PRINCETON: PDS’ preparation is rewarded early

Sorrentino, girls lacrosse show improvement

By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
   Allison Sorrentino and the Princeton Day School girls lacrosse team are off to terrific starts.
   No one is surprised.
   ”I think we have a lot of talent,” said Sorrentino, a senior attack on the Panthers. “More so, we’ve been working all winter playing. Besides the talent and skill, we’ve been working hard to achieve our goals. I knew a lot of the people on the team are dedicated enough and have that determination.”
   After opening with a decisive win over Rutgers Prep, the Panthers stopped back-to-back local rivals Hun and Stuart, the second by 10 goals. They won again by that margin, 12-2, over North Brunswick last Tuesday to improve to 4-0.
   ”Against Hun, we were down at half,” said PDS head coach Jill Thomas, whose team hosts state power Pingry today. “The numbers don’t lie. We shot the ball 16 times in the first half and only came up with three (goals). We were able to come out at halftime and make the adjustments. Every game is a big game. Stuart and Hun, they’re always rivals.”
   Those wins have helped set the tone for the Panthers this season.
   ”It was extremely good for our team to go into more challenging games with that behind us,” said Sorrentino, who scored three goals and had two assists in the win over North Brunswick. “We know every year playing Hun is a big game. They’re always good and they always bring their best. It was good. We play Pingry, which will be a tough game. It’s good we have the confidence going into that game after beating Hun and Stuart.”
   The Panthers are looking for a big turnaround. Last year, they finished 11-7 though they won four of their final six with their two losses both coming against Hopewell Valley.
   ”Last year was really a learning year,” Sorrentino said. “Now we have a lot of returning players. This year is a chance for our seniors to give it one last shot and get far in the tournament and do something we remember.”
   Sorrentino, one of six seniors on the squad, is off to a good start. She is more comfortable after making a switch from the PDS defense to the offense midway through the season.
   ”It was definitely difficult in the middle of the season,” she said. “I had to learn the plays in the middle of the season. This year, it’s been pretty smooth and I enjoy it a lot more.
   ”I think we have extremely talented players all throughout the field,” she added. “A lot of our seniors are in the midfield. Cammie Linville and Mariel Jenkins are two of our best players and they’re in the midfield. It’s nice to be on low attack and have more experience there. We have experience spread throughout the field.”
   The experience is there in varying degrees. Last year, PDS used six freshmen on varsity. They are a year older and more experienced and blend in well with the experienced upperclassmen.
   ”It’s evolving as we speak,” Thomas said. “It’s kind of cool. We had a great trip to Florida. We just have to keep our feet on the ground and lace them up tight.
   ”When you bring back 14 out of 15, you hope you that have that magic chemistry that makes it all work.”
   Sorrentino started seeing a difference before the season even began. It started in the winter when attendance was better for the winter league workouts.
   ”We’ve always tried to get everyone to get together and play around and work on our stick skills,” Sorrentino said. “This year, it was a lot more focused and lot more organized and it’s definitely paid off.”
   Added Thomas: “A lot of times, you say, I’ve done this and done that. They did it. They started when we finished last year.”
   Sorrentino is only one part of the improved Panthers. All around, she sees talent that could score goals, deliver assists, or make stops.
   ”One of the best things about our team, in offense on particular, we don’t have just two players we rely on,” she said. “Everyone on our team can score. Even people that play low defense have good shots. When teams play us, they can’t just play one person. We’re really spread out. That’s the key to our success.”
   Thomas has seen Sorrentino’s confidence soar. It’s the biggest change from a year ago, and it makes her a bigger threat on offense.
   ”A year ago we moved her from defense to offense,” she said. “I think for her, to get a hat trick the other day, it did nothing but help her confidence.”
   The Panthers’ team chemistry was already strong with so many returning players, and the strong start has only bolstered their confidence in each other. The seniors saw PDS lose just five total games in their first two years of high school before they lost seven games last year. Allison Sorrentino has helped the Panthers to a good start in pushing them back toward the top.
   ”Ms. Thomas always says, there’s nothing like being a senior and playing on a varsity team,” Sorrentino said. “You have so much more of a role. Everyone looks up to you. You want to play well for your teammates so they enjoy their lacrosse experience as much as you have in the past.”