Delbarton Outlasts SHP’s Late Rally, Claims Non-Public Title 8-7

For the first time since 2023, the Delbarton Green Wave (19-6) reigns supreme over their Non-Public State bracket, taking down archrival Seton Hall Prep (14-7) after a late surge from the Pirates. This matchup was hosted by Kean University, with both fanbases coming by the bunches to energize their squads, making for a fantastic lacrosse environment.   The Green Wave got started early with a goal by senior attackman [player_tooltip player_id='17442' first='Pierce' last='Bolger'] (Brown) on the very first possession of the game and hit the ground running on both ends for the rest of the half, with upperclassmen midfielders [player_tooltip player_id='143595' first='Brody' last='Cozic'] and Gus Cummings each netting a goal along with FOGO [player_tooltip player_id='141501' first='Jesse' last='DeNegri'] (Johns Hopkins). For the Pirates, freshman [player_tooltip player_id='178548' first='Matthew' last='Solomon'], junior [player_tooltip player_id='113110' first='Alex' last='Ante'] (Stony Brook), and senior Declan Farrell all connected on goals to make it a manageable 5-3 lead at half for Delbarton.   The two-headed monster of [player_tooltip player_id='143645' first='Kane' last='Quenault'] (Notre Dame) and [player_tooltip player_id='141501' first='Jesse' last='DeNegri'] (Johns Hopkins) for the Green Wave were firing on all cylinders in the first half, losing only one of the nine face-offs and controlling the time of possession for their team, leading to offensive chances.   On the other end, [player_tooltip player_id='176826' first='Matty' last='McGinty'] backstopped Delbarton's defensive unit, surrounded by a group of stud defensemen including senior [player_tooltip player_id='17245' first='Dara' last='Corr'] (Cornell), junior [player_tooltip player_id='123560' first='John' last='Fodor'] (Johns Hopkins) and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='167954' first='Max' last='Melchionni'], making it tough on their matchups, causing turnovers and bad shots, shutting out SHP in the 3rd quarter.   The Pirates were determined to continue to fight, with brothers Drew Merklinger (Gettysburg) and [player_tooltip player_id='123945' first='Jack' last='Merklinger'] (Georgetown) each finding the back of the net as well as seniors [player_tooltip player_id='37831' first='Jack' last='Sheridan'] (Bucknell) and [player_tooltip player_id='25528' first='Christian' last='Troczynski'] (Cornell) for Delbarton. Senior Pirate attackman [player_tooltip player_id='24402' first='Owen' last='Dunleavy'] (UMBC) netted a pair of goals late in the game, but with a last-second chance, [player_tooltip player_id='176809' first='Tommy' last='Kovachik'] (Dickinson) and [player_tooltip player_id='167954' first='Max' last='Melchionni'] collapsed on [player_tooltip player_id='121228' first='Jagger' last='Zemachson'] (Duke) to jar the ball loose as time expired.   Delbarton punches its ticket to the Kirst Cup, making its 2nd appearance since its inception, and will have to wait and see who will be joining them.    Houser had a great day for the Green Wave, finishing with a pair of goals and a helper to ignite the offense. Two of his three points came in the 2nd quarter, where he first found a cutting Gus Cummings in the middle for a goal and then followed that up by taking it himself. From X, he beat his matchup and used his speed to evade the double team and find the middle for a stinger past Lyons. Houser's other goal came as the only tally for either team in the 3rd frame, where The High Point commit stayed alert on the crease and snatched a rebound and dumped it in. Houser finishes his final season leading his team in goals (52).     DeNegri backed up Quenault, as he has all season long, and was a spark as a 2nd option for this Green Wave attack, going 5 for 6 in a somewhat low-scoring affair. He also netted a momentum-shifting goal in the 2nd quarter to fire back at the Pirates after their goal, making that his only goal of the season and the 2nd of his career. The Johns Hopkins commit is a stocky, challenging matchup, with the strength to overpower opponents or the hand speed to beat them to the punch and win it clean. DeNegri finishes his junior season with 100 face-off wins at 72% and played a vital role for Delbarton in its state title run.     McGinty led Delbarton's defense this spring in his first year starting and was a massive piece to this team's success. He is a big body between the pipes with good footwork and agility to get low or sweep across the net for a save. The BBL product posted 9 saves in the win, with many of them coming in the first half, helping his offense get possessions and mount a lead. Down the stretch, he was active on clears from turnovers, making smart choices with the ball and working methodically upfield. McGinty communicates well with his teammates, putting them in good positions, and it will be fun to see what he has in store for us in the summer circuit and next spring. He finished the season with 139 saves.     Covering [player_tooltip player_id='121825' first='Brandon' last='Fodor'] all game long, Zemachson played great defense and limited him to two assists on the day. He went to work right away, producing a pair of caused turnovers in the first frame and showcasing his speed in the open field off loose ball pickups. The Duke commit can handle the ball in transition with confidence, accounting for 7 points this year (4G, 3A), and has rare speed for his size to create separation in space. Zemachson can also lay the body on a slide with clean contact and aggression to jar the ball loose. He was clutch late in the game for the Pirates, forcing a turnover on the clear, which led to Dunleavy's first goal to cut the lead. Zemachson has continued to cement himself as one of the best defenders in his class.     Solomon was fun to watch in this game, with his quick first step out of his dodge and the ability to use either hand. He finished with one goal in this game, coming in the first quarter to tie the game at one a-piece when he collected a pass down the right alley and finished low-to-low on the run past McGinty to lift the crowd. He was an active piece of the offense all game for the Pirates, showing the patience to dodge and re-dodge his matchup to get a step and initiate offense. As he is only a freshman, there is a lot to look forward to in the future for this young prospect.     Hayes was a bright spot on this Pirates defense, with multiple caused turnovers and crucial ground balls to help his team. He is an aggressive and smooth defender, delivering hard hits on opponents, while also displaying his speed to match feet with his matchups and connect on stick checks. In the clearing game, the High Point commit presses up and pesters his opponents, leading to turnovers and extra possessions for his offense to work with. In the final frame, he was a big part of the Pirates' late surge, scooping two ground balls from the wing to win possessions and give his team a chance to cut the lead.

For the first time since 2023, the Delbarton Green Wave (19-6) reigns supreme over their Non-Public State bracket, taking down archrival Seton Hall Prep (14-7) after a late surge from the Pirates. This matchup was hosted by Kean University, with both fanbases coming by the bunches to energize their squads, making for a fantastic lacrosse environment.