RISING STAR: Princeton High boys soccer player Pascale Carusone scores a header during recent action. Senior forward Carusone, who just joined the program this year, became a go-to finisher for PHS, scoring a team-high seven goals as the Tigers got off to a 7-0 start. PHS plays at Nottingham on September 28 and at WW/P-South on September 30 before hosting Robbinsville on October 3. (Photo by Nicolas Niforatos)
By Bill Alden
During his first three years at Princeton High, Pasquale Carusone played a lot of football.
But Carusone honed his skills for MLS Next at the Players Development Academy (PDA) and didn’t compete at all for PHS.
This fall, Carusone, who committed to play at the collegiate level for the University of Rochester, decided it was finally time to play for the Tigers.
“It’s my senior year, I definitely have to play for my high school,” Carusone said. “A lot of kids were giving me stuff in return and saying we could go really far with you this year.”
The PHS players welcomed Carusone with open arms. “They were happy to see me, they wanted me out for three years,” Carusone said. “I’ve known the Smith brothers (junior midfielder Archie and freshman midfielder Harvey) for a while, playing club with them forever. We gelled quickly, it wasn’t like it took a few games.
Carusone quickly established his presence up front, scoring three goals as PHS got off to a 4-0 start.
“I feel like more of a scorer, I’m definitely a finisher,” Carusone said. “We have a lot of midfielders, Archie, Felipe (Matar Grandi), Matt (Kim) and Harvey are great.”
Hosting Hopewell Valley last week presented a major challenge for PHS.
“We talked before the game about the fact that we hadn’t won against them in four years,” Carusone said. “It was definitely a big game for us and definitely a big game for PHS. We knew what we had to do.
Carusone caught fire against the Bulldogs, scoring a goal 17 seconds into the contest, converting a pass from senior defenseman Nick Matese.
“We’ve been trying this all year, Nick was just able to get back up,” Carusone said. “It turns out it was a great pass from Nick; It’s been 60, 70 yards for sure and I see the opening. I was able to turn around and saw that the goalie wasn’t ready for the shot, and I just grabbed it.
HoVal, however, responded by generating several corner kicks and the rivals went into halftime with PHS clinging to its 1-0 lead.
Midway through the second half, Carusone found the back of the net again, firing a pass from junior defender Connor Hewitt over the Bulldogs keeper’s head to make it 2-0.
“That was a great pass from Connor,” Carusone said. “He came in and I saw him. I just took it with that right foot and hit it into the top corner.
With that cushion, PHS took care of business from there and ended the losing streak against HoVal by winning by that 2-0 margin.
“I think we have a great team this year, we’re going to go far,” said Carusone, who scored two more goals as PHS beat Lawrence High 2-0 last Thursday in a bottle of undefeated teams. “Our starters are excellent, we have an excellent bench. There is a lot of energy in this team. Everyone on the bench is looking to get in – there is no drop. We have Brian (Donis) coming off the bench. He has two goals, he It’s awesome. We have Matt (Chao) coming off the bench. There are a lot of young guys on this team who could start for other teams.
First-year PHS head coach Ryan Walsh appreciated the energy his team brought into the matchup with HoVal.
“We knew we hadn’t beaten this team since 2019,” Walsh said. “We were really ready and excited for this game. These guys, all they want to do is win. Their chemistry is excellent.
The Tigers showed they were ready to make the first count. “It’s a good start, it comes with its own challenges because you have to kill the game for 80 minutes,” Walsh said. “But I’d rather lead 1-0 than lose 1-0.”
Carusone has been a great addition for PHS, providing a missing piece to the Tiger offense.
“That second goal was huge and just being on this team this year, he really fit in perfectly,” Walsh said. “He arrived this summer and the guys are really excited to have him. It fits perfectly into the puzzle. Last year we also had a quality team, but we didn’t have a key scorer. We were young, but to have a guy you can count on for a goal or two a game is huge.
At the other end of the field, a battle-tested Tigers backline has stifled their opponents, allowing no goals so far this season.
“Nick Matese, our captain, is incredible, he’s the glue that holds these four defenders together,” Walsh said. “With Jamie (Reynolds), Patrick (Kenah) and Connor (Hewitt), these four guys are a veteran group that has played a lot of minutes together over the years.”
Junior goalie Nick Holmelund was successful against HoVal, recording eight saves to earn the shutout.
“Nick has grown so much in the last 12 months; last year he was just a sophomore and now he’s a lot more mature,” Walsh said. “He was great today. There were a few games where he didn’t have to make many saves, but he was successful here. On this occasion at the start of the second half, he made a huge save. When you make a huge save, it really boosts the morale of the team.
Walsh is excited about the tremendous quality of football the Tigers have produced so far this fall.
“I’m happy that we’re winning games, I’m happy that we’re performing well in every game,” said Walsh, whose team beat Princeton Day School 1-0 in double overtime last Saturday to improve its record to 7 -0 and who has now scored. 19 goals this fall and have not conceded any. “I tell these guys it’s early and it’s one game at a time. It’s a long season. Injuries come into play with the pace of the season and school year. It’s just day to day.
In Walsh’s opinion, PHS has the depth and intensity to handle the situation.
“That’s the quality we have from top to bottom – the workouts are really competitive,” Walsh said. “We have some kids who are really good. Donis played very well for us off the bench. Matt Chao leaves the bench. They bring a good spark.
Carusone believes good team chemistry will help the Tigers stay competitive.
“It’s like we’re at every other game, our music is playing louder and louder and we’re getting loud on the bus rides home,” Carusone said. “It’s about staying together as a team.”
