By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
Trailing in a game is something rare for the Princeton High School boys’ soccer team.
Trailing at the end of a game is something completely foreign.
The Central Jersey Group III top seed never could find the equalizer in a 3-0 loss to No. 8 Neptune on Friday. It was the first loss of the season for the Little Tigers in 18 games, including an unbeaten run to the Colonial Valley Conference Valley Division and Mercer County Tournament championships.
”It wasn’t our day today, but it was our season,” said PHS head coach Wayne Sutcliffe. “Certainly in the regular season and the MCT, I’m very proud of that. This is a different phase of the season and we still have a lot to be proud of. I’m just so proud of the way they persevered throughout the regular season and set a high standard. We played with such perseverance in the MCT and wound up winning it. It was a great accomplishment. This is tournament soccer and anything can happen.”
Neptune scored nine minutes into the game and held the 1-0 lead going into halftime after PHS’ best chance from Diego Reinero was headed away by Flyers’ defender Omane McKenzie just before it was about to tie the game.
”If we got one there,” Sutcliffe said, “the dynamic of the game would completely change. You’re 1-1 and you’ve got the momentum. That’s what we were looking to do. The kid made a good play. Still we should have had one in the first half, at least.”
Princeton had trailed just one other time this season, 1-0, in the first half against Steinert. The Little Tigers rallied that day for a win and beat Steinert again for the MCT crown. Friday, however, Neptune added another goal and 15 minutes into the second half, it was a deep hole for PHS.
”We needed to step up our urgency a little bit more,” Sutcliffe said. “We weren’t getting to the ball quick enough. We weren’t playing to feet. We were kind of losing our marks. We wanted to tighten up defensively and on attack get the ball out and get it to our key guys. They did an effective job of trying to shut down (Cranbury’s) Kyle (DeBlois) and Sam (Kotowski). And they did that, but we should have been able to do that stuff a little better.”
Princeton still had chances. They outshot Neptune for the game, but the Flyers made the most of their opportunities.
”They did a really good job of getting to the ball first throughout the game,” Sutcliffe said. “They were opportunistic in the first half. They got a goal on the restart and that’s something we’ve been trying to prepare for. We weren’t effective enough in clearing the ball out of the box.
”You give up a goal early in a tournament game and the dynamic of the game really changes. And that’s what happened.”
The loss ends the year for the Little Tigers, who will lose a talented group of seniors. They enjoyed a highlight season of accomplishments in their final scholastic season.
”These guys have put together four years of dedication,” Sutcliffe said. “Kyle, Peter (McInerney), Ari (Silver), Diego and Pablo (Espichan), they’ve been with us and we knew about them before they got to PHS. We couldn’t ask anything more. They’ve had a great run over the past two years specifically. We’re going to miss them. I couldn’t be more proud of their effort and their commitment to the team. I know they’ll do well in whatever they try to do in the future.”
