By: Justin Feil
There is pressure in being the No. 1 seed.
As the top seed in both the Mercer County Tournament and the prep state tournament, Stuart Country Day’s field hockey team gets plenty of it over the next week.
"There might be a little extra pressure," said Stuart head coach Missy Bruvik, whose team advanced to Thursday’s scheduled semifinal against Princeton Day School with a 5-0 win over Robbinsville on Tuesday. "There’s pressure regardless. Everyone is fighting to stay in the championship. We don’t talk about it. We understand we can’t get out of ourselves. We can’t get ahead of ourselves. We have to stay focused."
The Tartans certainly have the make-up to handle it. Take Jenae Harrington. The Stuart junior has been handling the pressure of playing sweeper since she was starting out in seventh grade. The pressure could get to some.
"There is a lot pressure," Harrington said. "If it gets past you, you hope your backs get back to back you up. Other than that it’s the goalie. It is a pressure-filled position. It is a strong position. I feel its suits me better."
There are games in which Harrington doesn’t feel as much pressure. With the play of the Tartans’ midfield, Harrington has been in games when she has rarely seen the ball as the last defender for Stuart.
"I prefer games when it’s like that, when I don’t touch the ball," Harrington said. "Then it keeps it away from our goal. The farther away from our goal, the better."
Harrington knows it’s unlikely that she’ll have an event-free game the remainder of the season. Stuart opens the prep state tournament 2 p.m. today at home against Montclair-Kimberley and the winner of the Tartans-PDS game plays for the MCT championship against the Allentown-Hightstown winner 3 p.m. Saturday at Mercer County Community College. A title would be the second straight for Stuart. PDS, which is the fourth seed for the prep and Mercer County tournaments, beat West Windsor-Plainsboro South, 5-1, in MCT play Tuesday.
In prep state action, No. 7 Hun beat No. 10 St. Elizabeth’s, 1-0, on a goal by Dana Aidekman. The Raiders will play No. 2 Lawrenceville 3 p.m. today as Stuart opens state play after its bye.
"I think we’re pretty prepared," Harrington said. "As long as we work together and just play as a team. We have to play as a tight-knit team and stick together. As long as we don’t let it get to our heads, we should be OK. Other teams have gotten better, but at the same time we’ve gotten better. Everyone is at a standard where they’ve improved. It’s just who wants it more at that time."
Stuart has plenty to shoot for as they try to defend their county crown and win the state title that eluded them last year. The Tartans improved to 13-0-1 with Tuesday’s win over Robbinsville. In other tournament play, No. 7 Hightstown upset No. 2 West Windsor-Plainsboro North. The Knights fell to 14-1. Stuart did not slip up as Jaclyn Gaudioso Radvany scored three goals and Kelly Bruvik had two assists.
"I thought we played very well," Missy Bruvik said. "It was a good game for us. Everyone contributed. We executed on corners. We were able to find goals a number of ways. The defense was tested. We were able to clear shots off pads. Our goalie played terrific. Their team challenged us at both ends of field."
Harrington expects the challenges to get stiffer as the Tartans go deeper into tournament play. Stuart could see PDS a third time in the state tournament.
"Each team has gotten better," Harrington said. "Teams we’ve seen in the beginning of the year, you don’t know how they’re playing now. As a defensive player, you have to go in knowing they’re going to come in faster, stronger and more determined than they did first time. I can’t go on what they did the first time I saw them. I have to go on what’s going on that day."
What has been going on plenty throughout the season is Stuart’s offense has been able to capitalize on its chances and the Tartan defense has been able to limit opponents. Stuart has allowed just four goals all season, less than it scored in its MCT opener. It has not allowed a goal in its last nine games going into Thursday. Harrington, who enjoyed the same success for last year’s MCT champions, has helped stifle opposing offenses.
"This year, she’s very confident in her abilities," Bruvik said. "She’s able to utilize not just her speed, but her stickwork. That shows her improvement. She has great confidence in the rest of her defense to back her up. She can make things happen in transition. She’s a great player. She gives 100 percent every game and practice.
"Having that whole year of tournament play, what she does better is she’s so quick in her second or third effort. If she doesn’t get it the first time, she’s quicker than maybe anyone I’ve seen on the defensive end to give it a second and third try until she gets it."
And Harrington has a strong supporting cast to help her when she slows down the ball. Liz Colicchio, Anne Crawford-Roberts and Kate Baker give the Tartans a group that is tough to penetrate. The Stuart offense knows that. They practice against them every day.
"It gives us a chance, because we do have a pretty good offense, it gives us a chance to be in almost a game-like situation," Harrington said. "There are players who are as good or better than teams we’ll play. Being in that situation in practice, it helps us see what it’s like in games. It makes us a little stronger each time."
And who usually wins those match-ups in practice?
"It really depends on the day," Harrington said. "It depends on who’s having a good practice day."
Practice days are fewer and farther between in tournament time, especially with the Tartans being in two simultaneously. It is the games that are their main focus now.
"I think we opened pretty well, as well as I had hoped," Harrington said. "We opened strong and as long as we try to continue that the rest of the tournament, as long as we play as well as did in the Robbinsville game or better, we can definitely go all the way."
Added Bruvik: "At this point, you have to take advantage of opportunities. If you get chances, are you able to finish? There are elements of luck in every game. It’s staying composed and taking advantage of as many offensive opportunities as you can. And defensively, staying on each other’s toes and backing each other up for 60 minutes. You can’t have any lapses. And you can’t worry if you get down."
There is pressure in every game. It’s something that Jenae Harrington has been dealing with ever since she took the sweeper spot.
"As time went on," Harrington said, "I grew to love that position and get more used to it."

