Panthers soccer shuts out George
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
Tara Glancey’s versatility gives the Princeton Day School girls’ soccer team a luxury.
Last year, the Panthers were missing firepower up top, so they moved Glancey to forward to pair with Cammie Linville. Glancey helped balance the high-scoring Linville on the way to a stunningly successful season for a young Panthers team.
This year, a more experienced PDS team has been beset by injuries in the early going. When team captain and sweeper Erin Cook was lost to a concussion, the Panthers slid Glancey to the sweeper spot.
”Tara has done a tremendous job,” said PDS head coach Patrick Trombetta. “She played a lot up top for us last year. She’s a player who can mark people up and shut them down.”
Cook was back in the lineup, and Glancey moved back to her spot this year at fullback, as the Panthers shut down and shut out George School, 6-0, Wednesday. The loss was just George’s second of the season, while PDS improved to 5-3 with its third shutout of the season going into Thursday’s scheduled game against Timothy Christian.
”We heard they had a good record,” Glancey said of George. “Last year’s game was a lot closer. It was 1-0. We knew they lost one of their seniors. We were hoping it would be a better game, but you’re always happy with a shutout.”
Glancey is back this year concentrating on helping to shut out PDS opponents, not score on them. The junior’s one year at forward, however, showed her a new side of the game.
”It was really fun actually because I never played forward before,” she said. “We didn’t have any other forwards so it was fun to give it a try. I had some nice goals, but I’m definitely more comfortable in the back. I was happy to have one year playing a different position. My whole life I was defender.”
Glancey also plays in the back for her Phoenix Tigers club team. She is quite comfortable there, and strengthens a unit that was already plenty good last season.
”I’m the new addition,” Glancey said. “I’m the only new defender. It’s pretty much the same people. He just moved people around.”
The Panthers have had more people in and out of the lineup than usual. A rash of injuries had cut into the already thin squad. Cook isn’t the only PDS player slowed by injury. Courtland Lackey has a strained hamstring that she has been playing through and Emily Jaeckel suffered a broken bone in her elbow.
”We’ve been in every contest,” Trombetta said. “Even though we lost 3-0 to Hopewell, I thought the game was closer than that. I’m real happy with the contributions we’re getting from the role players coming off the bench. Ali Frieder, Jess’s sister, she’s come on and helped, and then she got hurt and missed a few games too. Tara Glancey has been big in the back. Katie Gibson, who missed all last year with a torn ACL, she’s playing at the defensive center mid spot. She works well with Ali Reilly.”
Injuries have opened up chances for the Panthers to show their depth. PDS had plenty of it in Wednesday’s win with goals from Cook, Gibson, Linville, Lila Razzagh, Caitlin Shannon and Janie Smukler.
”The thing I like the most is we’ve got contributions from a number of different players offensively and defensively,” Trombetta said. “Today, we had six different girls score. Most of the scoring last year was done by Cammie Linville and Ali Reilly. Now we have a lot of people scoring. Janie Smukler has been a key contributor up top.”
Smukler’s arrival helped PDS feel comfortable in moving Glancey back to defense, where she is best, though the Panthers also got solid play from her at forward last year.
”She plays defense for her club team,” Trombetta said. “She has a lot of speed. Last year, we were looking for some offensive punch. That’s why had her up top with Cammie. It worked. She’s been at sweeper this year. With the injuries we’ve had, we put her back there and she’s done a phenomenal job.”
Trombetta hopes to have a mostly healthy team ready by the time the tournament portion of the season comes. Until then, the Panthers are looking for a signature win to ride into tournament play. They have strong opponents in Peddie and Hightstown on the horizon.
”I think we expect more from ourselves this year,” Glancey said. “Last year, we were getting to know each other and how we played. We didn’t know our chemistry. Now we have a full year together. We know each other’s faults and strengths.”
In Glancey’s case, her strength is that she can help the Panthers from wherever she is asked to play. It’s a luxury that PDS is counting on for another season and a half.