SUPER SUB: Princeton High boys soccer player Richard Wegmann brings the ball down the field during recent action. Last Saturday, sophomore forward Wegmann came off the bench and scored two goals to help PHS defeat Hightstown 3-0. The Tigers, now 5-1-1, will play at Lawrence High on November 4 before hosting Trenton Central on November 6. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
Richard Wegmann may not be a starter for the Princeton High boys soccer team, but he is becoming a game-changing player for the team.
Last Saturday against visiting Hightstown, sophomore forward Wegmann came off the bench to score two first-half goals as PHS earned a 3-0 win over the Rams, improving to 5-1-1 .
When thinking about his reserve role, Wegmann likes to bring a change of pace to the Tigers.
“I’m rested and ready,” Wegmann said. “I can come in and it’s a bit of a surprise because I play a bit differently to our other strikers. It’s the dynamic of having two choices that is good for us. The coaches tell me what I can do. If we make mistakes, they will point them out to me and I can try to improve them.
Against Hightstown, Wegmann entered the game with 25:42 left in the first half and converted a pass from senior Ian Pompliano five minutes later for his first goal. With 13:13 left in the half, Wegmann scored another, staying focused amid a traffic jam around the box.
“It was a great effort from Ian and I was lucky to be in the right place,” said Wegmann, remembering his first goal.
“For the second goal, everyone was a little confused. It was a high ball. I had time, I waited for it to come down and I put it on.
Having received playing time last fall as a freshman, Wegmann feels more comfortable on the court in his sophomore varsity campaign.
“I have a lot more confidence this year,” Wegmann said. “Last year I was kind of gaining minutes and trying not to waste it. This year I feel like I know the guys. They are great guys. They have a certain confidence in me and I have more confidence in myself.
PHS head coach Wayne Sutcliffe has confidence in Wegmann’s ability to get the Tigers off the bench.
“Richard has some strengths in his game in terms of pace,” Sutcliffe said.
“When there are 15, 25 or 30 minutes left, the guys are sometimes out of breath. He’s a guy that can come in and really make it difficult for defenders. This is a huge asset.
Sutcliffe likes the way his team has evolved after a stretch that saw the Tigers lose 3-2 to Robbinsville on Oct. 10 and tie Allentown 3-3 on Oct. 21 with a COVID break in between.
“I couldn’t be happier with the team, the collective work and the energy,” said Sutcliffe, whose team has now recorded three consecutive victories.
“Everyone works for each other. When we get to the business part of the season, this is what it’s all about.
Pompliano worked hard for his teammates, collecting two assists in the victory with senior Youri Laoui scoring PHS’ third goal midway through the second half.
“Ian has that ability to be calm with the ball and make the last pass to score,” Sutcliffe said. “Yuri had a great goal. He worked hard and did well.
The Tigers defensive unit played well against Hightstown, earning its third straight shutout.
“The last four have been great, we’ve focused on some things,” Sutcliffe said.
“Breno (Azevedo), Ethan (Parker), Alex (Milley) and Nico (Carusone) were really nice and stable. If you can get your back four really in sync, that helps. Jared (Bell) played well in goal, I couldn’t be happier with his performance. It’s been great.
With PHS playing at Lawrence High on Nov. 4 and hosting Trenton Central on Nov. 6 before heading into state sectional action, Sutcliffe believes his team is ready to do big things.
“The deadline for the NJSIAA tournament is Monday; Today was like a tournament game and that’s how every game will be from now on,” Sutcliffe said.
“It’s a tournament mentality so there’s that level of urgency, especially for the seniors. We’re 5-1-1 and we’re in the tail end of the season, so it’s time to move in that direction. We had a few weeks there where we were playing so well. We had a few moments, then we had a layoff. It was a good time to reflect. We could watch a lot of films, we could practice and tackle certain things. It was a good time to take this little break.
According to Wegmann, PHS is moving in the right direction. “We found our rhythm after two tough games for us,” Wegmann said.
“We feel good. We have 15 seniors this year so it’s a big year for us. I hope we are doing well.
