BE-LINE: Hun School field hockey player Phoebe Thielmann, right, goes after the ball in recent action. Last Thursday, junior star Thielmann scored a goal to help second-seeded Hun defeat sixth-seeded Lawrence High 2-0 in the Mercer County Tournament semis. On Monday, Thielmann tallied two goals as Hun edged top-seeded Princeton High in the MCT final in a penalty shootout after the foes tied 3-3 through regulation and 20 minutes of overtime. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Phoebe Thielmann sees herself as a catalyst for the Hun School field hockey team.

“I have been focusing more on distributing towards the outside, so once it comes to me, to get it right off,” said junior co-captain Thielmann. “I have been working on quick skill.”

As second-seeded Hun faced sixth-seeded Lawrence High in the Mercer County Tournament semis last Thursday, Thielmann got Hun off to a quick start, tallying a goal midway through the first quarter to give the Raiders a 1-0 lead.

“Lawrence was a great team, they were prepared,” said Thielmann. “Our mindset was to get a score in the first five minutes — we really just wanted to start off on a good foot. I just saw my shot, I saw the opening. I had to go for it.”

Thielmann’s tally set the tone as Hun posted a 2-0 win, earning its first trip to the MCT final since 1994. more

CRUNCH TIME: Princeton High boys’ soccer player Jamie Reynolds, right, thwarts a foe in recent action. Senior defender Reynolds has helped key a superb back line for PHS which has gone 15-1 with 14 shutouts. Last Monday, the second-seeded Tigers topped seventh-seeded Allentown 6-0 in the quarterfinal round of the Mercer County Tournament. PHS will face third-seeded Steinert in the MCT semis on October 18 at Hopewell Valley with the victor advancing to the final on October 21, also at HoVal. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Jamie Reynolds’ ultimate career goal is to jump out of airplanes for an elite military unit.

“The ROTC U.S. Army is my main focus, I am looking to go to the University of Richmond as an ROTC officer,” said Reynolds. “Going into the U.S. Army as a paratrooper for the 82nd Airborne, that is my dream unit.”

This fall, senior defender Reynolds has been focusing on helping the Princeton High boys’ soccer team fly high as it has enjoyed a dream season, getting off to a 15-1 start.

Last Thursday, Reynolds and the Tigers achieved the first of their goals for the season, clinching a Colonial Valley Conference title as they rolled to a 5-0 win over WW/P-North. more

GETTING HIS KICKS: Princeton High football player Carmine Carusone boots the ball in recent action. Last Friday night, sophomore defensive back/running back Carusone kicked a 27-yard field goal to give PHS its only points as it fell 7-3 to the West Windsor-Plainsboro United football co-op. The Tigers, now 4-4, play at Palmyra on October 21. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Evan Pease put in extra work over the summer to get ready for his senior season on the Princeton High football team.

Doing offseason training with teammate and fellow senior Tyler Goldberg, Pease gained strength and confidence.

“We were lifting every day at his house,” said running back/linebacker Pease.

“It was 5 a.m. lifts then straight into 7 a.m. practice. We came back as a new breed.” more

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