PHS dream season aided by Cranbury

Carter and Davison have matters in hand at each end of the soccer field

By: Rich Fisher
   The Princeton High School girls soccer team is enjoying a breakthrough season, and Cranbury donations are coming from top to bottom.
   Well, actually, from front to back.
   Up front, senior forward Maddy Carter continues to supply a dominating presence for the Tigers. In the back, sophomore sweeper Val Davison has made a strong impact at a young age.
   The result is a 14-1-1 record for the Tigers, who have been one of the Colonial Valley Conference’s dominant teams this season. Princeton has been to the state tournament the previous three years, but the won-loss record has made for a lower seeding than they will get this year.
   "It’s just been really exciting," said Carter, a four-year starter on varsity. "The three years before this, we’ve been trying hard but we haven’t been able to do it like this. Our record has been all right, but we’re almost undefeated this year. It’s been amazing.
   "I honestly had no idea it could be this good. I think a lot of it has to do with the combination of (head coach Greg Hand) and our new trainer (assistant coach Tegana). Something clicked there, plus we got some new freshman and we have some seniors who have improved."
   "It’s been a lot better than I thought it would be," Davison said. "Last year we had a lot of teams pushing us around. I think (Tegana) has helped step up our level of condition, our level of play and our view of the game.
   "We’re stronger and more confident on the ball now. We know where to play it. Nobody is pushing us around this year."
   Carter and Davison were teammates for one year at the Cranbury School, but when Carter came to Princeton four years ago she said "I really didn’t talk to Val much after eighth grade."
   But the two renewed acquaintances last year when Davison came onto the varsity as a freshman. Although they are at different ends of the field, the senior is not only back to talking to Davison, but admiring her as well.
   "I don’t think of her as a sophomore at all," Carter said. "I think of her as being on my (age) level. She’s an excellent sweeper. Melissa Gordon, our sweeper last year, was ‘The Wall’ but Val is now the ‘Wall Two’."
   Davison began playing in the East Windsor PAL league at age 5 and played for the Tornadoes’ travel team at age 9. She switched to the Princeton Pride for two years, and now plays for the South Jersey Banshees.
   Defense has always been Davison’s forte’ although her skills make her a valuable asset anywhere on the field.
   "I was sure Val would start this year, the question was where she would fit into the overall team," Hand said. "She can play anywhere, and would make a good forward. Because of her skills, it essentially allowed us to put other players into spots where they work the best. We might be losing some punch that she could give us somewhere else on the field, but we gain a lot on defense having her in the back."
   Davison’s presence has helped the Tigers to an impressive 11 shutouts this season, as PHS has only allowed six goals. It did not help that Davison was out of the lineup against undefeated Steinert, which gave Princeton its lone loss of the season. Davison missed five games with a bruised bone in her right foot.
   "That was very depressing," Davison said. "(Hand) made me do the book. I was pretty much the team manager for a while.
   "I don’t think Steinert was any better than us. We pretty much dominated, we just couldn’t score. They had some breaks and they were good at finishing."
   But with Davison roaming the area in front of goalie Sam Doyle, those breakaways don’t come as frequently.
   "Sam is growing by leaps and bounds," Hand said. "But Val is the leader in the back. She’s the one who sees it all. She’s the coordinator. She has great ball skills, excellent judgment on how to cover, how deep to play, when to step up, when to settle and when to send it forward. She just has great poise for a sophomore."
   Carter has had similar poise over the years, as she made an immediate impression on Hand back in 1998.
   "You could tell the first day of preseason during her freshman year that she had really good feet," Hand said. "She’s gotten quicker and she reads the game a little better now."
   For much of her career, Carter was a defensive midfielder. But this year, she has moved up top and has scored three goals. It’s not the kind of total she is proud of, but her coach realizes her value goes far beyond scoring.
   "I like this position so much more, but I’m not too good at scoring at this point," Carter said. "I like passing the ball and I pass it a lot, but now I’m passing when I should be taking shots. I’m comfortable up there, but I just can’t score. But it doesn’t matter because we have other people who can score."
   And, as Hand points out, Carter’s presence is part of the reason her teammates are open to score.
   "In the team organization we have now, she has fit beautifully into the offense," the coach said. "The scoring is pretty well distributed across the whole team.
   "What Maddy does incredibly well is, she’s able to be a target player and receive the ball under very tight pressure and hold onto it as other kids run into dangerous spots. She’s probably better at holding onto the ball than any kid we’ve ever had. And you can’t knock her off the ball. She’s also very creative."
   Thus, Princeton is creating a memorable season for itself, although the Tigers realize the state tournament is where teams can really make a name for themselves.
   "I kind of have mixed feelings about the states," Carter said. "It’s sad because I know once states are over, it will be over for me.
   "But I’m excited to play right now. State games are so much fun. They’re so intense and everyone puts everything they have into them."
   "We hope to do well," Davison said. "We’ll have a higher seed and some home games this year. We’re hoping at least to win a sectional championship.
   "I wouldn’t call us cocky at all. We never go into games thinking we’re going to crush the other team. But once we get on the field we’re really confident holding the ball and confident we can play well as a team."
   And why not? Having players like Carter and Davison in the lineup is enough to boost any team’s confidence.
   Three other Cranbury residents are varsity reserves, including sophomores Meghan Hayden and Emily Hansen and freshman Melissa Carduner.
   "Meghan and Emily both played JV last year and made good showings in the preseason," Hand said. "Melissa has great hustle and is learning fast. They’ll all be very much a part of the varsity in the next few years."