Simon Danos Peltekian Leads Princeton High Boys Soccer to CVC Tournament Semifinals

Princeton High Boys Soccer Advances to CVC Semifinals

Senior forward Simon Danos Peltekian contributed a goal and an assist last Saturday to help top-seeded Princeton High School defeat ninth-seeded Trenton 4-2 in the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Tournament quarterfinals, Town Topics reported.

The victory keeps the Tigers rolling at 14-2 on the season, setting up a semifinal clash against fifth-seeded Notre Dame in an October 28 contest with the victor advancing to the final on October 31. This is the third year we have seen them at this stage, said Danos Peltekian. I expected a battle, they are a really tough team. We were in a good spot, the score didn’t reflect where we should be, Danos Peltekian added regarding the halftime margin. Our play was exactly where we wanted to be and we had to keep going.

Capitalizing on Space and Depth

Even with a slim one-goal margin at the break, Danos Peltekian noted that the Tigers maintained control of the tempo. PHS broke the game open in the second half when Danos Peltekian drove down the flank and lofted a crossing pass to Harvey Smith, who hammered it home with 27:53 remaining to stretch the lead to 3-1.

Simon Danos Peltekian Leads Princeton High Boys Soccer to CVC Tournament Semifinals — Photo: trentonian.com

Just over three minutes later, Smith returned the favor, feeding Danos Peltekian for a left-footed finish past the Trenton goalkeeper to give PHS a 4-1 lead. When Harvey drives forward, I am always looking for space, Danos Peltekian stated. He knows where to find me. When he found me, I was able to finish to my left. The sequence highlighted a revitalized partnership between Danos Peltekian and Smith, a classmate who returned to the PHS roster this fall after spending two seasons away playing in the MLS Next Academy system. It is really great, he has been amazing this year, Danos Peltekian remarked. He is a great teammate; he is a great player. We are really happy to have him. Smith now boasts 20 goals and 10 assists on the campaign, while Danos Peltekian has shifted into a prominent playmaker role, accumulating seven goals and nine assists. It has definitely evolved, I am much more involved in the play, Danos Peltekian explained. My first and second years I was more of a target for long balls and for throughs. I have been looking up the field (to make passes.) That is exactly what I have been working on all year.

“We know they are going to give us space on the wings, their wing backs played really high,” Danos Peltekian told Town Topics. “We just had to exploit it. When they dragged the center back out, I passed it through and Harvey did the rest.”

Managing Back Line Injuries

Head coach Ryan Walsh saw his tactical adjustments pay off after a scrappy first half that included an unfortunate set-piece goal for Trenton. They are a really scrappy team, they are a really passionate bunch, Walsh observed. They high press a lot and they always have a bunch of crafty guys. I hate giving up set pieces and corners because anything can happen, Walsh continued regarding the opening frame. It was an unfortunate goal we gave up, we flicked it on and it got back in the middle. It was unfortunate but we responded well. We made a couple of tactical changes going forward, added Walsh, who got a goal and an assist from Smith and junior midfielder Cesar Carrera in the first half. I thought we were playing alright. Walsh also praised Simon’s second-half push, noting that Simon had played very well after a slow start. The Tigers also had to weather an early injury to senior defender Griffin Short, which brought senior Oscar Klein off the bench to stabilize the defensive unit.

Trenton Central vs Princeton – 2026 Varsity Boys Soccer

Klein, who missed significant time after recovering from a leg injury suffered two years ago, fit in well with the rest of the back four. Walsh praised the depth of his roster as the team turns its focus toward the next hurdle.

The Tigers will host Notre Dame in the tournament semifinals on October 28, with the winner advancing to the final on October 31.