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 (Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) caption:
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Espichan Battles Through Arm Injury To Help PHS Boys' Soccer Catch Fire
By Bill Alden
Although Carlos Espichan recently refractured his left forearm, the Princeton High midfielder is not about to let a broken bone keep him out of the action.
Wearing a plastic splint covered in layers of tape, the gritty senior didn't miss a beat last week in the PHS' 1-0 win over WW/P-N on October 19.
Battling a gusty wind and a pockmarked field, Espichan was all over the pitch, hustling forward to help the Little Tigers attack and getting his nose in the action on defense to help stymie the Northern Knights.
Two days later, Espichan and the Little Tigers were at it again as they beat Trenton 3-0 to record their fifth straight win after a 2-3-1 start.
PHS' recent surge is conjuring up visions of their spectacular run last fall which saw the squad stumble off to a 3-5-1 start and then catch fire, winning the Mercer County Tournament and the Group III Central Jersey title in the process.
Espichan, for his part, is feeling a sense of déjà vu. "We're trying to live up to last year's reputation," said Espichan after the WW/P-N game.
"It's the same thing as last year. The coach [Wayne Sutcliffe] said to us you don't want to be the first PHS [boys' soccer] team to not make states. We want to improve on last year."
For Espichan, the pleasure of winning has come with some pain. "It's more discomfort," said Espichan, who originally broke his arm this summer playing club soccer and then reinjured it in PHS' recent win over Hopewell Valley when he got in the way of a kicked ball.
"There is pain when I brush up against someone. I have a lot of padding. You learn to deal with it."
While Espichan's courage in playing through the injury has inspired PHS, he is looking to lead in a variety of ways. "I try to get them pumped up," said Espichan, referring to his younger teammates.
"I tell them everything is going to be alright. I'm not a big scorer, I'm more of a playmaker. Skill-wise, I'm better than last year. My injury has set me back a little but I'll play with it and help the team as much as possible."
PHS head coach Sutcliffe sees Espichan as a big help to his squad. "Carlos is showing perseverance," said Sutcliffe, who got a goal from Dion Privett in the win over WW/P-N.
"He was a major contributor last year. Over the past few games, he's been huge for us. He's so good at being able to break guys down. He serves good balls into the box. Carlos is a threat, he gives us so much."
As PHS has caught fire, Sutcliffe has been getting an increased commitment from his whole squad. "We've grown a lot as a team," asserted Sutcliffe, who lost six starters from his 2003 team to graduation.
"The guys have worked hard. I think this [winning streak] is the result of hard work. We're pushing forward with what we need to do."
Sutcliffe credits his veterans with helping sharpen the team's focus. "I think the leadership is coming from the seniors," explained Sutcliffe, who got a goal and an assist from Privett in the win over Trenton last Thursday.
"A couple of seniors, Kevin Wagner and Graham MacDonald, have been real good leaders by example, verbally, and in every way all season long. Other guys like Dion and Carlos have been coming through for us as well."
Despite its hot play of late, PHS is still a work in progress. "We need to get better at spreading teams out," said Sutcliffe, who is in his eighth year at the helm of the PHS program.
"The midfielders need to stretch teams out to the touch line. We need to get better at passing the ball. Last year, we became a possession team."
With the MCT starting this week, Sutcliffe is hoping his team can emulate last year's effort. "We haven't talked all that much about last year," said Sutcliffe, whose team faces Steinert on October 21 at Mercer County College before starting play in the MCT.
"In the back of everyone's mind is the excitement of the tournament. We're really excited going in; hopefully we'll be keeping things on a winning note."
Espichan is determined to end his PHS soccer career on a high note. "It's my last season in high school, of course I want it to be a good year," said Espichan with a grin. "We want to win a championship. You remember that the rest of your life. You also want to have fun too."
Espichan is proving that he won't let a little pain keep him from pursuing success and fun.
