PDS field hockey trio honored

PPS-PDSFH

Submitted photo / Princeton Day School field hockey coach Heather Farlow(left) is pictured with award winners Lexie Hausheer, Gwen Allen and Val Radvany at the Central Jersey Field Hockey Coaches Association Banquet, which was held on Dec. 2.

 

Princeton Day School had the honor of being the only team in Mercer County with three first team selections at the Central Jersey Field Hockey Coaches Association banquet that was held at Mercer Oaks Country Club on Sunday, Dec. 2.

Seniors Gwen Allen (a Montgomery resident) and Val Radvany (a Lawrenceville resident) and junior Lexie Hausheer (of West Windsor), where named to the first team. Senior Sasha Sindhwani received CJFHCA Honorable Mention honors, but was unable to attend the banquet.

PDS coach Heather Farlow said: “Gwen Allen continued to be a leader on the field for us this season just as she has in every other season, and served as one of our captains. An integral part of our offensive and defensive corner units, Gwen selflessly transitioned to a more defensive role this season after playing her first three seasons as a midfielder and forward. She sacrificed earning points so she could set up her teammates. We will miss Gwen’s highlight reel runs down the field as she consistently carried the ball on 50- and 75-yard runs. For these reasons, Gwen has been a two-time recipient of the PDS Varsity Field Hockey Coaches Award.”

Over the course of her career, Allen scored 30 goals and had 23 assists for a total of 83 points. She earned Central Jersey Field Hockey Coaches Association first team Honors for the second consecutive season and NJISAA Prep B All State Honors for the third consecutive season.

Of Radvany, Farlow said: “Val Radvany is one of the most decorated PDS field hockey athletes in recent history. She stepped into the role of captain this season and embraced a defensive role this season while still contributing to our play on both ends of the field. Val has been our quarterback on offensive corners the last four seasons, scoring 27 goals and dishing out 52 assists for a total of 108 points. She was part of a freshman class that won one game in the month of September, finished 15 out of 18 teams in the Mercer County tournament, and had an overall record of 6-11. Val worked tirelessly on her game in the off-season and during her sophomore year, and was instrumental in helping the team finish second in the Mercer County Tournament, win the Prep B State Title for the first time since 1998 and finish with an overall record of 16-4. That year, Val led the county in assists with 18. During her junior year, Val recorded 15 assists and was tied for 11th in the state. This year, Val scored 10 goals and dished out another 15 assists. She led the team in goals her freshman year and has led in assists the last three years. Val, Gwen and Sasha have been part of a very special class that has earned second place in the Mercer County Final twice, one Prep B State Title, and two Prep B State Title runner-up finishes.”

Radvany has earned first team CJFHCA honors three years in a row, second team honors during her freshman campaign and Prep B All State honors all four years of her high school career.

Of Hausheer, Farlow said: “Lexie Hausheer continued to be our anchor on defense this year and is arguably the best goalie in the area. Lexie has never had a losing season while at PDS, and if you look at our program’s growth since 2015, it can be directly attributed to Lexie’s presence in goal. She has worked tirelessly on her skills and often traveled two hours each way to play indoor hockey last winter so she could become the best goalkeeper in the area. Lexie posted seven shutouts this season and allowed just 22 goals. She posted a goals against average this season of 1.4. Highlights of her play included holding off a strong Princeton team in the Mercer County Semifinals and a strong Lawrenceville team for 59 out of 60 minutes in the Mercer County Final. Anyone who saw the Mercer County final this year knows that Lexie kept us in the game. What many don’t know is that Lexie was injured this season and battled constant pain as she played. She sacrificed for her team during each game because she didn’t want any of her teammates, especially the seniors, to risk losing this season.”

Hausheer posted 39 career wins, and 26 of those wins have been shutouts.

Coach Farlow added: “It has been an absolute honor to coach all three of these exceptional players, and I look forward to seeing Gwen and Val continue to play at the collegiate level and to Lexie finishing strong as a senior at PDS next year.”