By Wayne Witkowski
Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) made two determined comebacks before the Delbarton School broke away in the third period for a 5-2 victory in the NJSIAA Non-Public semifinals March 2 at Codey Arena in West Orange.
It marked the third straight year the two teams met late in the tournament, with them splitting championship game outcomes the two previous years.
This game had the intensity of a title game between the two rivals, as Delbarton moved on to the finals March 6 in search of its ninth straight title. It played Don Bosco Preparatory High School, which has yet to win the final game, at Mennen Arena.
“I don’t think we had great energy.We had great effort, which was fantastic, but we did not have great energy,” coach Ryan Bogan said after his team finished 16-5-4.
Both teams split their regular-season games by 3-1 scores. Delbarton avenged its only loss of the season suffered to the Colts Feb. 6.
“I think I agree. Our team worked really hard all season, but we didn’t have it tonight,” team captain Corey Clifton said.
Clifton’s goal in the second period pushed CBA into a 2-2 tie. Delbarton’s Hunter Macey made it 3-2 with a power play goal with just under five minutes left in the second period after CBA’s Sam Weber was called for hooking. The Green Wave kept that lead in improving to 26-1-2.
Clifton, who shares the team lead in goals with 13 with Derek Contessa, who had a hat trick in the victory over Delbarton earlier in the season, are two of the 10 seniors graduating from CBA. The Colts advanced into the semifinals with a 5-3 victory over St. Augustine Preparatory School, which avenged CBA’s 6-5 loss to the same team in the Gordon Cup semifinals.
“We had a lot of fun, a lot of good memories, but I did not like the ending,” Clifton said.
Delbarton took command in the third period on goals by Mark Benemerito, who skated in front of the crease and beat CBA goalie Jake Brown with a backhander, and Jalen Kaplan, who shot to the far side to score a power play goal over Brown’s left shoulder with 3:56 left for the 5-2 lead. CBA’s Garett Silverman answered with a power play goal two minutes later before Andrew Bosland closed the scoring with an empty-netter with 26 seconds left.
“Special teams really hurt us,” Clifton said of penalty killing. “They took advantage of it and kept battling all the way.”
“Special teams killed us all year,” Bogan said. “I thought we were resilient and played the way we were supposed to play, but we couldn’t do it with our specials.”
Delbarton scored its first three goals on one-on-one, point-blank opportunities on Brown. Nic Dietrich tied it at 1-1 for CBA with 1:48 left in the first period on a shot deflected out by Delbarton goalie Troy Kobryn.
“Delbarton did a good job in the neutral zone with back pressure,” said Bogan, who also felt the Green Wave’s hard forechecking took the puck off his players’ sticks many times and kept the Colts in pursuit all night.
Middletown
In what loomed as a possible crosstown rematch for the NJSIAA Public B tournament, Middletown High School North and Middletown High School South both lost semifinals games March 1 at Codey Arena.
Middletown North lost, 4-1, to Glen Rock High School, which earned a return to that state championship game. Glen Rock went on to play Wall High School, a 7-3 victor over Middletown South, March 6.
Glen Rock struck early for a 1-0 lead before Middletown North’s Brad Heuer answered just 35 seconds later. The Panthers put in two more goals over the final 1:09.
Despite losing outstanding scorers from recent seasons for this year, Middletown North had advanced in the tournament with a 4-3 overtime victory over Chatham High School, as John Dinnocenzo scored the tying and winning goals, and then won a shootout in a 4-3 victory over Point Pleasant Borough High School in the quarterfinals.
“It’s been a great run and it’s definitely something these guys will remember,” Middletown North coach Matt Clemente said, as his team finished 14-8-4. “I’m really proud of these guys and this is the most proud I’ve ever been of a team that didn’t win a state championship. The seniors set a new tone for Middletown North hockey, and it’s up for the younger kids to continue that next season.”
Gavin Gulash pulled Middletown South to 5-3 early in the third period of its semifinals game before Wall’s Shane Haviland put it away with two goals over the final 1:57. Haviland finished with four goals, as Middletown South ended its season 19-5-1.
Gulash finished the season with 17 goals behind leaders Ryan Lambert and Ryan D’Emilia, who had 18 goals each.
“We were looking to finish the job, so to speak, this year,” Middletown South coach Nemati said. “We just didn’t have our top stuff tonight, unfortunately. The effort was there. I fault nobody for effort or lack of trying. In a single-elimination game, anything can happen. Wall played a very good game, they capitalized on our mistakes, and I give them all the credit in the world.”
Middletown South reached the semifinals after an opening-round 8-1 victory over Jackson Liberty High School.
