Delbarton Dominates Top-Ranked Summit, 10-3

Heading into this highly anticipated matchup between two of the top teams in Jersey, Summit (10-0) came in unbeaten and riding a 16-game winning streak dating back to May of last year, while Delbarton (10-4) was coming off a loss to Malvern Prep (P.A.) last Saturday and needed a big win to get back on track.   The Green Wave outscored the Hilltoppers in every quarter, dominating the time of possession by a wide margin due to their methodical approach offensively and terrific work at the face-off X by [player_tooltip player_id='143645' first='Kane' last='Quenault'] (Notre Dame) and [player_tooltip player_id='141501' first='Jesse' last='DeNegri'] (Johns Hopkins) to stack possessions and tire out the opposing defenders.   The Hilltoppers were denied by the pipe multiple times, with their sole tally in the first half coming off a give-and-go feed in transition when [player_tooltip player_id='45416' first='James' last='Grainger'] (Washington & Lee) connected with his future college teammate, [player_tooltip player_id='175878' first='Quinn' last='Hynes'] (Washington & Lee). Summit found some life in the third frame with sophomore defensemen [player_tooltip player_id='169937' first='Cooper' last='Smoragiewicz'] taking it coast-to-coast for his fifth goal of the season and senior midfielder [player_tooltip player_id='176811' first='Luke' last='Fowler'] (Vermont) sticking one in the back of the net from deep for his eighth goal of the year, but no more offense would be generated with smothering defense from the Green Wave.   Delbarton's offensive upperclassmen talent was on full display with [player_tooltip player_id='37831' first='Jack' last='Sheridan'] (Bucknell) and [player_tooltip player_id='121825' first='Brandon' last='Fodor'] (Johns Hopkins) each netting two and dishing out an assist, while [player_tooltip player_id='25528' first='Christian' last='Troczynski'] (Cornell) along with [player_tooltip player_id='17442' first='Pierce' last='Bolger'] (Brown) each recorded on a pair of goals as well. On the other end, defensemen [player_tooltip player_id='17245' first='Dara' last='Corr'] (Cornell), [player_tooltip player_id='176809' first='Tommy' last='Kovachik'] (Dickinson), and [player_tooltip player_id='123560' first='John' last='Fodor'] (Johns Hopkins) anchored the defensive unit in front of junior net-minder [player_tooltip player_id='176826' first='Matty' last='McGinty'], who finished with seven saves.   It should be interesting to see how the county tournaments unfold for both of these top-tier teams before they gear up for the last few games of the regular season.   Standouts:    Corr was a key reason why the Hilltoppers' offensive unit was held to just three goals on the afternoon. He exhibits great instincts and awareness off-ball and does a good job of keeping his stick in passing lanes, where he was able to cause a few turnovers by deflecting passes, while also showcasing his physicality in ground ball scrums with his large frame at 6'3". The Cornell commit came out of multiple scrums with the ball and displayed his stick skills and high IQ in transition, making smart plays and not forcing offensive chances that weren't there. Corr is a lengthy defender and uses his stick and body to his advantage, keeping his matchup in front of him when on the ball, throwing hard checks, and displaying good position defense when getting dodged on. He was also vocal for the man-down unit and slides hard, with a purpose, usually ending with his opponent on the ground or him flipping the field in an instant on a loose ball.     Quenault continued a solid junior campaign, winning 80% of his attempts on eight wins and cashing in on a goal in transition coming off a clean win to give Delbarton and their home crowd a jolt of energy. He and [player_tooltip player_id='141501' first='Jesse' last='DeNegri'] are a dangerous one-two punch at the X for the Green Wave, with both also having the ability to kickstart the offense and handle the rock under pressure. The Notre Dame commit was polled at the X a couple of times by Summit and handled it well with quick hands and poise. The Leading Edge product is capable of winning the draw in any direction, and when the ball is loose, he shows his physicality and lower body strength to box out and gain position on his matchup. With how large the deficit was, Quenault wasn't seen at all in the final quarter, but was a big reason why the Green Wave were able to get out to their early lead and build off of that.     Bolger had a great day for the Green Wave and stayed active with and without the ball, leading to good scoring chances and high percentage shots at the net. He is a big body to deal with, and while he didn't beat Summit with his speed or dodging ability, he was able to get loose on the crease and be effective. The Brown commit finished with two goals, both of which were manufactured off of hard cuts in the middle of the defense and finished with accuracy and overpowering strength. His first goal came on a man-up opportunity where he was able to find the soft spot in the middle, and [player_tooltip player_id='175752' first='Chase' last='Houser'] was able to find him on the inside cut for a quick shot. His second goal came with a pass inside and a defender draped all over him, but Bolger was able to use his strength to follow through on his shot and extend the lead in the 4th quarter. He is a great option in the middle for Delbarton with how elusive he can be, combined with good fundamentals and a quick release on his shot.     Zulauf is a traditional, gritty, and tough shortstick defensive midfielder and plays fast and physical for the Hilltoppers. He uses his background in football to deliver clean, well-placed hits on his opponents with good timing and to flip the field in a hurry with his ground-ball skills and speed in the open field. The Franklin & Marshall commit connected on a few big hits in this game to try to give some life to his team and never gave up on a play with good awareness and great hustle all around the field. When Summit had to switch to man-to-man defense to try to pressure their opponents, the Tri-State product was aggressive and let his athleticism take over, matching feet with his opponents and playing great positional defense, not allowing his matchup to get to the middle for an open look. While Zulauf doesn't light up the stat sheet, he does everything a coach looks for in their SSDM, and if needed, could be a threat with the ball in transition.     Hynes didn't take many possessions off, with Summit needing quick offense throughout the game, staying aggressive and ready to make a play for his team and contributing on two out of the three goals scored on the day. The Washington & Lee commit showed his chemistry with [player_tooltip player_id='45416' first='James' last='Grainger'] in transition for his only goal, with good ball placement and a quick release to surprise the defense from range. He is a very quick and crafty dodger who looks to initiate offense, which is how he connected with Fowler late in the 3rd quarter for a tally. The BBL product beat his man from the top, and when the slide came, he turned back to the middle to find his teammate wide open for a high-percentage step-down look. Hynes was the hero in the OT win vs. Seton Hall Prep, and his clutch gene is hopefully going to help the Hilltoppers in the county tournament and beyond.

Heading into this highly anticipated matchup between two of the top teams in Jersey, Summit (10-0) came in unbeaten and riding a 16-game winning streak dating back to May of last year, while Delbarton (10-4) was coming off a loss to Malvern Prep (P.A.) last Saturday and needed a big win to get back on track.