Stuart tops PDS to reach prep field hockey final

Hun falls to other finalist Lawrenceville

By: Justin Feil
   The Stuart Country Day School field hockey team got a bit of a scare on Monday. For just the second time in an otherwise flawless season, they tied, 0-0, against Princeton Day School in a regular-season make-up game.
   The Tartans hosted PDS again Wednesday, this time in the Prep A semifinals, and they made sure they didn’t miss an opportunity with a 2-0 win.
   "We know we have to treat each game as important," said Gab Rich, who scored the Tartan’s second goal of the first half. "After we tied them, we really wanted to get out there. We learned from our mistakes. We had to get the job done early, which we did.
   "I think there’s a lot more urgency. Everyone feels it. It’s a lot more intense. We all get pumped up during the day when we’re in class. When we get out on the field, we’re ready."
   The Tartans scored both of their goals to take control of the game and limited the Panthers to just one shot on goal. With the win, the top-ranked Tartans improved to 17-0-2 and will host second-seeded Lawrenceville 1 p.m. Sunday for the Prep A championship.
   Stuart will be looking to complete an unbeaten year and add a state title to the Mercer County Tournament crown it won Saturday over Allentown. The Tartans understand what it will take to top Lawrenceville, a 3-1 winner over Hun in Wednesday’s other semifinal.
   "A lot of what happened today and against Allentown," said Stuart head coach Missy Bruvik. "If we can get the ball low and quick and take quality shots. We still need to work on quality shots. And there’s still something to be said for moving the ball and working hard to be support players around the ball. We’ll practice hard between now and Sunday."
   Rich admits that her insurance goal that followed Megan Fitzpatrick’s game-winner wasn’t a thing of beauty. Fitzpatrick scored off assists from Kelly Bruvik and Alice Murnen. Jackie Gaudioso Radvany was credited with an assist on Rich’s goal.
   "What happened, Jackie took a shot and it deflected out off the goalie’s pads," Rich recalled. There were a couple PDS players who had sticks there. I had to try a couple times to push it in. It was not my prettiest, but it’s a goal. Whatever I can get."
   The Tartans are ecstatic with what Rich has brought them in her first year starting. She played plenty last year, and scored twice. But this year, the junior left wing is having an even better time.
   "Starting is definitely good," Rich said. "I like it more when I get to score goals. I like to see my goal on the scoreboard to help us. Last year, I only scored two goals. This year, I already have five and I’m hoping to get a couple more Sunday."
   Added Missy Bruvik, "She’s consistently involved in the attack. She brings speed. She works hard to play defensively in the midfield when the ball’s on the opposite side of the field. She has improved her general knowledge and game sense. She’s willing to work hard. She can be our defensive wing rather than carrying the ball. She knows where she needs to be to finish. She has put in several goals on the left post for us."
   Getting off to a fast start was critical for the Tartans against PDS. The Panthers proved Monday that they could limit the Tartans’ chances, but Stuart converted its chances in the rematch.
   "We made the most of our opportunities in the circle right away," Bruvik said. "We tried to do a better job of getting shots off quicker."
   Explained Rich further, "On Monday, we weren’t going to the ball the way we should have. The whole season we’ve been working on tackling back and getting to the ball first. On Monday, we didn’t have it. Mentally, we weren’t into it. Even though it was an important game, we were looking ahead to Wednesday and Sunday."
   Monday’s tie allowed PDS to tie Stuart for the Patriot Conference championship, a significant step for a Panthers team that went 5-10-1 last year.
   "We thought the tie was good for us," said PDS head coach Jill Thomas, whose team completed a 14-6-1 campaign Wednsday. "They’re 17-0-2 for a reason. They’re a good team, a very good team. They’re well coached. They’ve got it all together. If we were going to beat them, we’ve got to bring the ‘A’ game. We brought our ‘A’ game on Monday.
   "We played a great game. It was exciting to play them again. We put it all out there. We deserved to play them again today. It’s a great rivalry. It’s a pleasure to coach a game like that."
   The Panthers challenged Stuart on Monday and again Wednesday. It was just what Thomas was expecting of her resilient squad.
   "We played at the next level all season long," she said. "We’ve been up and we’ve been down. We’re 14-6-1. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. That’s what this level of hockey is all about. A decade ago, we were there. It’s taken us that long to get back.
   "Everyone wants to go on. I’d like to be playing on Sunday. For us, I told our team, let’s enjoy it. We were there in all of them."
   Antoinette Allen has also seen a quality season unfold in her first year coaching at The Hun School. The Raiders will end their season against Hill today. They would like to play Sunday as well, but couldn’t hold a 1-0 lead established with a Katie Kirnan penalty stroke in the first half.
   "It was a very good game," Allen said. "They just had more shots on goal than we did. We played much better against them this time than a couple weeks ago when we lost, 4-0.
   "We changed our lineup a little since then. We had fewer forwards and more midfielders to pick up their dangerous attackers. The girls focused on marking and utilizing the small game. They had phenomenal hits and passes through the game."
   Allen was happy to see the progress of her team, progress that has not stopped at any point. It’s a reason the Raiders go into today’s game sporting a solid 13-6-1 record.
   "I’m glad we faced Lawrenceville again and we’re looking forward to playing them next year," Allen said. "We have such a young squad. We have four senior starters and six total seniors.
   "We had a great year. From the beginning, it just kept getting better. And the girls kept improving. I’m really happy with the effort and the overall turnout of the season."
   Even if it didn’t end with a state title. That nugget is on the line for the Tartans on Sunday when they face a Lawrenceville team that they defeated once in the regular season. For last year’s Prep B champion Stuart, playing for it all in the combined state tournament this year has them plenty motivated to go all out Sunday.
   "It feels a lot better knowing we have the chance to take it all rather than just Prep B," Rich said. "People think Prep B is based on skill rather than size. We have proven ourselves by beating Allentown. But this year, we really want to take it all."