Senior defenseman Corbin Lukanski and junior middie Jack Sartorius were both amply satisfied with Delbarton’s performance Tuesday against Don Bosco Prep, though also holding tight to the team credo that urges all members to make their best game the next game.
Don’t take this the wrong way, fellas, but you may have set the bar a little high on this one.
The Green Wave, seeded second and ranked No. 2 in the NJ.com Top 20, dominated play from start to finish and at all corners of the field - and on Sartorius’ 18th birthday - to post a 12-1 victory over third-seeded and third-ranked Don Bosco Prep in the NJSIAA non-Public A semifinals at Cocoziello Field in Morris Township.
Sartorius, who matched his career best, Gray Doyle and Vincent Ferrara all scored two goals to lead a well-balanced offense while Lukanski, Julian Radossich, Finn Leamy, Jake Melchionni and the rest of the Delbarton defense put the clamps on a squad averaging 10.7 goals a game and riding an eight-game winning during which the Ironmen averaged 12.6 goals.
“We go into every game trying to make that game the best. With only more playoff experience down the way, I think we’re gonna get even better and better,” Lukanski said. “We were totally on the same page today, but we still strive to get better and better.”
Delbarton (19-5) hopes to at least be just a little better than it was in its first meeting with top-ranked Seton Hall Prep when those two square off Saturday for the Non-Public A championship at 2 p.m. at East Brunswick High. The Green Wave fell to the Pirates in overtime, 11-10, May 11 in an NJILL-Fitch/Pitt Division battle in Morris Township.
The winner of that game goes on to complete in the first Kirst Cup the following week along with the Non-Public B champion and the four public school winners.
Can Delbarton come close to replicating against Seton Hall what it was able to produce so convincingly against Don Bosco in search of its first title since 2019? The Green Wave lead all programs in New Jersey with 17 state championships.
“I hope so. I don’t think I want to play our best game of the year until the last game. That’s the goal,” Sartorius said. “We’re gonna come to practice tomorrow and the next day and we’re gonna work really hard and make sure that wasn’t our best performance.”
Maybe Delbarton was just extra excited about making Sartorius’ birthday a memorable one and merely tried to match up goals with the number of candles that would adorn his cake that evening. That would have been challenging once a running clock was initiated when the Green Wave seized a 12-0 lead on Spencer Shea’s goal with 10:48 left in the game.
“We knew this was a big game and we wanted to come out and have a great day. Everyone did and I think we accomplished that,” Sartorius said.
Certainly the offense did with 12 goals on 31 shots and nine players finding the back of the net at least once, including Delbarton’s top two faceoff men, who helped the Green Wave stake out a 13-4 advantage in that discipline.
Senior Nick Faccone stormed down the center of the box off his successful draw and connected on the run for a 3-0 lead just six seconds into the second quarter. Junior Ryan Trafford did the same at the start of the fourth quarter to open an 11-0 lead.
Luke Carrillo, Nick Dotro and Willie Doyle also scored for a Delbarton offense that seemed limitless in its ability to generate quality shots from just about anyone carrying a shortstick. And that came just five days after the Green Wave struggled to eliminate seventh-seeded St. Joseph (Mont.), which recently lost, 11-2, to Don Bosco.
“I think that’s when our offense is at its best; when we’re slinging the ball around, when everyone’s involved and we’re taking good shots,” Sartorius said. “I think that’s what we did today and we did it from the first whistle. I think that’s how we had such a dominant day on offense.”
The defense was probably even more impressive, closing off shooting angles, forcing numerous turnovers and leaving a young but prodigiously talented Ironmen offense groping for answers that weren’t there.
The Bucknell-bound Lukanski did his part by holding Princeton commit Mark Marino scoreless with his tenacious play. Marino entered the game with 40 goals and 21 assists this season and with 140 career points.
Don Bosco’s only goal came with 8:49 left in the contest when Brady Scioletti converted a feed from Hudson O’Hara. The Ironmen attempted just 14 shots.
“I’m really hyped. But I really owe it to me teammates in practice for trying to get me better. Those guys work their tails off to give me a good one-on-one and challenge me in practice. Honestly, they do a great job ad I owe it to them,” Lukanski said.
“Honestly, our communication was amazing and our slide packages were great and the clearing game today was absolutely great,” he said. “I think those things today really helped us get better and win the game today.”
Doyle and Sartorius each scored in the first quarter to send Delbarton to a 2-0 lead that felt bigger than what the score said. The Green Wave had unleashed 10 shots to Bosco’s two and commanded possession time. They pretty much matched possession time in the second quarter, though reaped much greater rewards for their patience.
“We’re alway moving the ball and trying to make those simple plays, like tough ground balls to help spark our offense,” Lukanski said.
Faccone ignited that second-quarter scoring with his faceoff win, and Sartorius followed 1:17 later when he collected a ground ball off off a piper by Willie Doyle and scored for a 4-0 lead. Gray Doyle, Ferrara and Carrillo each struck over the final 10:28 for a 7-0 advantage.
The Green Wave raised that lead to 10-0 in the third quarter with single goals by Dotro, Ferrara and Willie Doyle and also four saves from senior Aidan Troy. The UPenn commit finished with seven saves before being replaced in the fourth quarter by Charlie Medd and then Patrick Roelke.
The N.J. High School Sports newsletter now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now to be among the first to get all the boys and girls sports you care bout, straight to your inbox each weekday. To add your name, click here.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.
Mike Kinney can be reached at mkinney@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MikeKinneyHS.
Ad Choices