HAT TRICK LEADS NO. 1 DON BOSCO TO 1ST GORDON CUP SINCE 2014

When Delbarton took a 3-1 lead in the second period with two goals in 35 seconds, there was no panic on the Don Bosco bench. The recent track record in the postseason against second-seeded and No. 2 Delbarton didn’t make the top-seeded Ironmen, No. 1 in the NJ.com Top 20, panic or lose focus. The team stayed loose and kept trying to get back to playing its game. Max Schwarz maintained his confidence in goal, but that didn’t stop defenseman Thomas Schweighardt from skating over to remind him they had his back. “I’m always going to have his back,” Schweighardt said. “I just tell him to stop that puck and we’ll do the rest.” The senior lived up to his word and scored just under two minutes later to cut the deficit in half. From that point on, momentum began to swing. Connor Sedlak found himself in the right place at the right time near the midway point of the third to tie things up, as a shot bounced off the end boards to him in the slot and he put it past a sprawling Brett Cleaves. Just 27 seconds later, Schweighardt took center stage again, as his long shot from the point found its way to the back of the net to complete his second hat trick in as many days and give Don Bosco a 4-3 lead with 7:54 to go. Schwarz and the defense took over from there and the team was able to seal a 5-3 win for its first Gordon Cup title since 2014 at Codey Arena in West Orange. “I thought we were cursed so this is a step in the right direction,” said Schwarz, who made 16 saves. “That’s one milestone but we need to put everything together and get that state title.” That may just be one milestone, but it’s also the team’s third win of the season against Delbarton, which is something last year’s squad was unable to do. “This is a unique group,” said Don Bosco assistant coach Sean Foye. “They have a great mentality. It’s fun as a coach when you don’t have to say too much. These guys never freak out or panic.” After a scoreless first period, a power-play goal from JP Nolan put Delbarton on the board first, but minutes later it was Schweighardt tying things up with his first goal of the night. “He’s a special player,” Foye said. “A lot of times he’s one of the smartest kids on the ice. Today he kind of put everyone on his back.” Max Williams and Michael Balzarotti provided the goals to make it a 3-1 game for Delbarton. Balzarotti finished the game with three points and Cleaves made 24 saves. Liam McLinskey buried an empty-netter with two seconds left to put the game away for his third point. While the team can enjoy another step forward, it’s back to work in a few days with four more wins between it and its ultimate goal. “Last year I felt we walked in expecting a trophy,” Schwarz said. “When you expect something you’re not going to get it. This year it’s nothing but hard work, we can’t expect anything like last year.”

HAT TRICK LEADS NO. 1 DON BOSCO TO 1ST GORDON CUP SINCE 2014

Photo Credit: Scott Faytok