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Devine Comes Out of Africa To Energize PHS Boys' Soccer
By Bill Alden
Before moving to Princeton from South Africa two years ago, Nicholas Devine had focused his athletic efforts on rugby and karate.
Upon arriving in the area and finding that Princeton High didn't offer rugby or karate programs, Devine turned to soccer and played on the Little Tigers' junior varsity squad last year.
This fall, Devine has moved up to the varsity and into the team's starting lineup at forward. After struggling to fit in at first, Devine has caught fire, scoring seven goals in the team's last four games.
Devine, who scored his first career hat trick in the Little Tigers' 9-0 romp over Nottingham last Friday, is relishing his transition to soccer.
"This is a great replacement for those sports," said Devine, who had a goal in the Little Tigers' 5-0 win over Trenton on October 16. "I've enjoyed playing this sport. I love my life right now, I get to work hard."
Devine said it is diligence that has triggered his recent scoring outburst. "I'm just trying to work hard, the coach is really pushing me hard," said Devine, joking in his South African accent that a recent haircut had made him more aerodynamic and streamlined on the field.
"I'm trying to get in there as hard as I can. I'm developing a good link with Owen Nichols. He looks up and finds me, he's been giving me some great opportunities."
Devine's emergence has come in the nick of time for a proud PHS program, a perennial state playoff team which struggled to an uncharacteristic 3-5-1 start before the wins over Trenton and Nottingham.
PHS head coach Wayne Sutcliffe believes last week's lopsided wins were just what the team needed as it looks to be at .500 as of the state tournament cut-off on October 24 and starts play in the Mercer County Tournament this weekend.
"We needed a game like this and a game like yesterday's game," said Sutcliffe after the win over Nottingham. "We don't want to be the first team here in I don't know how many years to not qualify for the states. I think that's been a big factor in the last two games."
Sutcliffe also pointed to Devine's recent outburst as another key factor for PHS. "Nick's really coming around," said Sutcliffe, whose club plays Steinert at Mercer County Community College on October 23.
"I think the big thing with him is that he's been so active up front, making a lot of runs and demanding the ball. The other part of that is that Owen and Carlos Espichan and Scott Callahan, the three guys in the middle, have been able to see him."
As a result, Sutcliffe believes his team is going in the right direction as it heads down the stretch of the season.
"I'm really pleased with the team, I think we're really coming together," asserted Sutcliffe. "I've been saying that for the past couple of weeks, I think our best soccer is ahead of us."
Devine, for his part, thinks the team has turned the corner. "I'm really happy with us," said Devine. "We've all just miraculously pulled together. The cutoff is putting a lot of pressure on us, we're getting on with what we have to do."
