(Photo by Stephen Goldsmith) GOOD WILL: Princeton High boys’ lacrosse senior star Will Kister prepares to unload the ball last Wednesday evening in the Mercer County Tournament championship game against Notre Dame. Kister scored two goals in the contest but it wasn’t enough as PHS fell 8-7 in overtime. Two days later, Kister scored four goals to help PHS defeat Hopewell Valley 12-4 as the Little Tigers improved to 13-4-1 and clinched the CVC Colonial Division title.

PHS Boys’ Lax Drops Thriller in MCT Title Game, Hopes Experience Will Steel It for State Tournament

Bill Alden

Trailing Notre Dame 6-3 heading into the fourth quarter of the Mercer County Tournament championship game last Wednesday evening, the Princeton High boys’ lacrosse team looked out of synch.

But with its defense forcing turnovers and its offense finally finding the range, PHS got into a rhythm and turned the contest into a thriller.

The Little Tigers reeled off four unanswered goals in the first eight minutes of the quarter to pull ahead 7-6 as the rain pelted the crowd assembled at Robbinsville High.

Just when it looked like the PHS program’s first-ever county title might be in its grasp, the Fighting Irish lived up to their nickname.

Notre Dame tied the game at 7-7 to force overtime and then weathered another PHS charge as a Coleman Preziosi shot rocketed off the crossbar early in the extra session. The Fighting Irish got possession and made it count, scoring with 1:30 left in the first overtime to get an 8-7 victory.

As the PHS players accepted the second place plaque, many heads were down and there were some tears.

But Little Tiger head coach Peter Stanton managed a smile as he reflected on the topsy-turvy contest.

“It was just such an exciting game,” said Stanton. “We got pretty far down and to come back like we did and take the lead, it was just so much fun to be a part of it. At some point in the fourth quarter, I thought to myself, win or lose, this is the most fun I have had in a lacrosse game all season long.”

While Stanton understood his players’ glum post-game reaction, he thought it was unjustified.

“We always feel like let’s keep our poise and composure,” said Stanton. “Let’s not let results effect how we feel about ourselves. Unfortunately our kids are really sad right now but they have no reason to be. We had a hell of a fight today and I couldn’t be prouder of a team.”

In Stanton’s view, the team’s rally came down to showing composure. “We have worked really hard at learning how to have poise,” said Stanton, who got two goals from Will Kister in the loss with Mike Hellstern, Kirby Peck, Matt Purdy, Pat Lynch, and Alex Rifkin chipping in one apiece.

“We said don’t let your emotions get the best of you and we just made one play at a time. It was a fun fight getting back into it.”

It was fun for Stanton to watch his team’s veteran defense take charge in the fourth quarter.

“We got so many opportunities to score from our defense; those guys did a great job,” asserted Stanton, whose defense is led by a quartet of seniors, defensemen Robby Dowers, Michael Irving, and Dean DiTosto together with goalie Griffin Peck. “Dean DiTosto was unbelievable today.”

With the state tournament starting this week, Stanton is hoping that the battle with Notre Dame will help steel his team for that competition.

“There are not a lot of opportunities to be in these type of games so hopefully it does help,” said Stanton, whose team topped Hopewell Valley 12-4 last Friday to win the CVC Colonial Division title and was slated to host WW/P-S on May 24 in the second round of the Group III tournament with the winner advancing to the quarters on May 26.

“We have another tough matchup right away against South, whom we have had three battles with already. It is a short time, we are high school students and we will do the best we can.”

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