Win earns Little Tigers needed confidence
By: Justin Feil
For coming off such an outstanding season last year, the Princeton High girls’ soccer team didn’t seem that confident coming into Friday’s showdown with West Windsor-Plainsboro High South, a team it had beaten just one time in the last seven years last year.
The Pirates have high hopes that they can turn around a .500 season from last year, and the Little Tigers weren’t feeling that confident after a rough preseason. Princeton, which returns all but four seniors from last year’s 17-2-1 team, was outscored, 8-0, in two of its scrimmages. Taking the field against a Colonial Valley Conference opponent proved the perfect medicine, however, as PHS came away with a 2-1 overtime win.
"We needed this," said Val Davison, the anchor of the Little Tiger defense. "After we had a bad opening to the season. We lost, 5-0, to Peddie and lost 3-0 to Shawnee. We needed this victory."
If you’re going to pick up where you left off last year, a thrilling first win was a good place to start. Though play itself was typical of a season opener with both teams struggling at times, it was evenly matched throughout. Both squads had scoring chances, but other than the goals, nothing too dangerous.
"Our defense marked up well," Davison said. "I haven’t even had to make a slide-tackle yet."
In starting off a season with high hopes, Davison is not a bad place to start. The PHS defender was the Princeton Packet Player of the Year and will anchor again a defense that has two new starters and, despite the pre-season results, looks to be stingy against opposing attackers. The South defense looked equally solid at times and PHS didn’t break through the game-winner until Cora Barros scored off a scramble in the first overtime.
"It was a typical CVC battle," said PHS head coach Greg Hand, whose squad plays at Allentown 4 p.m. today. "It could have gone either way."
And that sentiment was something he could agree on with South’s Chris Miller, who took away the same thought after battling the reigning CVC Valley co-champions.
"They’re the ones who have the reputation to uphold," said the Pirate head coach of PHS. "To play them into overtime is good for us. I thought it could have gone either way.
"To hear Greg say that," she added, "It’s a tremendous compliment. It really could have gone either way."
She has to prepare her team for tonight’s 7 p.m. game against Notre Dame at Zimmer Field without the services of Sasha Persad, the sophomore midfielder, who suffered an apparent ankle fracture during the loss to Princeton. But Miller has the advantage of a team as deep as any in recent years.
"I don’t like to lose any of them," she said. "She’s certainly a key part of our team. To lose her is upsetting for us."
And South has the playmakers available to it, as it showed in coming back to tie the game. After PHS’ Amanda Sustak opened the scoring with a goal assisted by Kia Anderson, the Pirates answered with an accurate cross by Keri Denaro to Lauren Rolle, who knocked the tying goal into the PHS net.
It was the last time South could break the PHS defense, though they kept play in the Princeton end for long stretches and created chances.
"We couldn’t get it out at first," Davison said. "They’re very strong. Their passing game isn’t great, but they had a lot of heart and strength. They pressed a lot and their forwards were quick.
"I figured they had to put one in. Our keeper just didn’t get a good hand on it. But I didn’t think it would be 1-0 all game."
It didn’t seem like either team would score much, however, as the defenses got the best of the offenses. Finishing better and being more aggressive are two things that Hand continues to stress to his offense while continuing to push the firm defensive style. It’s a work in progress.
"We had two scrimmages where we were the better team and we didn’t score a lot," he said. "We played two very talented teams also who were a little more than we could handle. But we had the benefit of two very tough games. (Friday) was our first real chance to put it together. And you could tell the first 20 minutes that we didn’t have a feel for the game. We were very tentative defensively. We were working hard but being tentative.
"The girls worked their own way into a better defensive match. Once we started winning our share of loose balls, I felt better. Then we were able to grind it out."
It gave the Little Tigers their first win of the season and something to build on as they try to focus not so much on maintaining last year’s strong play, but establishing a higher standard.
"Maybe more than anything they’ve been thinking about how well we did last year," Hand said. "It’s not been ego. It’s just hard to focus on being this year’s team. We needed confidence more than anything. I can talk to them a lot, but they have to develop confidence."
Now, Davison is hoping that the Little Tigers’ overtime win can help produce some of it. She’s looking for PHS to ride the momentum of a scoreless second half and both overtime periods to continued success. Knocking off WW-P South was just the start, but a big win for the Little Tiger program.
"They beat us for six years," she said. "It’s our turn to start something. It’s our streak now."