(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski) SPRING FLING: Princeton High boys’ lacrosse player Mike Hellstern flings the ball in recent action. Hellstern’s powerful play in the midfield has helped PHS catch fire after a 1-3 start. Last Saturday, Hellstern scored two goals to help sixth-seeded PHS top No. 3 WW/P-S 8-4 in the quarterfinals of the Mercer County Tournament as the Little Tigers improved to 9-3-1. PHS was slated to play at Northern Burlington on May 12 and host Allentown on May 14 in regular season contests before facing second-seeded Hopewell Valley on May 16 in the MCT semis.

Hellstern’s Powerful Work in Midfield Helps PHS Boys’ Lacrosse Catch Fire

Bill Alden

Mike Hellstern got to roam free in the midfield last spring for the Princeton High boys’ lacrosse team.

With senior star Allen Bryant piling up points and drawing double teams, Hellstern had plenty of room to operate.

“Last year, I kind of went under the radar because Allen was very, very good,” said Hellstern. “He was so amazing.”

As Hellstern has stepped into Bryant’s role as PHS’s top midfield weapon this spring, he was ready for the challenge.

“This year people are keying on me,” said Hellstern. “I did a lot of shooting and stickwork over the summer.”

Last week, Hellstern showed the fruits of that labor, scoring two goals in a 16-8 win over Notre Dame.

“I think I provide some offense in the midfield but it is a group effort and everyone is contributing,” said Hellstern, reflecting on the win which saw the Little Tigers avenge an earlier 7-2 loss to the Fighting Irish. “A lot of kids are stepping up and really stepping into their roles.”

PHS has put in a lot of hard work collectively as it has caught fire, going 8-0-1 in its last nine games.

“We did a lot of hard work over spring break,” said Hellstern, who scored two goals last Saturday to help sixth-seeded PHS top No. 3 WW/P-S 8-4 in the quarterfinals of the Mercer County Tournament as the Little Tigers improved to 9-3-1. “We were working five hours a day. The kids are working a lot on their own.”

PHS head coach Peter Stanton likes how his players have gained confidence from their toil.

“The thing that is so critical with high school athletics is that the game is so much about the mind and learning,” said Stanton.

“The kids might have certain skills but until the mind has learned to do it and learned that they can do it, it’s not going to happen. We feel that the kids have learned.”

One of the keys to PHS’s hot streak is the team’s offensive balance. “We were talking about the season over the winter and the fact that we lost such great players and they were like maybe what we have to do is spread it out more,” said Stanton, who has been getting scoring from such players as Kirby Peck, Coleman Preziosi, and Matt Purdy.

“The guys felt like if more players are involved, we can be a difficult team to guard.”

Hellstern has proven to be difficult to guard in the midfield. “Mike is figuring out what he is capable of,” asserted Stanton.

“He has always been somebody who had the physical skills. Now the learning and emotional part of how to succeed is coming together for him.”

Stanton believes that the team’s diligence over the spring break will yield dividends both now and in the future.

“We are so proud of our boys that they were willing to do that work,” said Stanton, noting that assistant coaches Jason Carter and Chip Casto have played a key role in the players’ development.

“More importantly, they learned if they put in the work, they are going to get the result. These are important lessons. These kids are going to be doing way more important things than playing lacrosse and if they get that lesson in lacrosse, they are in good shape for life.”

The sizzling Little Tigers appear to be in very good shape for some tournament success.

“The coaches never set the goals, we always keep raising the bar,” said Stanton, whose team was slated to play at Northern Burlington on May 12 and host Allentown on May 14 in regular season contests before facing second-seeded Hopewell Valley on May 16 in the MCT semis.

“This is a nice standard of how we can play. The thing about last year’s team is when you have star players, there is pressure. This team doesn’t quite have those expectations so maybe we can play looser in some of these things and get results.”

Hellstern, for his part, sees the win over Notre Dame as a harbinger of good results to come.

“Wins like this build momentum,” said Hellstern. “I think this team can accomplish a lot if it plays to its full potential.”

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