Princeton edges Hopewell in CVC Colonial clash
PRINCETON » No boys lacrosse team in Mercer County had to overcome more key graduations than Princeton. The Little Tigers lost 14 seniors after a 2017 season in which they made deep runs to the MCT final and North Jersey Group III semifinals.
For many programs, such a predicament would spell an inevitable rebuilding period. But wasn’t the mindset on 151 Moore Street.
While their record is currently reflective of a grueling early-season schedule, the Little Tigers (4-5) proved Thursday with a 7-6 win against CVC Colonial Division rival Hopewell that they have another solid team brewing.
“We have a really strong tradition of pride, and we take a lot of pride in wearing this jersey,” junior midfielder Dylan Westerman said. “You see us in our sweatsuits. We love the uniformity, and I think that really strengthens our program. Even though we lose 14 guys, the guys coming in are picking up the rope.”
Westerman scored three goals, while junior attackman Alex Park added two goals and two assists on a rainy day in which Princeton fought back from an early 3-0 deficit in the first quarter.
Westerman netted an early hat trick to tie the game at 3-3 with 7:26 left in the second quarter. Then Jay Jackson scored on an assist by Ben Drezner from behind to give Princeton a 4-3 halftime lead.
“We’ve had a few games where teams have jumped on us and we get blown out ... but we didn’t want to let that happen, so I took some pride in myself to put something on the board,” Westerman said. “I saw the zone wasn’t moving too well and their d-poles weren’t doing too good of a job throwing good checks on the hands. But they were definitely a good squad and our team had to work together. We grinded in practice yesterday, we reviewed their defense and we just had to see what would work out of what we have in our book.”
Early in the third quarter, Hopewell took a 5-4 lead when Nolan Crognale and Spencer Bell scored unassisted goals in traffic. Crognale, who left the game with an injury shortly thereafter, had two goals to complement Dylan Tomarchio’s team-high three goals.
The Bulldogs (2-6) are now led by former West Windsor South coach Matt Foret, who succeeded Rob Siris when Siris stepped down after 14 seasons to become the first men’s lacrosse coach at Mercer County Community College this year.
“We played him when Matt was the coach at South, so we saw a couple things,” Princeton coach Chip Casto said. “(Offensively) they isolate behind. They like to overload one side and bring guys on sweeps, and they’ve got some talented guys. They were hitting it early.”
Park scored two straight goals to give the Little Tigers a 6-5 lead late in the third. Evan Filion extended it to 7-5 with an unassisted strike with 6:37 remaining in the final period.
“We generally play against a man defense, and they came out in a zone that wasn’t pressing too far out on us,” Westerman said. “We’re not really used to having that much space on our hands, so we were able to zip the ball around much faster and I think that really helped us.”
The defense is “by far” Princeton’s strongest unit so far, Casto said. Junior goalie Joe O’Donnell had an impressive outing with 12 saves. Seniors Ian Jacobs, Patrick Jacobs, Max Garlock and Ryan Farrell are key contributors.
But the offense is steadily making strides as Westerman and Park adjust to being the focal point of defenses. Last season that distinction belonged to Johnny-Lopez Ona, a star attackman whom Princeton graduated.
“They’re starting to figure things out and feel the weight on their shoulders, and I think they’re starting to respond and get much better shots,” Casto said. “Dylan gets shut off for the whole second half but ends up contributing tremendously by picking on the ball and picking up groundballs and organizing the offense. So he did a great job.”
Princeton is also evolving from one of the most difficult schedules in the area, featuring opponents such as defending Prep B state champion Princeton Day and defending Group IV state champion Montgomery.
Casto said last Saturday’s 14-2 loss to Montgomery made Princeton stronger because the Little Tigers learned how to move the ball better offensively. They also made key defensive adjustments after that game.
Princeton still plays a traditionally challenging slate to prepare for the postseason. They still have former longtime head coach Peter Stanton on staff as an assistant. And they still have generous and faithful alumni, Casto said.
So despite how much player turnover the program recently endured, the Little Tigers keep their expectations set high.
“He’s just a walking library,” Casto said of Stanton. “He brings out a lot of historical names and games, so it’s really great to have him still be around. When I was a coaching assistant he did a great job and I’m just continuing instilling pride in the program. We’re one of the probably oldest 15 to 16 programs in the state.”
Hopewell (2-6) Princeton (4-5) Goals —
Tomarchio 3, Crognale 2, Bell (H), Westerman 3, Park 2, Filion, Jackson (P). Bell (H), Park 2, Drezner, Filion, McDonald (P).
18 (H), 14 (P).
Assists — Shots — 3 1 0 3 2 2 1 — 1 — 6 7