Cranbury gives six reasons why PHS boys lacrosse is good

A half-dozen local residents help maintain Little Tigers’ success

By: Rich Fisher
   The boys lacrosse team has traditionally been one of the strongest athletic programs at Princeton High School in the past five years, and the town of Cranbury can take justifiable pride in much of what the Tigers accomplish.
   Especially this season, as six township residents are on the roster, four are starters, and two are captains.
   "I thank God those kids don’t go to West Windsor or we’d be dead without them," coach Pete Stanton said, knowing all too well how close the town of Plainsboro lies next to Cranbury. "They really have helped make a big difference in the team."
   Ironically, Stanton’s comments came Tuesday night, on the eve of the Little Tigers 10-9 loss to West Windsor-Plainsboro North. But that still left Princeton with an overall record of 8-2, and a 5-1 mark in the Bianchi Division.
   It’s a typical season for Princeton, which has made strong runs in the state tournament during the Stanton era.
   This year’s mainstays have been seniors Chris Lalli and James Kadar, who are two of the Little Tigers’ four captains.
   "We have kids who really want to win, and those two show that all the time with their leadership," Stanton said.
   Also contributing are junior Mike Brennan, a starting long stick midfielder, and junior David Mullen, a starting defensive midfielder. Seniors Ben DeAngelis and Theo Sebekos-Williams are both key reserves.
   Lalli is in his third year as the starting goalie, having inherited the job from Eric Kreiger, who now plays for Division III power Middlebury State. Lalli’s brother, Brian, is a standout scorer for Stevens Tech in Hoboken.
   "Lalli is somebody who’s been dedicated to lacrosse for a long time," Stanton said. "It’s interesting, he made All-State when he was a sophomore and you think ‘Where do we go from here?’ and each year he’s managed to improve. Every year has been better for him and in my mind, he should be an All-American this year."
   Stanton said the value of a goalie like Lalli can not be underscored, not just because he prevents goals, but because he lifts his team mentally.
   "He takes goals away from people, and having a goalie that can keep the confidence of your team at a high level has been really critical this year," the coach said. "We had two overtime games and a couple of other close games where some of the other guys didn’t panic because of what Chris brings to us. They know he’s there in case they make a mistake."
   Kadar has also been in the program since he was a freshman, playing on the JV team in 9th-grade before making the varsity as a sophomore. This year, he is second on the team in scoring with 18 goals and nine assists.
   "When we first started playing him, he was a role player as a defensive specialist," Stanton said. "We got away from putting him into roles a little bit last year, because when you have guys like him who can do it all, you want to give him a little more freedom.
   "He’s got blazing speed, he can shoot the ball on the dead run and he has unbelievable stamina. He’s one of those kids who doesn’t want to come off the field."
   Brennan practiced with the varsity his freshman year but did not see much playing time at that level. His minutes increased last season, and Stanton says "This year he established himself at the best at that position. We knew the spot would be open and we knew he would be the guy."
   Mullen made the varsity last year and used his athletic ability and savvy to move into the starting lineup. He has two goals and two assists this season.
   "Mullen is the man," Stanton said with a laugh. "He’s like the smartest guy on the team as far as lacrosse IQ goes. When you tell him something once, it’s imprinted on his brain forever."
   DeAngelis, who has two goals this year, played JV for two years before making the varsity last season as a midfielder. Sebekos-Williams joined the program as a sophomore and reached the varsity last year as a long stick midfielder. Although neither start, both have roles to fill.
   "DeAngelis is a scrappy guy," Stanton said. "He’s one of those nice kids who works really hard. He brings a lot of enthusiasm to the team and he’s just a pleasure to have. He makes everybody else better in practice. Anything you ask him to do, he’ll do.
   "Theo backs up Brennan, and he gets a fair amount of playing time because you need to be two-deep at that position. He’s’ coming on strong. He was hurt at the start of the season and we weren’t quite sure where he would fit in. But his fitness is really good. He’s fast and he runs the field really well. He’s important to our team."
   He is, in fact, one of six important parts that come from the other side of Route 1. Thankfully for Stanton, they bypass West Windsor-Plainsboro — both North and South — on their way.