Senior class ready to take next step
By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
Campbell McDonald and the rest of the seniors on the Princeton High field hockey team have seen plenty of success on the field in their careers.
And as the Little Tigers prepare for the start of tournament season, they are hoping to take that success to even higher levels.
”My fellow captain (Julia DiTosto) and I have known each other for a very long time and have been playing together since elementary school,” said McDonald, who scored a pair of goals on Monday as Princeton topped Steinert, 5-1, for its seventh straight win. “Lucy Herring came over from Stuart and is a great player and great friend. It has been awesome with all of these girls.
”We have been successful. We had that undefeated eighth grade season right before high school. Most of the girls that were on that eighth grade team are still with us today. It is nice to see how everyone has grown so much and we have all still stayed so close and tightly knit.”
Princeton, which improved to 13-2 with the win over Steinert, opens play in the Mercer County Tournament on Saturday against Stuart Country Day School, which won a play-in game on Tuesday. The Little Tigers, who are the No. 2 seed in the MCT, reached the semifinals a year ago.
”Last year we had a really tough loss in the semifinals of MCTs,” McDonald said. “We are still trying to come back from that. Our goal for this year is to get where we were and hopefully farther in counties as well as states. We’re just trying to improve every day.”
Allentown secured the top seed in the MCT. The Hun School earned the No. 5 seed and will host Steinert in the opening round. West Windsor-Plainsboro North is the No. 8 seed and will host ninth-seeded Hopewell Valley in the opening round. Princeton Day School is seeded 13th and opens at No. 4 Lawrenceville. WW-P South is the 14th seed and opens against No. 3 seeded Robbinsville.
”I am excited about the tournament season,” Princeton coach Heather Serverson said. “We’re looking forward to showing what we’re capable of.”
Princeton appears capable of big things this year. The Little Tigers have won seven in a row and shown they are capable of having a number of different players contribute. In the win over Steinert, DiTosto also scored two goals, while Jordyn Cane added a single tally. Herring had two assists, while Anna Cincotta also had an assist.
”It has been an awesome season,” McDonald said. “I could not be happier with how we are playing. It has been one of the best seasons so far. The field hockey teams that I have been on during my career at Princeton High School have always been very close. But this one just clicks so well. Everyone is friends with each other and we’re all just such great friends.
”We have so much variety on the field. Everyone is capable of doing so many different things. We can take some of our defenders and play them as forwards or take some of our mids and play them on defense. It is awesome to have that versatility.”
McDonald has played a bigger role in the offense this season. Her two goals against Steinert lifted her season total to a team-high 11 for the season.
”Last year I scored but I was also big on assists,” she said. “This year I have not gotten as many assists but I have been on my game with scoring. I can’t take all the credit for that. My team has been so great. I could not do what I do without them.”
DiTosto and Avery Peterson each have eight goals, accentuating the balance the Little Tigers have on offense.
”One of the best things about them is their familiarity with one another,” Serverson said. “It’s not just that they are good players, but they have been playing together for so long on the same team. You can really see it especially now that they are in their senior year together.”