FANTASY SOCCER GAME: Princeton Day School girls soccer player Adriana Salzano controls the ball during the game last season. Senior star Salzano, committed by Monmouth University, looks to be an offensive catalyst for the Panthers this fall. PDS, which beat Lawrenceville 3-0 last Friday in its season opener as Ella McLaren, Makena Graham and Salzano each scored goals, plays at Nottingham on Sept. 13, hosts WW/P-North on September 14 and plays Hightstown in September. 18. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
Heading into his third season at the helm of the Princeton Day School girls soccer team, Chris Pettit believes the program is on the verge of a major breakthrough.
“We did well the first year, last year we had a lot more success and the goal this year is to have even more success than last year,” Pettit said. “I have high hopes for this season, we have a lot of returning players. We’ve expanded the program a bit from 17 in my first year to 27 now. There’s some consistency there that I hope will improve because the way we play, the possession style, is not your typical high school style. It takes a little time to get some of these concepts across.
The Panthers will need that numerical strength as they play a full Colonial Valley Conference schedule for the first time.
“I’m excited for this; there are a lot of local rivalries that will be established or developed, that’s an exciting element,” Pettit said of the move to CVC. “I think having the added ability to get power points will obviously help us. We had a good record last year, but we still ended up on the road in the state tournament. This will require a slightly different approach, because this year, with the way the games are going, we have a lot of three-game weeks. I told the girls, they will have to step up to the plate. We can’t let the same players play 80 minutes three times in five days, it just won’t happen. Larger teams will contribute to this. I hope these additional opportunities will also stimulate and promote healthy competition within the club.
The team’s forward unit consisting of senior Abby Weed (6 goals, 3 assists in 2022), sophomore Mackenzie Brodel (2 goals, 1 assist), junior Makena Graham (1 assist) and freshman Ava Katz should keep the Panthers competitive.
“Abby chipped in with some goals and assists last year, I think she will hopefully continue to increase those numbers this year,” said Pettit, whose team topped Lawrenceville 3-0 last Friday in her first match of the season with Ella McLaren, Adriana Salzano and Graham each scoring goals. “Mackenzie is coming back, so she’s going to have a greater comfort level, so hopefully she’ll increase her numbers as well. Makena gives us a different look, she is very rhythmic, almost a plan B. I think this will destabilize some teams. We have Ava who is an attacking midfielder or striker. She is technically strong and physically, she will be able to handle high school. She has the mental capacity to understand it and deal with it as well. I think she will score goals but also create chances for others. It fits our possession style of play perfectly.
Senior midfielder Adriana Salzano, who had 12 goals and five assists last fall, gives PDS a strong offensive threat.
“She will play a lot of different positions, primarily in attacking midfield,” Pettit said, noting that Salzano is committed to attending Monmouth University and playing for its women’s soccer program. “I hope she will be the glue that holds it all together, providing that pinch of stardust as someone who can do things differently. She has that superior technical ability to change games on her own. That’s part of what we need to do, to make sure she’s in the right positions to experience those moments. I think the players around her can do it.
The quartet of junior Sophia Zhou (2 goals, 1 assist), sophomore Jules Hartman (2 goals, 1 assist), sophomore Ella McLaren (4 goals, 1 assist decisive) and freshman Sophia Vriesendorp will join Salzano in midfield.
“Sophia will get a lot of minutes at defensive midfield,” Pettit said. “Jules and Ella will be there again. I think it’s a good mix. Sophia is a very talented recruit who can play in various midfield and attacking midfield positions. She will really help round out our midfield offensive line. Technically, she is very strong and has a good work rate. I also hope for big things from him.
The pair of senior Tochi Owunna and sophomore Emma Burns will play an important role in the Panthers’ defensive unit.
“Tochi is going to be important for us, she is a very experienced, talented and technical woman,” Pettit said. “Between her and Emma, they are both very technical and read the game very well and will hopefully give us the defensive platform to build on. Ella will probably play at full-back for some time.
At the goalie position, junior Shelby Ruf looks to build on the progress she made last year in her first season at the position.
“Shelby is back in goal, last year was her first year in goal; this time it will be much more conformable,” Pettit said. “She’s more familiar and has worked really hard on things during pre-season. Hopefully this is an improvement for us from last year.
According to Pettit, his players need to be more ruthless around the goal in order to become harder to beat.
“I think the key this year for us is being able to score early; last year we were outscoring teams by 500 passes to 200 passes and we would win 1-0 or 2-1,” said Pettit, whose team plays at Nottingham on September 13, hosts WW/P-North on the 14th. September, and plays Hightstown on September 18. “We would do all the pretty things very well without scoring and then it becomes a kind of mind game or mental block. Hopefully this year, with a bit of newfound optimism and a bit more quality in the attacking third, we’ll get off to a quicker start and score some goals and all of a sudden we’ll build on that. We also conceded too many goals, so hopefully defensively we can be a bit more solid. The key for us will be to put the ball in the back of the net.
