IN FORM: Princeton High girls’ tennis player Lada Labas works on her strokes before a match last year. Junior Labas has excelled at second singles this fall, helping second-seeded PHS enjoy another big run in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 3 sectional. The Tigers were slated to play at top-seeded WW/P-North in the sectional final on October 17 with the winner advancing to the Group 3 state semis on October 19 at the Mercer County Park tennis facility. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As the most battle-tested singles player for the Princeton High girls’ tennis team, Lada Labas has seen her game mature.

“I feel like my consistency has gotten a lot better along with  my placement of shots,” said junior Labas. “That is what I use to my advantage, I try to move the girl around.”

Last week as PHS started play in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey Group 3 sectional, Labas displayed that consistency as she rolled to a 6-0, 6-2 win at second singles as the second-seeded Tigers topped seventh-seeded Jackson Memorial 5-0 in a quarterfinal contest on October 9. more

MAKING STRIDES: Hun School field hockey player Ana Dios fires the ball upfield last week against Princeton Day School. Senior star Dios scored the lone goal in the October 10 contest as Hun prevailed 1-0. The Raiders, who moved to 8-3 with a 3-0 loss to the Hill School (Pa.) last Saturday, will be starting play in the Mercer County Tournament this week. Second-seeded Hun was slated to host seventh-seeded Notre Dame in a quarterfinal contest on October 17 with the victor advancing to the MCT semis on October 19 at Lawrence High. The Raiders are also competing in the Prep state tourney where they are seeded second and will host sixth-seeded Blair Academy in a semifinal contest on October 25. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

With the Hun School field hockey team locked in a scoreless stalemate with local rival Princeton Day School late in the first half last week, Ana Dios took matters into her own hands.

Weaving through heavy traffic in the circle, Hun senior star Dios blasted a shot into the back of the cage with 5:38 left in the half to give the Raiders a 1-0 lead.

“It was a big hit, I am not going to lie,” said Dios with a smile. “In that goal I scored, it was just strength in my stick to make the ball go forward.”

The tally by Dios proved to be the only goal of the contest as Hun held off several charges by the Panthers to post a hard-earned 1-0 triumph. more

TITLE SHOT: Princeton Day School girls’ tennis player Kristina Wang hits a backhand in a match last year. Starring at second singles, senior Wang has helped PDS reach final of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public South sectional tournament. The ninth-seeded Panthers were slated to play at second-seeded Trinity Hall in sectional final on October 17 with the victor advancing the Non-Public state final on October 19 at the Mercer County Park tennis facility. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Getting seeded ninth in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public South sectional tournament, the Princeton Day School girls’ tennis team knew it had to hit the road to advance in the tourney.

But for the Panthers assuming the road warrior role was just fine with them.

“We felt pretty confident, we know how the seedings work,” said PDS head coach Michael Augsberger. “The girls aren’t scared by numbers. It takes a little bit of learning and experience to understand how the seeding is made.” more

DOMINANT DEFENDER: Princeton University women’s hockey defender Dominique Cormier handles the puck in game last winter. Senior defender Cormier should be a force on the blue line this winter for Princeton. The Tigers open their 2023-24 campaign by hosting Robert Morris for a two-game set on October 13 and 14. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Last winter, the Princeton University women’s hockey team saved its best for last, going 5-2 down the stretch of the regular season and then pushing No. 3 Colgate to a decisive third game before falling in the best-of-three ECAC Hockey quarterfinal series.

As Princeton starts its 2023-24 campaign by hosting Robert Morris for a two-game set on October 13 and 14, Tiger head coach Cara Morey is looking for her players to display that sense of urgency from the opening face-off.

“We saw what that team could do at playoffs last year when we played our game but we can’t wait until then,” said Morey, whose squad posted an overall record of 15-15-1. “Last season, I think we were just waiting, waiting, waiting and then we turned it on in playoffs. If we had done that earlier in the season, it would have been different story. We would have been in a different standing heading into playoffs. I think what we know this year is that we have got to take every game like it is a playoff game and have that mentality every single game of the season.” more

BIG JAKE: Princeton High football defensive star Jake Angelucci on the move in a game earlier this season. Senior co-captain Angelucci has helped spearhead a rugged PHS defense that has posted four shutouts so far this season. Last Saturday, the Tigers ran into a buzz saw as they fell 34-14 to Cherry Hill East to move to 4-3. PHS will look to get back on the winning track when it hosts the West Windsor-Plainsboro Co-op (5-2) this Friday evening in its annual Homecoming game under the lights. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Employing tunnel vision on a weekly basis, the Princeton High football team produced an encouraging 4-2 start this fall.

“Our motto has really been be 1-0 against the week, it is something that we have been doing,” said PHS head coach Charlie Gallagher, whose team has posted shutouts in each of its wins this season as the Tigers have made marked progress after going 1-9 last year.

“We weren’t thinking about previous weeks, we were looking at that as more of a distraction than anything else. It is, ‘How do we prepare for the week and how do we find a way to be 1-0?’” more

BRINGING HER A-GAME: Princeton High girls’ soccer player Alysse Kiesewetter dribbles the ball in game earlier this season. Last Thursday, senior defender/midfielder Kiesewetter tallied two goals to help PHS rally for a 3-1 win over Steinert. The Tigers, who topped WW/P-South 5-0 last Monday to improve to 7-6-1, host WW/P-North on October 12 before starting action in the Mercer County Tournament on October 16. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Over the last two years, Alysse Kiesewetter has established herself as a star on the back line for the Princeton High girls’ soccer team.

But after PHS star midfielder Casey Serxner got sidelined earlier this fall with a leg injury, Kiesewetter has seen her role change, becoming a more attacking player.

“I usually play left back, but we have been needing to get some more goals,” said Kiesewetter. “I like playing midfield too, I like going up.”

Displaying her versatility last Thursday, Kiesewetter scored two goals on penalty kicks as PHS rallied from a 1-0 halftime deficit against visiting Steinert to pull out a dramatic 3-1 victory. more

HEADS UP: Hun School boys’ soccer player Conor Frykholm goes up for a header in action last season. Senior star and Babson commit Frykholm has starred in the midfield for the Raiders this fall as they have started 4-5-1. In upcoming action, Hun will play at Peddie on October 11 in the opening round of the Prep A state tournament before playing at the Hill School (Pa.) on October 14 in a regular season contest. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

For the Hun School boys’ soccer team, last week proved to be a microcosm of a season that has turned into bit of a bumpy ride.

Playing at Life Center Academy on October 3, Hun rolled to a 4-0 win as four different players scored goals.

“We were firing on all cylinders we came out really strong,” said Hun head coach Pat Quirk, who got goals from Conor Frykholm, Zachary Stark, Toba Olaleye, and Christian Wolfe in the win. “We had balanced scoring, we scored early and we scored often. It was nice.”

The defense also produced a nice effort against the Warriors, led by junior goalie Diego Pena who made six saves. more

STICKING WITH IT: Stuart County Day School field hockey player Nyla Flamer looks to send the ball upfield in recent action. Last Friday, junior star Flamer assisted on the lone goal as Stuart edged South Hunterdon 1-0 to improve to 5-3. In upcoming action, the fourth-seeded Tartans will host fifth-seeded Pennington on October 16 in the quarterfinal of the Prep A state tournament. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As a freshman in 2021, Nyla Flamer, then about 80 pounds soaking wet, showed flashes of brilliance for the Stuart County Day School field hockey team as she zipped around opponents.

Working on her game and adding some height and pounds over the last two years, Flamer has grown into a go-to star for Stuart.

Last Friday as the Tartans hosted South Hunterdon, Flamer displayed her development, snaking through the Eagle defense in the third quarter to set up a Gloria Wang goal as Stuart ended up prevailing 1-0.

In reflecting on the play, Flamer was looking to be aggressive in the circle. more

SPECIAL K: Princeton High girls’ volleyball player Kaelin Bobetich hits a serve in a game earlier this season. Last Saturday, sophomore star Bobetich contributed seven kills, 11 digs, and two blocks as PHS topped Northern Highlands 2-0 (25-11, 25-20). The Tigers, who topped WW/P-North 2-0 (25-11, 25-13) last Monday to improve to 15-0, play at Northern Burlington on October 5 before hosting the Lawrenceville School on October 9. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Kaelin Bobetich didn’t waste any time making an impact as the Princeton High girls’ volleyball team hosted Northern Highlands last Saturday morning in a clash of state powerhouses.

Sophomore opposite hitter Bobetich came up with several big hits at the net as PHS jumped ahead 4-1 over the Highlanders and built its lead to 14-2 lead on the way to winning the first set 25-11.

“The mindset was just to play really hard and do our best, I was so excited,” said Bobetich. “I really like getting kills in the first set because I feel it just sets the tone for the whole match. It made us feel really comfortable so we could just play our best.” more

SCORING SPREE: Princeton High field hockey player Delaney Keegan gets ready to send the ball up the field in recent action. Last Thursday, senior star midfielder and Cornell commit Keegan tallied four goals and an assist as PHS defeated Hightstown 9-0. Keegan has scored 12 goals and four assists so far this season. The Tigers, who improved to 5-0 with the win, host Princeton Day School on October 4 before playing at Hamilton West on October 6. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Getting a rare night game as it played at Hightstown High last Thursday evening, the undefeated Princeton High field hockey team was primed to put on a show.

“The team as a whole was ready to come out here and play, definitely being under the lights gave us a lot of energy,” said PHS senior star Delaney Keegan. “We knew this was going to be a competitive game. We definitely wanted to come out strong and keep the energy up.” more

STANDING TALL: Princeton High boys’ soccer coaches, from left, Ryan Walsh, Patrick Remboski, and Seb Ratzan show their support for Evan Gershkovich last week, wearing “#IStandWithEvan” T-shirts as PHS got ready to host Notre Dame. Gershkovich, a mainstay of the Tiger squad that won the 2009 Group 3 state championship, is a Wall Street Journal reporter who was arrested in Russia on March 30 on charges of espionage and is currently being held in the Lefortovo prison in Moscow. The PHS program and the Wall Street Journal organized the September 26 rally in support of Gershkovich, who has denied the allegations. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Wit. Intelligence. Persistence. Those are some of the qualities that stood out about Evan Gershkovich when he played for the Princeton High boys’ soccer program from 2006-2009.

“When he was here it didn’t take long to figure out how special he was,” said former PHS boys’ soccer head coach Wayne Sutcliffe in describing star midfielder Gershkovich, a mainstay of the Tiger squad that won the 2009 Group 3 state championship.  more

BEING SEEN: Princeton Day School boys’ soccer player Yaseen Mousa, right, dribbles the ball in recent action. Last Wednesday, senior star Mousa scored two goals as PDS tied Moorestown Friends 2-2. The Panthers, who fell 2-0 to Steinert last Monday to move to 0-8-1, host Trenton on October 6, play at Hopewell Valley on October 7, and host WW/P-South on October 9. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Despite getting off to a frustrating start this fall that saw it lose its first seven games and score only one goal in the process, the Princeton Day School boys’ soccer team brought plenty of energy to the pitch as it hosted Moorestown Friends last Wednesday.

“It has been tough so we tried hyping up the boys to come out and get a win,” said PDS senior star Yaseen Mousa. more

RISING STAR: Princeton High boys’ soccer player Pascale Carusone goes up for a header in recent action. Senior forward Carusone, who just joined the program this year, has emerged as a go-to finisher for PHS, tallying a team-high seven goals as the Tigers have gotten off to a 7-0 start. PHS plays at Nottingham on September 28 and at WW/P-South on September 30 before hosting Robbinsville on October 3. (Photo by Nicholas Niforatos)

By Bill Alden

During his first three years at Princeton High, Pasquale Carusone played a lot of soccer.

But Carusone honed his skills for MLS Next of the Players Development Academy (PDA) and didn’t compete at all for PHS.

This fall, Carusone, who has committed to play at the college level for the University of Rochester, decided it was finally time to play for the Tigers.

“It is my senior year, I definitely have to play for my high school,” said Carusone. “A lot of kids were giving me stuff for it and saying we could go super far with you this year.” more

DOUBLE PLAY: Princeton High girls’ tennis first doubles player Ashna Bushan makes a volley last week at the Mercer County Tournament as partner Maya-Alexandra Todorov looks on. The pair won the MCT first doubles title, topping Sienna Kulynych and Grace Weekes of the Lawrenceville School 6-0, 6-1 in the final last Wednesday at the Mercer County Park Tennis Facility. Their triumph helped PHS take fourth in the team standings at the event. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

When it was all over last Wednesday afternoon, Maya-Alexandra Todorov and Ashna Bushan hugged each other on court 8 at the Mercer County Park Tennis Facility.

The pair were celebrating having just won the first doubles final at the Mercer County Tournament. Living up to their ranking, the top-seeded team of Todorov and Bushan rolled through the competition, winning each match in straight sets.

In the final, they topped Sienna Kulynych and Grace Weekes of the Lawrenceville School 6-0, 6-1, dominating the match with their combination of superb net play and solid groundstrokes. more

OH YES: Princeton Day School girls’ soccer player Tochi Owunna marks an opponent in a game earlier this season. Senior star defender Owunnahas helped shore up the back line as PDS has gotten off to a 5-0-1 start. The Panthers host the Hun School on September 28 and Notre Dame on October 2. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Tochi Owunna and her teammates on the Princeton Day School girls’ soccer team found themselves on their heels in the early going when they hosted Allentown last Friday afternoon in a battle of unbeatens.

“We were definitely a little discombobulated in our warmup,” said senior defender Owunna. “In the first half, we were a little intimidated by them.”

But with Owunna and Ella McLaren working together to stymie Allentown star Bella Conti, the teams were locked in a scoreless tie at halftime. more

By Bill Alden

Finishing 11th of 20 schools in the Mercer County Tournament last week, the Princeton Day School girls’ tennis squad fell well short of contending for a team title.

But PDS head coach Michael Augsberger doesn’t view the team finish as telling the whole story of his team’s performance at the event.

“You can look at the standings board and feel that it is a disappointment,” said Augsberger. “But you have to understand the maturity comes from understanding that it is not as simple as what the results say because so much goes into who do you play, when do you play them. You can go into the tournament feeling we are a strong team, everyone is performing really well, and you can let it be a heartbreaking experience. Or you can say there are all of these reasons why the scoreline looked this way, and we are actually really on a good track. It is matter of maintaining that toughness.”

The team’s second doubles team of freshman Zarna Kalra and junior Kavita Amin showed toughness as they advanced the farthest for the Panthers, making the quarterfinals in their flight. more

PIPING UP: Hun School field hockey player Piper Morey controls the ball in recent action. Last Wednesday, freshman forward Morey tallied two goals to help Hun defeat Pennington 3-1. The Raiders, now 3-2, play at Stuart County Day School on September 27. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Joining the Hun School field hockey program this fall as a freshmen, Piper Morey has faced some major adjustments in making the transition to the high school game.

“Being one of the youngest on the team is the biggest challenge,” said Morey.

“I haven’t played with this level of skill before, going from middle school field hockey to high school is a big challenge.” more

FLASH POINT: Princeton High quarterback Travis Petrone fires a pass last Saturday as PHS hosted Florence High. Junior Petrone passed for 143 yards and two touchdowns and had a 29-yard TD run in a losing cause as PHS fell 28-23 to the Flashes. The Tigers, now 2-2, play at Bishop Eustace on September 22. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

With the Princeton High football team trying to rally against undefeated Florence in the fourth quarter last Saturday, Travis Petrone threw an interception and it looked like the Tigers were going to go away quietly as they trailed 28-16.

Instead, forcing a punt, PHS got the ball with 2:39 left in regulation and went on a march.

“It was just play fast, play hard,” said junior quarterback Petrone. “Coach (Charlie Gallagher) kept saying, ‘get out of the huddle, run to the ball, play fast, play fast, play fast,’ and that is what we did.”

Petrone capped the 56-yard drive with a dazzling jaunt down the sideline for a TD as the Tigers narrowed the gap to 28-23 with 1:39 remaining in regulation.

“I didn’t know I had that in me,” said Petrone, reflecting on his 29-yard touchdown run. “I see a big opening — I was thinking about getting out of bounds, but then I saw one of our wide receivers, Ben Walden, make a huge block. I thought OK, I have got to try to get in. I made a move on one or two guys and got into the end zone.” more

HOWE ABOUT THAT: Princeton High girls’ soccer player Holly Howes is all smiles after scoring the lone goal for PHS in a 1-0 win over Hightstown last Thursday. The Tigers, who lost 2-1 to Haddonfield last Saturday to move to 3-2, host Lawrence High on September 21 before playing at Princeton Day School on September 23 and at Notre Dame on September 26. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Holly Howes made a number of runs to goal early on for the Princeton High girls’ soccer team as it hosted Hightstown last Thursday, but to no avail as the foes were knotted in a scoreless stalemate.

Despite misfiring wide and having one point blank shot saved by the Rams goalie, Howes was undeterred.

“You could definitely see that the momentum was in our direction,” said senior forward and co-captain Howes. “When you have a miss that you probably think you should have scored. The best thing you can do is forget about it and move on to the next play.”

With 23:39 left in the first half, Howes didn’t miss as she slotted the ball into the back of the net to give PHS a 1-0 lead. more

LILY OF THE FIELD: Princeton Day School field hockey player Lily Ryan controls the ball in a game earlier season. Last Friday, senior star Ryan scored two goals to help PDS defeat Stuart County Day School 5-0. The Panthers, who topped Robbinsville 5-2 last Monday to improve to 3-0-1, play at Hamilton West on September 20 before hosting Allentown on September 22 and Steinert on September 26. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Lily Ryan is determined to go out with a bang this fall in her final season with the Princeton Day School field hockey team.

“It is a sense of urgency,” said senior forward/midfielder Ryan. “It is senior year and you want to make it the best that you can. Everyone on the team is friends, which makes the energy for every game much better.”

Displaying that urgency last Friday against visiting Stuart Country Day, Ryan tallied two goals to help the Panthers pull away to a 5-0 victory.

After jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the first minute of the contest on a goal by Tessa Caputo, PDS did hit a lull as it controlled possession but didn’t push across another goal for more than 28 minutes. more

RISING SPEKTOR: Hun School girls’ soccer player Olivia Spektor goes after the ball in a 2021 game. Senior Spektor figures to be a key offensive threat for Hun this fall. The Raiders, who are being guided by new head coach Krista Sahrbeck, fell 6-1 to Seneca last Thursday to move to 0-3. Hun plays at Westfield High on September 21 before hosting Mercersburg Academy (Pa.) on September 23. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Krista Sahrbeck has a lot on her plate as the dean of students at the Hun School.

Despite a hectic schedule packed with meetings, phone calls, and administrative work, Sahrbeck has carved out several hours a day to follow her sporting passion, taking the helm as the head coach of the Hun girls’ soccer team.

For Sahrbeck, balancing all of her responsibilities has proven to be a challenge. more

BE STRONG: Hun School field hockey player Phoebe Thielmann, right, dribbles the ball in recent action. Last Monday, junior midfielder Thielmann scored two goals to help Hun defeat the Academy of New Church 5-0. The Raiders, now 2-1, will host Pennington on September 20 and then compete in the 2023 Max Field Hockey National High School Invitational in Conshohocken, Pa., from September 22-23. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Tracey Arndt wants her Hun School field hockey team to adopt a run-and-gun approach to the game this fall.

“I keep talking to them, saying that field hockey has to have a mindset more like basketball than any other sport, meaning that if the other team scores that doesn’t matter,” said Arndt, who guided the Raiders to a 9-8 record in 2022. “I have my perfectionists. It is who scores more at the end and just keep that idea. It is working through playing the whole 60 minutes and not worrying about the score until the whistle blows.”

Arndt believes that she will get some scoring punch from her forward line which features senior Alexa Cavalli, sophomore Addi McNally, and freshman Piper Morey. more

FULL SPEED AHEAD: A player races to the end zone in action last fall in the Princeton Junior Football League (PJFL). The popular flag football league, which is in its 11th year, will be kicking off its 2023 campaign this Sunday at the Princeton High turf field. (Photo provided courtesy of PJFL)

By Bill Alden

For the Navy Seals, the term “Full Benefit” stands for a philosophy that implores one to get the most out of any situation, good or bad.

That Full Benefit mindset is being employed by the Princeton Junior Football League (PJFL) as it kicks off its 2023 campaign this Sunday at the Princeton High turf field.

“We really wanted that theme this year because we are getting the full benefit with more kids and more divisions,” said PJFL president Matt Bellace, noting that the Princeton police will be co-sponsoring opening day with plans to provide refreshments and stage an exhibition game.

“You know what, whether you are having a great game or the worst game of your life, this is how you get full benefit. It became a motivational theme. We made T-shirts that we gave out to the kids with PJFL on the front and Full Benefit on the back.” more