Delbarton Lacrosse continued its second-half excellence on Saturday with a convincing 12-5 victory over Mountain Lakes, fueled by standout performances from Peter Falk and Gavin Romweber.
The game got off to a lightning-fast start as Christian Troczynski scooped up the opening faceoff and scored just seven seconds in to give Delbarton an early 1-0 lead. Mountain Lakes answered at the 9:23 mark, tying the game at 1-1, and that score held through the end of the first quarter.
Early in the second, the Lakers pulled ahead 2-1, but Delbarton quickly responded. Peter Falk tied the game at 2-2 with 5:40 left in the half, finishing off a rebound for his first of three goals on the day. Falk scored again with 3:57 remaining, giving Delbarton a 3-2 lead heading into the halftime break.
The Green Wave, known this season for their dominant second half play, took control in the third quarter. Romweber opened the half with a goal at 10:31 to make it 4-2. Minutes later, Falk connected with Brandon Fodor on a crisp give-and-go that Fodor buried for a 5-2 lead. Though the Lakers responded to cut it to 5-3, Jack Sheridan capitalized off a faceoff win by Kane Quenault to push the lead back to 6-3.
Mt. Lakes kept within striking distance, making it 6-4 with 1:34 left in the third, but Delbarton shut the door from there. Fodor notched his second of the game with 45 seconds left to make it 7-4, and the Green Wave never looked back, erupting for five more goals in the final quarter.
Falk completed his hat trick early in the fourth to extend the lead to 8-4, followed by Romweber's second goal on a fake and finish. Chase Houser added a gritty goal in front of the net, Asher Testa cashed in to make it 11-4, and Romweber capped off his hat trick just 25 seconds later. Lakes added one late, but the Green Wave finished the game without another goal allowed, taking a 12-5 victory back to Mendham Road.
Falk finished with six points (3 goals, 3 assists), while Romweber tallied five (3 goals, 2 assists). Fodor contributed two goals and an assist, and Jared Baudin added a pair of assists.
The faceoff unit was again a difference-maker, with Kane Quenault winning 5-of-6, Phil Minardo 4-of-6, and Troczynski 3-of-6. Goalie Tanner Shimko earned the win with eight saves, while Finn McGuire closed things out in the fourth with a save and one goal allowed.
Delbarton returns to Cocoziello Field this week with two big games, welcoming Westfield on Thursday, before a marquee matchup on Saturday with nationally ranked Malvern Prep.
