PRINCETON >> In less than a handful of games this season, the Pennington School boys soccer team has proven to have a legitimate scorer in Senegal import Ibrahima Diop.

While Diop scoring seven of his team’s first 11 goals is wonderful for the defending Mercer County Tournament champs, it’s also a challenge for coach Chad Bridges and Diop’s teammates.

Like any good coach, Bridges wants more of his players to get involved in the scoring in order to draw opposing defenses away from their big gun.

On the talented roster the Red Raiders have, that challenge comes as welcome news.

In defeating Princeton Day School, 5-2, Monday at PDS’ Jan Baker Field, Pennington spread the ball around well and got a couple more players into the scoring mix.

With Rutgers University coach Dan Donigan in attendance, Diop continued to put on a show with his third hat trick.

But it was the contributions of his teammates which were equally important, especially after the Panthers tied the score and came close to taking the lead in the first half.

“I thought we played pretty well, especially in the second half,” Pennington junior forward Chris Egg-Krings said. “They were really dangerous. They almost led, 2-1, in the first half. Then it would have been a different ballgame.”

Diop put the visitors on the board first when he converted a pass from sophomore Tim Coe in the eighth minute, but PDS sophomore Ricardo Martinez evened the score when he knocked in a ball touched along by junior Donovan Davis with 11:11 left in the first half.

Just over three minutes later, Panthers senior back Jack Amaral took a free kick about 35 yards from the Red Raiders’ net and blasted it off the post, only to see the ball carom away from the goal.

Even though PDS’ defense and hard-working goalkeeper Ryan Sparks were able to clear away one Pennington chance with 3:30 left in the half, they were unable to keep Diop from breaking free for his second goal. He took a midfield pass from senior Adam Charles and glided in for the go-ahead tally 51.5 seconds before intermission.

“It was a tough game,” Amaral said. “We started strong, but faded at the end of the half. We tried to stay with them. After the break, we wanted to keep our formation more, communicate more and keep building.”

Egg-Krings put a crimp in that plan when he redirected a shot by senior back Kyle Galloway past Sparks and into the net eight minutes into the second half.

“I saw the ball Kyle kicked coming across the middle and their goalkeeper going the other way, so I hit it the other direction,” said the Wayne, Pa. native. “I think it took them by surprise.”

Two and a half minutes after Egg-Krings’ goal, Diop completed his hat trick by heading a pass from Pedro Dolabella in front of Sparks, then dribbling sideways to shoot around him into the vacated net.

A minute later, Dolabella, a senior from Brazil, knocked in a pass from junior Eric Broadway for the Red Raiders’ fifth goal. It was his third goal this year (second most on the club).

Amaral gave the home team some hope when he headed in a corner kick from junior Diego Garcia with 12:31 left.

Even a fine diving save by Sparks to thwart another shot by Diop with six minutes to go could not get Princeton Day School on top with all the different scoring options Pennington began to display.

Pennington (4-0) 2 3 — 5 PDS (1-1) 1 1 — 2

Goals — Diop 3, Egg-Krings, Dolabella (P), Martinez, Amaral (PDS).

Assists — Coe, Charles, Galloway, Dolabella, Broadway (P), Davis, Garcia (PDS).

Shots — 11 (P), 7 (PDS).

Saves — Pinado 4 (P), Sparks 6, Sood 0 (PDS).