Davis’s defense kept Little Tigers winning
By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
Wayne Sutcliffe was able to watch Ben Davis develop and get better every single day in his three years on varsity.
”His consistency helped us be consistent,” said the Princeton High boys’ soccer coach of his senior center back. “His quality and consistency throughout the season helped us achieve some pretty special things. Also, for him, he had such a good junior year that he, Kyle (Ehrenworth) and rest of the seniors had something else to prove in their senior season.
”Ben’s determination, along with the others’, got us to where we finished up.”
Princeton finished the season 20-1-2, losing only in the state Group III semifinals. Along the way they captured the championship of the Central Jersey Group III and Mercer County tournaments, as well as the Colonial Valley Conference Valley Division title.
In three years with the varsity, Davis helped the Little Tigers to numerous championships and the team lost just three times in three years.
Said Sutcliffe: “Because of a guy like Ben, as well as Kyle and Ajami (Gikandi), who were with us for three years, their courage and work rate helped us win a lot of games and a lot of championships. They never lost a CVC game in three years. That is pretty special.”
In 23 games this season, Davis was part of a Princeton defense that recorded 13 shutouts and allowed just 13 goals.
Ben Davis is the Princeton Packet Boys Soccer Player of the Year.
”Every year Princeton High has a pretty stingy defense,” said Davis, a starter the last two years for the Little Tigers. “It is new guys every year and everyone is playing a part. George (Kusserow) and Kellen (Kelly) and Bruce (Robertson), they all did so much. Bruce had a huge game against Pennington. Each guy really stepped up and I was proud of all of them.”
For Sutcliffe, having players like Davis and Ehrenworth lead by their example on the field, not just in games but also in practice, helped make the Little Tigers the successful team they were.
”He is such a determined player and an honest player in terms of coming to Valley Road every day ready to train,” Sutcliffe said. “The coaching staff could rely on him to be a link between us and the rest of the team, not only in the training but more importantly in the game.
”He was part of all these championships. He won everything as a player — a state title, two sectionals title, two Mercer County, and three CVC championships and an undefeated career in the CVC. What more can you achieve? Kyle, our other captain along with Ben, they had something to prove this year and they did it.”
The Little Tigers were disappointed to lose in the MCT and CJ III tournaments last year and wanted to make sure that didn’t happen this season.
”There is a core group that has played together since freshman year and we also had great junior leaders like Zach (Halliday) and Aidan (Passanante),” Davis said. “I took from Kyle and he took from me. Looking back on the year it shows we were a great team and a skilled team. We had young guys and proved we can win some big games.
”I think PHS has a big future ahead of them. Winning the MCT and Central Jersey was very meaningful. We all wanted to win a state championship but we came up a little short.”
The strength of the Little Tigers could be found down the middle with Kusserow in goal, Davis and Robertson in the center of the defense, and Halliday and Ehrenworth in the center of the midfield. It made Princeton a very tough team.
”I thought we were great down the middle with those guys,” Sutcliffe said. “In the tournaments we won eight straight single-elimination games. In those games Ben really elevated his game. I didn’t see him make a mistake. The Pennington game (in the MCT final) was one of his best games ever. He was in a good place in his mind and didn’t make any mistakes. They were coming down on us and he held it together for them.
”Ben got so much better at picking his spots and playing the ball out getting it to other players’ feet. His leadership and experience helped Bruce, Kellen, Pablo (Arroyo) so much. I never saw him get rattled, which is impressive.”
Davis relished his role as a leader in the back for the Little Tigers, and continued to improve each week.
”It was different this year compared to junior year,” said Davis, who was named CVC Defender of the Year by the league’s coaches. “I think it is easier when you are a junior because younger guys are not looking to you. They looked to John Marsh and Rueben Morales last year. This year Kyle and I had to be leaders on the field and in beginning it was weird having them look to you. As the season went on it got easier.
”It helped me that sophomore year it was great to be part of the team and take a back seat and learn from the best. That team had 11 great leaders. As I got to a starting role and played more I used what they taught me.”
Even when he was playing in a role off the bench as a sophomore, Sutcliffe could tell Davis was going to grow into the leader he became.
”This year he played every game at center back and last year as well,” the Princeton coach said. “As a young sophomore we were grooming him. You never know how a player will turn out, but you have an idea. With him, we felt as a sophomore he’d start as a junior.
”We lost 13 guys from that team in ‘09 when he was a sophomore. We felt if he kept getting stronger, kept growing, and got better on the ball he would be a good player for us. I think he became a special player because of his desire and honesty. He doesn’t fool himself. He is a tremendous player.”