Lawrence golf squad ‘Trapped’ by Princeton

Lawrence golf

By: Jim Green
   Chris Trapp’s absence wasn’t the reason the Lawrence High School golf team lost to Princeton in its season opener Friday.
   But it certainly didn’t help.
   With Trapp away at a leadership conference, the Cardinals fell to Princeton — widely considered the best team in the Colonial Valley Conference — 201-236 at Princeton Country Club.
   "Even with him, we knew it would be very difficult to beat them," Lawrence coach Gregg Zenerovitz said. "We would have to shoot some really low scores to beat them. It was chance for a couple of kids to get into the lineup."
   Sophomore Steve Mann led the Cardinals by shooting a 4-over par 35, while junior Alex Shin had a 44, junior Pat Stanger came in at 45, sophomore Matt Marencik shot a 51, and sophomore Andrew Slom finished with a 57. Princeton was paced by Jason Barry, who shot a 38, followed by Mike Cho (39), George Graham (40), Peter Telfer (41) and Greg Helsen (43).
   "When you’re playing against the best team in the CVC — they posted a 201, and this early, that’s a very good score, and that gives everyone else a score to shoot for," Zenerovitz said. "Princeton is going to be a very tough team to beat this year in the CVC.
   "We really have to work to get down to their level (of score). It’s something to shoot for the next couple of years."
   While the Cardinals did not expect to beat the CVC favorites in their first match of the year, they still feel they can play better than they did on Friday. Certainly, having their top returning golfer would have improved their performance.
   "You look at that score, and 236 is a pretty high number to put up as a team," Zenerovitz said. "To have Chris there would have made the score a little lower. But even having him there, it would have been very difficult to beat them."
   The Cardinals were coming off a three-day trip to Maryland, where they honed their skills on some of the toughest courses of that area.
   "It was a good experience for the kids," Zenerovitz said. "We got a little rain on Monday, but we got 13 holes in. We played 35 holes on Tuesday, and played a nice course in Delaware on the way home on Wednesday. It was good for the kids. The courses we played were a challenge."
   One player that opened Zenerovitz’s eyes was Shin, who, despite a wealth of experience, sometimes gets lost in the shuffle behind Trapp and Mann.
   "I like what I’m seeing from Alex Shin," Zenerovitz said.
   On Tuesday, Lawrence bounced back with a 210-253 win over Hamilton at Princeton Country Club, evening its mark at 1-1. Trapp returned to shoot a 3-over par 35, followed by Mann (39), Shin (42), Stanger (45) and Marencik (46).
   The Cardinals were scheduled to face Trenton on Wednesday. They next will take on a tough West Windsor-Plainsboro North squad at 3:30 p.m. today (Thursday) at Princeton Country Club.
   As Lawrence’s girls basketball coach, Zenerovitz has been humbled by Trenton on several occasions, so he was imploring his players to be ready against the Tornadoes, who traditionally are not as strong on the links.
   "I know in the past the Hamilton and Trenton teams haven’t been that strong," he said. "Coming from basketball, I don’t take anything for granted. I tell the kids to take every match one at a time.
   "We’re pretty excited about this week. We’re really looking forward to Thursday. The way we play against Trenton will reflect how we play on Thursday. We’re looking to get a little momentum heading into Thursday."
   The Cardinals then will be among many of the state’s best teams when they compete in the Cherry Valley Cougar Invitational at 1 p.m. Monday. Last season, the Cardinals finished second in the prestigious tournament. Trapp, Mann, Shin and Stanger will represent Lawrence at this year’s event.
   "I’m just curious to see what we’re going to go out there and shoot as a team against some very good schools," Zenerovitz said.
   Despite the season-opening loss, Zenerovitz said his team remains ready to have a fine spring.
   "These kids are pretty confident," he said. "We had a practice on Saturday, and a bunch of kids showed up. These players are totally into it. They’re a confident team. Sometimes that’s good, sometimes that’s bad. You don’t want to be overconfident, but I definitely like the mentality right now. As a coach, I’d rather have them be confident than not confident."