Dalton Sekelsky jumps through the air to attacks the ball during a 7-0 win against Robbinsville on Sept. 19, 2013. (Staff photo by Samantha Sciarrotta.)
John Blair evades a Trenton forward during a game on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013. The Tigers won, 6-0, at home. (Staff photo by Samantha Sciarrotta.)
The Princeton High School boys’ soccer team was about as good as it gets last year.
The Little Tigers went 18-3-1 and were crowned Group III co-champions after playing to a tie with Ramapo in the state final, and they did it all with a brand new defense.
With only four starters returning this year, including keeper Laurenz Reimitz and left back Chase Ealey, the team is looking at a similar situation in the back. First-time starters Dalton Sekelsky, Alex Torske, Dwight Donis, and Edgar Morales join Reimitz and Ealey.
Despite their lack of varsity playing time, all four players are not lacking in experience. Donis and Morales were both part of last year’s undefeated freshman team, and Sekelsky and Torske, both seniors, joined the varsity team last year as reserves.
“We have a lot of guys with experience from last year who bring what we did, which was phenomenal,” Sekelsky said. “We’re going to try to do it again.”
Torske said the underclassmen are already proving themselves on the pitch.
“It shows a lot of promise for this year and next year,” he said. “Some would say that this is kind of a transition stage, but they’re already showing that they can play as if they were seniors.”
One of those players has been exhibiting that since his sophomore year. Ealy, now a junior, was a key member of the state championship team. He started out at midfield but is now at left back.
“He is an incredibly valuable player to the team, not only because of his technical quality and his fearless, physical play, but he’s a very clever, crafty player, too,” said head coach Wayne Sutcliffe. “He’s left-footed, which is huge. You can’t put a value on that. He had all that experience last year as a young sophomore. To play all through the season with a lot of elite players on last year’s team and then play in a state final at that age, most players dream about it, but they never get there. It’s hard to put a value on his worth. He’s such an important player for us.”
Sekelsky and Torske have proven themselves, too. Their evolution, Sutcliffe said, began last year as the coaches started to think ahead. Knowing they were going to lose a big senior class, they decided to develop the two as defenders.
It’s worked well so far. Sutcliffe said both are steadily improving and have become capable, key athletes in the last year.
“I can’t say enough,” he said. “They’re giving us everything they have, and they’re getting better.”
Sekelsky and Torske’s sophomore counterparts, Donis and Morales, are in the same boat.
“Edgar is an excellent player, a good technical player, and he really has a good savvy mind about the game. He’s learning. Dwight is as well making great strides. They’ve really fit in well and found a way, particularly in the game against Hightstown. We hope they’ve kind of crossed that threshold. It’s been a lot of hard work. We’re just trying to get them to figure out how things are done in the back. They’re really getting a feel and being comfortable first in training, then in games, and then in big games.”
The Hightstown game, a 2-1 win on Sept. 10 following an opening day loss to Allentown, seems to have helped the entire team find its rhythm. The Little Tigers have scored 13 goals and surrendered none since, as of Sept. 19. Reimitz has found his stride, too.
“He’s a pretty technically proficient goalie,” Sutcliffe said. “Last year, he was one of two sophomores on the field along with Chase. He had a great game against Hightstown. He gave up one goal in 80 minutes. His goals against average has settled. We’ll take that. He’s doing well.”
Torske is proud of his keeper and the team’s overall progress.
“We’ve got big shoes to fill,” he said. “We’re starting with a blank sheet. We have a young team, but we’re doing a great job rebuilding.”
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