RISING TO THE OCCASION: Princeton Day School girls’ soccer player Ella McLaren, left, heads the ball as PDS battled St. John Vianney in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public A South tournament. The Panthers went on to win the South tournament and last Friday and earned the Non-Public A title as they defeated Mount St. Dominic 2-0 in the state final at Franklin High. It was the first-ever Non-Public state title for the program. The Panthers finished the fall at 17-2-3. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
For Mackenzie Brodel, it was a prayer answered and a dream come true, while Ella McLaren was rendered speechless.
Sophomores Brodel and McLaren played key roles last Friday night as the Princeton Day School girls’ soccer team defeated Mount St. Dominic 2-0 in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public A state final at Franklin High. Brodel scored a goal early in the second half to put PDS up 1-0 and McLaren helped anchor a stingy PDS defense that stifled the high-powered Lion attack.
With the foes locked in a scoreless tie headed into the second half, PDS was determined to break through.
“We were just doing the same thing that we always do,” said Brodel. “We were just looking to get the ball in the back of the net.” more