Junior nets two for Little Tigers field hockey
By: Justin Feil
Plenty of things were different from the Princeton High School field hockey team’s first two games when it hosted Hamilton on Thursday.
The Little Tigers were more aggressive, they didn’t allow any goals and they came up with a few of their own for the biggest difference a win from their first two games of the year. PHS topped Hamilton, 2-0, for its first victory of the 2006 season.
"This is really going to make us more confident," said PHS center forward Grace Compton. "We’ve been lacking in that area so far. Now that we know that feeling, we’ll try to keep that intensity."
Compton provided the Little Tigers first and second goals of the season, the first off a feed from Isabella Formento, the second on an assist from Jennifer Friedman. It was all the Little Tigers would need as Katie Ashmore stopped all 11 shots she saw for the shutout.
"We really played well," said PHS head coach Joyce Jones. "Our passing game was on. Sophomore right back Anna Shea, she played a super game along with Amanda Santamaria, who’s our sweeper. Our whole backfield played well.
"We’re still working on finishing. Whether it’s a play on defense with you intercepting it, finishing is making sure that ball is on the stick of your teammate. Or in front of the circle, finishing there. It’s between the posts. It’s completing the play and not giving up. It’s playing with fortitude."
PHS needed a little extra fortitude after one of its top defenders, May-Ying Medalia, was lost to injury in a 3-0 loss to Steinert last Tuesday. Compton, a junior in her first year of varsity, was one of the players who stepped up her play.
"We tried to be first to every ball," she said. "We ran to every ball faster than we did in the past. We really tried to be more aggressive this game. And we had more passing up the field.
"I just tried to do what we were talking about stepping up to the ball and getting to the ball first. Everyone did it so it made it easier to do individually."
Compton is hoping it’s just a start for the Little Tigers, who lost to Princeton Day School, 4-0, on Saturday. PHS continues to try to work on playing at a faster pace and communicating with each other more, but Thursday’s win over Hamilton was something to build on for a young Little Tigers squad.
"This is my first year on varsity," Compton said. "I expected what we just had a lot of passing and everyone stepping up to the ball."
Compton, like many of her teammates, is new to a regular role with PHS. Only five regulars return from last year’s Little Tiger team.
"I don’t mind them young," said Jones, who coached a senior-less girls’ lacrosse team to the state tournament last spring. "I just want them to learn each game and raise their level of play each game.
"We really learned a lot, not just from the first (regular-season) games, but in scrimmages. We learned a lot from the Stuart game. We played them on turf and when we finished that we knew there were some definite things we needed to improve on. (Thursday), you saw a reflection of what we’ve been working on since then."
Compton is getting up to varsity speed quickly. A consistent goal scorer with the junior varsity last year, she has fit in well with the Little Tigers.
"This is definitely better to be on varsity," Compton said. "Everyone is working just as hard as you and we’re trying to make the ball work for us."
PHS’ passing game was in fine form Thursday. The Little Tigers are looking to continue to share the ball with each other, and Compton has shown that she’s a good option to get the ball to in the circle.
"She reads the play well," Jones said. "It’s like she’s a clever player. She’s reading maybe two passes before we need her. She moves well off the ball. And her stickwork, she has very good stickwork on the turf."
Compton has been playing field hockey for six years. It has become her main athletic endeavor. She’s also active in PHS musicals. She doesn’t need a starring role, however, for the Little Tigers to be successful. With Ashmore in goal, PHS knows it doesn’t need to score a lot of goals to win. It’s why the Little Tigers’ first goal of the season was such a big boost for their confidence and spelled quick trouble for Hamilton.
"They’re going back and saying, we’re going to score," Compton said. "But we have Katie."
Ashmore was tested in spurts by Hamilton, but made every save. She also stopped 17 shots in the loss to Steinert earlier in the week.
"She’s been playing awesome," Jones said. "She’s a senior and has displayed leadership on and off the field. She’s been playing heads-up ball. I can’t say enough about the way she’s stepped up. Today was her first shutout and we’re looking for more."
Thursday also was the first time Compton scored a varsity goal and the Little Tigers will take more of them. PHS just hopes it doesn’t have to wait another couple of games for another flurry of goals.
"This is our first win and our first two goals of the season," Jones said. "It’s kind of like a relief. We’re 1-2. It’s not like we’re stopping here."
PHS saw the difference a little more hustle, a little more precise passing and more of the usual goalkeeping can make in combination. The trick now is to keep duplicating those efforts.
"This is our first win," Compton said. "It’s going to make us feel better. Now everyone knows what it feels like to run to the ball and actually win it."