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PRINCETON: Athlete of the Week

PHS senior Graham still at home on ice

By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
   Fraser Graham stopped playing club ice hockey two years ago to focus on golf.
   The Princeton High School senior, whose shift in focus paid off with the Tournament of Champions state title last year, should have been showing some rust after not skating since last season.
   ”You’d never know,” said PHS head coach Tim Campbell. “Maybe it took him two practices at most. He has God-given natural talent and when you combine that with the work ethic and all he does, it’s pretty amazing.”
   Not known to be a pure goal scorer, Graham unleashed a career-best just when the Little Tigers needed it. Graham had two goals and two assists in an 11-1 win over Nottingham and another three goals and three assists in an 11-1 win over St. Joseph’s of Hammonton on Friday, but in between he managed five goals in PHS’ 5-4 win over Notre Dame on Wednesday.
   ”I’ve never really done anything like that,” Graham said. “I usually have a lot more assists than goals during a season. When I was a sophomore, I had four goals against Steinert, but it was 8-3. It wasn’t exactly the same.
   ”I’ve had games where I’ve had a bunch of assists and we’ve won by one. I scored a hat trick (Friday), and that was probably no more than my fifth hat trick ever.”
   It helped the Little Tigers stay hot on a winning streak that has reached five games since a loss to Hopewell Valley. PHS is 7-2, already more wins than they had all of last year in the regular season.
   ”The team’s doing well,” Graham said. “Everyone seems to be in sync right now. We’re scoring goals. We could always tighten up on defense. Everything we’re working on practices is coming through. We’re playing pretty well.”
   It’s helped that Graham is hitting his stride. His 15-point explosion in three games showed any rust on him has been buffed away.
   Fraser Graham is the Princeton Packet Athlete of the Week.
   ”Something definitely lit a fire under him,” Campbell said. “We needed every single one of those goals. It’s fun to watch him skate. Apart from his skill, which in the league is unmatched in my opinion, he knows how to protect the puck. He knows where to put the puck.
   ”He’s got a golf future ahead of him, and I know he could play hockey after high school. It’s been a privilege coaching him for four years. I told his dad after his freshman year, I’m going to cherish coaching him for next three years.”
   Graham is making his final season a special one. Playing with a veteran group, Graham has helped to spark the high-flying offense, though ironically his biggest game came with a donation from a defensive player. Against Notre Dame, he borrowed a new stick.
   ”I broke a stick at the beginning of the year and I’ve been playing with just this one other stick,” Graham said. “I wasn’t really comfortable with it. The back-up goalie, Owen Diver, had a stick that he bought last year for pond hockey. It was really heavy, but had a good curve on it. My shots were going where I aimed them. With the other stick, it wasn’t going where I wanted it. Against Nottingham, I had two goals, but one bounced off someone and I missed a breakaway.
   ”It was perfect for me. I didn’t really miss during the first period. The last period, I didn’t see too much to shoot at and it found it’s way in. It was one of those nights. I felt pretty hot.”
   The Little Tigers needed them all after allowing Notre Dame to fight back into the contest. PHS had a 4-1 lead after one period, but allowed three goals in a penalty-laden second period to force a terse third period.
   ”We made some adjustments during the intermission and came out strong and finished it,” Campbell said. “It’s a good win against a higher division team.”
   The Little Tigers were scheduled to resume their busy month that includes 11 games by hosting Middletown North on Monday. They will play West Windsor-Plainsboro North in a key Colonial Valley Conference game after knocking off a Notre Dame team that has historically been good.
   ”To be this far above .500 is a really nice,” Graham said. “This could be a really good to start off a month where we have so many games in January. Hopefully we can ride this momentum. It’s a nice win to have.”
   Graham has profited from his new line which added Will Greenberg earlier this season. Peter Twining and Graham have been skating together for all four years, and the move has helped bolster their attack.
   ”Since then, me and Peter and Will have been getting a lot more points,” Graham said. “I guess it’s just a better chemistry we were able to find.”
   It’s helped to make it an enjoyable start to his final hockey season. Graham will turn full-time to golf beginning this spring. He’s making the most of his last chance at hockey.
   ”Once you start practicing and playing, you get more comfortable,” Graham said. “It didn’t take long to get comfortable. I’m playing a lot better now than in the beginning.”
   Notre Dame can attest to it.