By Rich Fisher, Sports Editor
Over the years, Cranbury has been a moderate contributor to the Princeton High field hockey program, sending a few players here and there.
Suddenly, however, it’s a Cranbury explosion, as 14 of the 25 girls on the Little Tigers freshman team are from the township.
It is the first time veteran freshman coach Liz Blankenstein can ever remember the Cranbury girls outnumbering those from Princeton.
”The Cranbury kids are very coachable,” Blankenstein said. “I think in their physical education program or rec soccer they learn a lot of how to move the ball, or off-ball movement, that they can use in field hockey.”
Indeed, most of their training did come on the soccer field.
”A lot of us on the team played soccer, and I guess everyone wanted a change,” said Olivia Ziegler. “We asked around and a lot of us just decided to do field hockey. It was kind of like we all jumped on the boat.”
But they hardly rocked the boat, In fact, they have helped make it go, as the Princeton 9th-grade team has a solid 4-2-3 this year.
Two of the four captains, as voted by their teammates, are Cranbury residents Taylor Blair and Jen Barone, while Kylie Bichsel is the team’s goalie.
Rounding out the Cranbury connection are Kelly O’Grady, Devin Chambers, Sam Pinto, Nicole Schurott, Kim Pilagyi, Alyssa Torske, Sarah Restivo, Hannah Milner, Maggie Fullajater and Kathleen Rafferty.
It was an untested group that was eager to learn the ropes.
”None of us really knew how to play,” Blair admitted. “We all went to camps in the summer and we tried to learn. A lot of us assumed we were not going to do as well, because more than half the team is from Cranbury, none of us have played.”
Indeed, while Princeton provides a feeder system with the Witherspoon School program, Cranbury had nothing until, ironically, this year, when the Cranbury School started a team.
Despite having more experience, the Witherspoon girls did not look down upon their new teammates from Cranbury, but took them under their wing.
”They could have been like, ‘Oh those Cranbury girls are going to be sooo bad,’” Barone said with a laugh. “But they were really nice in preseason, and showed us if we were doing something wrong. They helped us out a lot.”
Barone is one of the few girls who did not go to camp over the summer, as she concentrated on her main sport, lacrosse.
”I know a lot of the lacrosse players play field hockey too, so I came out for the team so I could get to know them,” she said.
Not only did she gain friends, but a captaincy as well.
”Jen and Taylor, both have very solid skills,” Blankenstein said. “I know they both have been playing lacrosse for years, and they impressed their teammates because they voted for them.”
What really excites the coach, is that from now on, she will be getting players with field hockey experience as well. Blankenstein credits former Little Tiger players Kim and Kelli Wright as driving forces behind helping create interest in a new program at the Cranbury School.
”I can’t wait to see the players we start getting,” the coach said. “I know their coach (Cathy Elliott) is doing a good job with them over there, so it should be exciting in the future.”
As far as the newest Cranbury School graduates are concerned, it’s pretty exciting one year ahead of schedule.
