As the opposing teams’ attackman charges toward the net, with skill and speed, Will Erickson ‘22 sprints down the lacrosse field, and blocks his shot.

   The PHS Boys Lacrosse team has seen great success at the state and national level, and as a key defenseman, Erickson has played a major role in this success. Since the beginning of Erickson’s high school career, there have been moments of difficulty and frustration; however, Erickson’s love for lacrosse never faltered. 

   From the age of five, Erickson could be seen holding his ground in baseball, hockey, and lacrosse. When it came to making a decision between the sports, he prioritized lacrosse, preferring its fast pace and many moving parts. As an NJ All-Star and Blue Star Lacrosse player since sixth grade, Erickson’s lacrosse career quickly took off. Entering PHS, he played multiple varsity lacrosse games in his freshman year and was named varsity starter in his sophomore year.

   “My first impressions were that he had one of the intangibles of being good at athletics. He just really loved being part of a team and wanted his team to succeed. He was always trying to find a way to make his team better,” said Assistant Lacrosse Coach Peter Stanton. 

   As the co-captain of the team this year, Erickson is critical to the team’s success. Although he’s grown into an extremely vocal leader and a strong source of motivation for his teammates, it was the lacrosse environment that allowed him to cultivate his leadership skills and resiliency.  

   “As he’s matured through the program, he’s been molded into a very vocal and exemplary leader. He’s a great leader and player and needless to say, he’s a lock down defenseman on the field,” said teammate Will Doran ‘22.

   Throughout his years on the team, Erickson has had countless role models that have impacted both his mentality and play. Two in particular are Carson Giles ‘19, the PHS Captain when he was a freshman, and Chris Fake, a Yale University defenseman and one of his club coaches. 

   “I look up to the incredible example that Carson set for leadership and how he made the most of his time on the lacrosse field,” said Erickson. “I look up to Fake’s incredible work ethic both on the lacrosse field and in the weightroom, and how he attacks every matchup with confidence even when going up against the best attackmen in the country.”

   Although Erickon’s schedule is packed with balancing two sports and schoolwork, time management has never been a real challenge for him. 

   “Most practices are at convenient times and leave ample time for family, friends, or school afterwards. The main thing that can be hard to fit in is workouts, but waking up before school and getting them in makes it a lot simpler,” Erickson said.

   Throughout his high school career, Erickson has become a role model for many younger players on the team. For Patrick Kenah ‘24, Erickson’s positive attitude has helped foster the growth of his own strengths.

   “Will is a very likable guy. He listens to what you have to say and [is] a mentor and someone to look up to. This is one of the main reasons why people instill trust in him,” Kenah said.

   In addition to his own hard work, having some of his best friends on the field has kept him motivated throughout his career. Heading to Williams College as a Division I athlete commit, Erickson will be joining his best friends and teammates, Will Doran and Alex Park, as they take their academic and lacrosse careers to the next level. 

   “The fact that he’s going to get an opportunity to really have a well balanced and well integrated academic experience. The thing about Will is that he’s a kid that earns everything he gets and he’s going to get a chance to really earn it and prove his value to a team. I think that's all you could ask for,” said Stanton.

Will Erickson ’22: lacrosse

“Pack The Cage,” Princeton High School’s new sports slogan, can be heard throughout the hallways from the roaring mouths of PHS students. A wave of school spirit has swept over the student body following a pandemic year, the result of greater prioritization of unity due to a change in administration. Attendance during games has increased dramatically, motivating both athletes and viewers

In the halls, you can hear students talking about attending the game later that day. “Packing the cage” has been the high school’s way of increasing student attendance, eff ectively  lling the bleachers at home and away games.  e packed crowd’s cheering has given encouragement to the athletes on the  eld and started to strengthen competition with opponents.

“School spirit motivates us to beat opposing schools, [which] intensi es our rivalries,” said boys varsity soccer player Felipe Matar-Grandi ’24.

The 7-2-2 boys varsity soccer team is on a roll this season, and they chalk it up to greater motivation. During Hightstown High School’s game with Princeton, a record number of PHS students, about 50, traveled to Hightstown to “pack the cage.”

However, word of mouth is not the only way PHS is garnering support in sports.  e viral Instagram account @princeton.tiger.cage grows on a daily basis, currently with over 500 followers.  roughout the fall season, the account has been posting almost every day, increasing involvement in the school’s athletics department.

“It has such a positive impact on our school spirit, and I love to see that everyone’s involved,” said the manager of the account. “Not only has the account increased PHS’s school spirit, but it has brought the school together in a way that has never been seen before.”

The impact of the account has extended to the rest of the Colonial Valley Conference. Opposing schools have begun to interact with the account and its followers before and after major games. The account has pushed for participation in athletics: What used to just be sports games have now transformed into school-wide events.

This new wave of support has not only improved unity within individual sports teams, but also in the student body itself.  e connection of students has never mattered more. As the pandemic hit, students and teachers were deprived of a normal high school year, so participation in sports took a hit. After a virtual year, students have jumped at the opportunity to get involved in the in-person school activities they missed.

“From an overall standpoint, participation decreased in not only the fall sports here at PHS, but the impact was felt in other athletic programs around the county,” said varsity girls soccer and basketball Head Coach David Kosa.

Students with a strong sense of community do more than show support for their school. A 2014 study by the Connecticut Association of Schools reported that they perform better academically and are more socially and civically engaged and that 92 percent of principals believe that the sense of camaraderie is tied to high student achievement.

“Usually when I have a game that day or the following day, I’m in a better mood, and I think that’s translated to my grades,” said varsity football player Tyler Goldberg ’24. So, whether it be through wearing our colors or packing the tiger cage, Tiger pride is here to stay.

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