panthers can duplicate the fire they showed last Friday, they could make things tough for their foes in the state tourney.
