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 (Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) caption:
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PDS Boys' Soccer Team Aiming To Produce the Beautiful Game
By Bill Alden
The Princeton Day School boys' soccer team is aiming to be easy on the eye this fall.
"It's a creative sport," said PDS head coach Malcolm Murphy in the thick accent of his native Manchester, England. "We want to change the mentality of the players and get them to realize that it's an attractive game, not just a physical game. The mindset is to play intelligent, entertaining football. There is an artistry to the game."
On the attack, Murphy will be looking for artistry from seniors Will Denise and Vikram Gupta together with sophomore Mark Milner.
"We have some good pace up front in Milner, Denise, and Gupta," said Murphy, who is in his third year at PDS and guided the squad to a 4-13 mark last fall.
Murphy expects his midfield to provide plenty of entertainment. "We will be playing down the flanks and trying to step up as a unit from the wing," explained Murphy.
The Panthers corps of midfielders should include seniors Andrew Sieglen and Ryan Palsho, juniors Jonathan Zindman, Kunle Onitiri, John Siani, John Maher, and Patrick Briody together with freshmen Antoine Hoppenot and Jeff Landy.
The PDS backline will be expected to show coolness under fire. "We're playing a 4-5-1 formation," noted Murphy. "We want to hold possession better this year and not just bang it down the field. We're teaching the guys to play composed even under pressure."
The Panthers' most composed performer in the backline will be gifted senior Pierre Hoppenot. "Pierre is above this level," asserted Murphy. "He is a very good technical player."
Joining Hoppenot in the back should be his classmate Ryan Palsho, junior Assante Brooks, and sophomore Derek Mayer.
A pivotal figure for PDS should be junior goalkeeper Logan Laughlin. "Logan is very good in goal," said Murphy of his lanky keeper who made big strides last fall. "His positioning is good. He is a year older and more mature."
Murphy is hoping that his side develops a special maturity in its approach to the "beautiful game," as soccer is frequently referred to in his native land.
"I'm not setting goals or targets," said Murphy, whose club kicks off its 2004 season with games at Morrisville on September 10 and at Lawrenceville on September 14.
"I want us to be known as an attractive side that does what it sets out to do. If we accomplish that, then let the chips fall where they may."
