By Mike Gurnis
With just four goals to his name this season, defenseman Sean O’Gwen’s name is not one that comes to mind when discussing the top threats to play the offensive hero for Delbarton in a big game.
It originally appeared he’d have that role when he broke a 3-3 tie with 38 seconds left in regulation of Wednesday night’s Non-Public semifinal against St. Joseph of Montvale. But when St. Joseph miraculously tied it 21 seconds later, it appeared that moment would be forgotten, however the game ended.
Not to worry, though. It only took 20 seconds of overtime for O’Gwen to be the hero again.
One of the more unlikely heroes, O’Gwen scored twice in what amounted to 58 seconds of actual game time to propel top-seeded Delbarton to a dramatic 5-4 win over fifth-seeded St. Joseph of Montvale in the Non-Public tournament semifinals at Mennen Arena.
“This group doesn’t get too high, doesn’t get too low,” Delbarton coach Bruce Shatel said of the swings in emotion. “That’s a big positive for us. We’d like to play a complete game and not give our opponent four goals in a game. That’s kind of uncharacteristic of us, but it’s hockey, and you can’t script the game before it starts.”
The win sent Delbarton to the Non-Public final for the third time in four years. It will face second-seeded Christian Brothers on Monday at 3:15 p.m. at Newark’s Prudential Center.
Delbarton will look to win its first state title since 2018.
“We got that goal to make it 4-3 with 40 seconds left, and then we let one up,” O’Gwen said. “We went to the locker room knowing that we’re not gonna lose his game. We got it done.”
It was a game full of twists and turns, which began with St. Joseph taking the lead midway through the first on Ryan Beanland’s shorthanded breakaway goal. But Delbarton responded as Jack Gerne and Matteo Conte scored 33 seconds apart late in the period to take the lead, before Aidan Pasic extended the lead to 3-1 early in the third.
Delbarton appeared to be in complete control of the game, owning a 23-5 shot advantage at one point. But momentum shifted back in St. Joseph’s favor when Logan Hughes scored off a sharp angle late in the third period to cut it to 3-2, and suddenly the crowd and bench were back into it.
Then, with 13 seconds left, Kyle Kondratowicz made a pass to set up a 2-on-0, which Hughes finished off to tie it before the third period.
The teams traded penalties throughout the third period. Finally, with 38 seconds left, O’Gwen found the back of the net to give Delbarton the lead, and presumably a spot in the state final. But just as quick as it appeared the Green Wave were going to begin making plans for a trip to Newark on Monday, Hughes scored on the ensuing rush down the ice to tie the game and ultimately force overtime.
“I think they needed a calming voice in that moment. I think I needed one too, to be honest with you,” Shatel said, with a laugh. “To be honest, 35 seconds to go in the game, we have five really good defensive players on the ice, and I just thought we were too loose. That says a lot about their team over there. We knew that they were talented and they play with good structure, but they are resilient, and for them to respond the way they did throughout the night says a lot about their coaching staff, about their personnel. They’re going to be tough to handle moving forward.”
Overtime, however, is where Delbarton has thrived all year. It had gone 2-0 in overtime this year, including the Gordon Cup final. Much like this game, Delbarton surrendered a two-goal lead before it ultimately broke through in the extra session.
“I think we’re just a tough team,” O’Gwen said. “We know that even if it’s not even in overtime, we can get the last one and finish it off in close games.”
It was Delbarton’s first state playoff overtime win since the 2011 Non-Public final, when it defeated St. Augustine. Its last three overtime playoff games saw it fall in the 2023 Non-Public final, the 2020 Non-Public quarterfinals, and the 2015 Non-Public final.
“All we said was get pucks deep,” said Matteo Conte. “First guy, touch the puck, give it to the D, you know, work it around. Our team did it awesome. We learned how to bury the puck and just fought adversity.”
Shatel added, “We’ve been fortunate enough to play a really tough schedule against some really high-end teams, and it’s good that we’ve been in overtime before. There’s nothing like experience, and our guys didn’t panic. We were just preaching to get pucks below the goal line early. We got a dump in right away, which caused an offensive zone face off. I think that’s what ultimately led to Sean on a reset, having the confidence to carry the puck. He had a pretty good opportunity to fire a puck, and that was a beauty.”
Now, Delbarton will have its sights set on ending a seven-year state title drought. Since it completed a three-peat in 2018, the Green Wave have returned to the finals at Prudential Center in 2019, 2022, and 2023, only to come up short in each appearance.
It’s the program’s longest title drought since it went 10 years between them from 1992-2002.
“It’s not only for us, it’s for the alumni, it’s for seniors in the past that didn’t get that opportunity,” Conte said. “We get to come in here and basically just correct that for them. Just come out and try to win them a state championship.”
SCORING SUMMARY
First period
SJR — Ryan Beanland 8:39 SHG
DEL — Jack Gerne (Jack Ross) 1:24
DEL — Matteo Conte (Sean O’Gwen, Ayden Puppe) 0:51
Second period
DEL — Aidan Pasic (Ayden Puppe) 9:09
SJR — Logan Hughes (Dante Mangarelli) 3:33
SJR — Logan Hughes (Kyle Kondratowicz) 0:13
Third period
DEL — Sean O’Gwen 0:38
SJR — Logan Hughes (Shane Tobin) 0:17
Overtime
DEL — Sean O’Gwen (Jack Gerne) 14:20
Shots on goal: Delbarton 39, St. Joseph 22.
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E-mail Mike Gurnis at michaelgurnis@gmail.com
Morris-Sussex Hockey Report 