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No Sears? No problem for this dynamic offense.
Make no mistake, Sears left a legacy as Princeton’s all-time leader in points (307), goals (209) and assists (98). Cook says the Tigers will miss her, but she’s confident in her offense. It’s not coach speak, either — the next eight goal scorers are back, led by Tauckus, a cerebral player who’s emerged as a leader. Mulham, another high IQ attacker, is a tough mark at 5-8.
Cook says they’ll be surrounded by dynamic talent in other offensive threats who can dodge high and feed low, something the Tigers’ attack had lacked in recent years.
Ellie Mueller (14 G, 10 A) and McKenzie Blake (36 G, 10 A) are two players who can feed low. Blake, a lefty, is coming off a solid freshman year. And Cook says MacDonald, another lefty with “deadly” dodging abilities, could have a similar breakout season.
Speaking of fearless dodgers, midfielder Kari Buonanno (27 G, 10 A) will likely flex her offensive muscles more in 2023.
Who will replace Sam Fish in net?
Princeton also bid farewell to starting goalie Sam Fish (11.52 GAA, .471 SV%). Fish took the starting job midway through her freshman year and never gave it up. This year, a freshman could fill her spot in Hughes.
“Amelia has fast hands, and her angles are great,” Cook said. “She clears the ball on a dime. She worked really well in the defensive system to understand the ins and outs.”
Though only a freshman, Cook said Hughes showed poise in the fall. But she’s not ready to name the rookie the starter.
“It’s a battle that is still ongoing,” Cook said.
Hughes is contending with Fish’s backup from last year, Tia Reaman, who played in two games.
“She’s super vocal,” Cook said. “She has experience at the Division I level, takes away space and has good hands and great energy.”
Who can fill Marge Donovan’s cleats on the draw and defense?
Donovan did more than strip the ball away from opposing attackers — she prevented them from getting it in the first place by being dominant on the draw. It’s left multiple holes to fill. Sophie Whiteway (13 CT, 57 CT), a true two-way midfielder, will likely help in both aspects.
“She is super competitive and has incredibly fast hands,” Cook said.
Lillian Stout (26 DC, 10 GB) will also factor in on draws. Ditto for Calkins. The newcomer out of Naples, Fla., showed a “great stick” and “good sense of the ball” when she got reps on the draw in the fall.
On defense, Filippi, who has “fantastic footwork,” was second to Donovan in ground balls last year. Captains Shannon Berry, who didn’t start but played in all 19 games, and Maria Pansini (10 CT, 17 GB), who made 16 starts, bring a veteran presence. Sophomore Sam Whiting made six starts last year, and Cook believes she’ll play a more significant role in 2023.
And don’t sleep on Allen, a freshman.
“She has good feet,” Cook said. “She makes it hard for attackers to get a clean lane to dodge.”
ENEMY LINES
WHAT RIVALS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE TIGERS
“A little bit of an unknown with a Chris Sailer not on the sideline. Jenn Cook and the staff are very intelligent. They have some incredibly talented players … a very talented group of players. I’m excited to see what they do on the heels of Chris Sailer’s departure.”
“It’ll be very interesting to see the team. There are going to be a lot of fresh faces that Princeton will look to produce and for leadership with the graduating class they have last year. We all know Kyla Sears, but I think more importantly, what their defense will look like without their core defender.”
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In addition to the retirement of Chris Sailer, Princeton will also be replacing 26% of its assists and 22% of its shots (Kyla Sears), as well as the backbone of the defense in Marge Donovan. Look for Kate Mulham to pick up the slack in terms of generating offense. She finished with a 91st-percentile assist-to-turnover ratio last year. And sharp-shooter Grace Tauckus should pick up some of the scoring slack. Her on-goal shooting percentage of 73% put her in the 93rd percentile among qualifying players nationally.
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