New head coach inherits talented PDS boys lacrosse team
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
Rich D’Andrea has seen a steady growth in the Princeton Day School boys lacrosse program, and he’s hoping to oversee more development as he takes over.
The former Peddie School and Georgetown University standout moves up from being assistant coach to head coach of the Panthers for Rob Tuckman. D’Andrea has been an assistant at PDS for the past three seasons after being head coach at West Windsor-Plainsboro High North one year.
”Rob did such a good job of sealing this transition,” D’Andrea said. “It was his intention to make it go as smoothly as possible. It’s a great group. It’s a hard-working group of boys.”
PDS won 10 games in 2010 and 2011, then went 11-6 in 2012 and 13-3 last year. D’Andrea would like to see his team progress from there.
”Our returning players are capable, athletic, and we do have a nice returning group and a group that’s worked hard in the offseason,” D’Andrea said. “They’re a group that’s been hungry and is trying to take this program places it’s never been before.”
Last year ended with the Panthers sending Tuckman off with a Prep B state championship, their first since 1996. PDS has also been a contender for the Mercer County Tournament title in recent seasons. They reached the final in 2012, and winning it is a goal on the minds of all the Panthers. They have seen a new standard in recent years.
”I think that’s a credit to Pete Higgins, who was the head coach before Rob Tuckman and to Coach (Tuckman) as well,” D’Andrea said. “One of the reasons I fell in love with the school, I remember walking down the hall and seeing all the sticks in the lockers in the middle school. Lacrosse is ingrained in the social fabric. There’s a ground-up approach here. The guys coming up through have been here. It’s neat to see the program where it is now.”
D’Andrea is a familiar face to the team, and that will help as they move quickly to get ready for this season. PDS is in Hilton Head, S.C., this week to train and start implementing its offense and defense. D’Andrea is hoping to build on the schemes that Tuckman had in place.
”During last year’s trip, and for the first half, we put in a lot of what we’re going to do,” D’Andrea said. “It’s nice to see a lot of the kids remember them. It’s a matter of fine-tuning and seeing what the make-up of this team will be and what the needs are and where we need to grow.”
The Panthers lost some key seniors to graduation in goalie Culver Duquette, and field players Lewie Blackburn, Ben Levine, Gabe Castagna, Zack Banks, Nelson Garrymore and Connor Bitterman. PDS had to make do without several of them due to injuries throughout the year, and that made them an even younger team last year. Now they come back with all of last year’s experience.
”We do have a nice returning nucleus,” D’Andrea said. “We graduated some guys last year. The make-up of the team is different, on a yearly basis and week-to-week based on injuries.
”Staying healthy is going to be important for us this year,” he said. “Our varsity and JV program, an injury or two and the outcome of the season looks different, but then there are other opportunities for other guys to step up.”
The middle school program has sent up some strong additions to join a good group of experience that returns for PDS.
”We preach balance to the boys and consistency,” D’Andrea said. “This year’s team, especially over the four years I’ve seen, has the potential to be the most balanced in terms of guys scoring goals and taking on tasks defensively. Last year, we had six or seven kids that were double digit scorers. It was neat to see. We added a few nice pieces this year, kids that were attracted to PDS and decided to come here.
”We have 44 or so kids in the program in the Upper School,” he added. “We have a nice strong freshman class, which is encouraging. We’re building the base. At the middle school level, there’s a lot of interest.”
PDS doesn’t have a huge student body from which it can pull its players, but D’Andrea says that the team relishes its opportunity to get the most out of each other. He is tapping into that attitude.
”One of the focal points for me as a coach has always been challenging players to take ownership, ownership of themselves as a student-athletes, as members of their family and PDS at large,” D’Andrea said. “I’m challenging them to take ownership: ‘You guys have the ability to craft, shape, mold our team.’ They’re the ones that will come to determine how successful we are. I don’t think we’ve preached wins and losses in the four years I’ve been here. They get that. You go with the best you have.”
The Panthers haven’t been able to get out on their field much at the start. They were looking forward to the week of training in some warmer weather. It’s a chance to start seeing how it will come together this year under D’Andrea, who teaches English in the Upper School and assists with Admissions.
”I’ve developed a great rapport with the boys,” he said. “They have a strong sense of who I am as a coach and I know how they invest their time and like to work.”
The Panthers are looking at a tougher schedule this year. They have left the Bianchi Division and are playing as an independent this year. It’s one change for the new coach who is ready to help PDS take another step forward in its development.
”I just love coaching in general,” D’Andrea said. “Be it assistant, head, I love lacrosse. I love being around it. The people at PDS, I can see they love the sport as well. It’s neat to see we have interest that pairs so well. I’m excited for the opportunity. We’ll see how it goes.”