With all hands on deck due to limited selection, PDS Girls’ Lax showed skill, grit in 15-6

FAST WITH THE PULL: Princeton Day School girls lacrosse players Kelly Christie, left, and Shelby Ruf look for a draw in a match this spring. Senior star Christie and junior standout Ruf played in midfield for PDS this year as they went 15-6. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

When Lucia Marcozzi took the helm of the Princeton Day School girls lacrosse program this spring, it was all hands on deck.

“It was so much fun, I’m lucky to have such a good group of girls,” said Marcozzi, a former Bucknell University women’s standout who has coached in club programs for several years. “It was such a small team that everyone had to do everything.”

That lack of depth hurt the Panthers as the fifth-seeded Panthers fell 14-9 to fourth-seeded Saddle River Day in the quarterfinals of the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public Group B Tournament.

“In the second half we were gassed, we didn’t have enough legs on the sideline,” said Marcozzi, who noted that senior star midfielder Jesse Hollander and junior goalkeeper Grace Ulrich were sidelined for the game due to injury and illness, respectively. “The girls fought hard, it was a fun match. It was an exciting match, but it just didn’t go the way we wanted.”

The team’s seniors – Tessa Caputo, Kelly Christie, Hollander, Katie Zarish-Yasunas, Maddy Flory and Adriana Salzano – led the charge this spring as PDS went 15-6.

“They have all set a tremendous standard for the program,” Marcozzi said. “I loved being there for them that year.”

Caputo has set an incredible standard offensively at Fairfield University, tallying 100 goals and 61 assists this year and ending her record-breaking career with 435 points on 275 goals and 160 assists.

“Tessa has raised the bar for anyone who comes in to try to break the scoring record,” Marcozzi said.

The pair of Christie (48 goals and 24 assists in 2024) and Wesleyan University commit Hollander (47 goals, 18 assists) helped power the Panther midfield.

“Kelly and Jesse really had a wonderful year. I think it’s a shame that it was their last year, because I would have loved to have them again,” said Marcozzi. “They didn’t even realize how much they contributed to our offense, so the momentum mostly went our way with their perseverance. They always wanted to be inside. When they wanted water, I couldn’t afford to take them out because I needed them every minute. They were so competitive and so hungry during the draw. It was like that raw competitiveness that you don’t always see in high school sports. It made me happy that they found their way and that they felt like they were stars in the team.”

Zarish-Yasunas, who will play at Muhlenberg College next year, helped make the PDS offense work.

“Katie is so relaxed and calm,” said Marcozzi of Zarish-Yasunas, who has 17 goals and four assists this spring. “She knows the offense so well, she knows how to put the ball in the back of the net. She was a great source of peace during our attack. During the Montclair Kimberley match in the Prep B finals, when things got crazy and we needed someone to keep it under control, she was who we looked to.

On defense, Flory helped calm things down. “Maddy is a soft-spoken girl with a quiet confidence,” Marcozzi said. “This year she has completely found her voice. With Shelby (Ruf) moving into midfield after being a dominant defender, I think Maddy has realized this is my turn to step up, this is my last year. She did a great job.”

Soccer star Salzano, who joined the program after PDS was unable to field a softball team this spring, impressed in her first year in the sport with her competitive spirit.

“Dre didn’t know how to hold a stick yet, but she still encouraged people, kept the energy high and got girls running through plays and running through the lines,” said Salzano’s Marcozzi, who will join the group add. Monmouth University women’s soccer program this fall. “With her competitive nature, I have never seen someone like that. It’s going to translate big time in Monmouth this fall. She’s big, she’s strong and she’s loud – everything that makes a great athlete. I’m glad this translated into the year we had her.”

Junior Ruf showed her competitive nature this spring, with 38 goals and 12 assists as she moved up to midfield.

“This was a hugely transformative year for Shelby, I just felt like, ‘I can score and play defense, I can do anything on any side of the court,’” Marcozzi said. “I’m very excited to see what Shelby can do next year. I expect her to become a leader and take the reins.”

Another junior, Natalia Soffer (11 goals, 6 assists in 2024), expects to play a bigger role in midfield next year.

“Nat is great in the circle, she is very graceful,” Marcozzi said. “She is very smart, she knows exactly what to do. I think her confidence will increase in her senior year. She fills the shoes of some of her best friends who are leaving.”

A trio of juniors – Cass Salas, Eliza Bailey and goalkeeper Ulrich – will have to appear on the back line.

“As far as our defense goes, we have Cass there and we still have Eliza, she is a veteran defender,” Marcozzi said. “I think our defense is really going to help us next year because we have so many veteran varsity players stepping into those open roles. The leadership of Cass, Eliza and Grace will be crucial.”

Freshman Ava Fairbanks (20 goals, 8 assists) should help spark the offense next year.

“Ava is going to be a great player. She is young, so her ability to play with a team is still evolving,” said Marcozzi, who will also look to sophomore Lucia McKee (12 goals, 2 assists) to have a bigger impact on offense in the future . “She will come up with a different approach next season. She will have a little more confidence and play a little more team attack.”

For Marcozzi, a more flexible coaching approach helped her get the most out of her players.

“Going into the preseason, I had my thoughts on how I always coach, the offenses I run, the defenses I run,” Marcozzi said. “Coaching for an entire season in high school allowed me to evolve into player personnel, playing to the strengths of the group. That worked well during the season. Next year will be an even bigger challenge, with a lot of gaps still to be filled. I think they will do great again because so many people are coming back and they are eager.”