Chaminade boys soccer falls to Delbarton, still working on forming own identity
Chaminade’s Joseph Pavano defends the ball against Delbarton’s Caleb McCormick during the first half at the Delbarton School in Morristown, N.J., on Sunday. Credit: Pamela Smith
MORRISTOWN, N.J. — Brian Anselmo was working the sideline, calmly providing instant feedback to his Chaminade players, teaching soccer lessons while Sunday’s game was in motion on Delbarton’s turf.
“I like the idea but with some finesse down the line,” the Flyers’ coach told one of his guys after playing a ball ahead in this conclusion to the Delbarton Soccer Invitational. “Don’t just hammer it.”
Chaminade is the defending state CHSAA champ and two-time defending NSCHSAA champ. It’s ranked third in the nation. But only two starters are back.
The Flyers have played some stiff competition and have now dropped three of their first four after falling 1-0 to Delbarton on Matt Brusco’s goal with 8:22 left.
“I won’t say we’re young because we’re all juniors and seniors,” Anselmo said. “But we graduated 15 seniors, nine of whom were starters.
“And so this group is now getting the opportunity to step in and create its own identity. This, I think, was the first day where we really showed our potential, and so that was a good thing. But, yeah, definitely a lot of teaching.”
So can they still win a second straight state title?
Hudson Keefer, the author of the winning goal in the 2025 state final, said that they “100%” can.
They had been dealing with a feeling of pressure to repeat, though, according to the senior.
“But I think today we kind of switched our mentality,” Keefer said. “We’re not last year’s team. We’re going to have to just play as ourselves. I think today we found our identity.”
They certainly looked strong in goal. Matthew Lagasse stood tall in more ways than one.
The 6-5 senior, who was the backup last season, made six saves, including three diving stops. His confidence level has risen.
“Definitely much higher than it was last year,” Lagasse said.
Lagasse and his teammates were facing New Jersey’s ninth-ranked team. Their opponent here Saturday was St. Augustine Prep, New Jersey’s fifth-ranked team. The Flyers lost, 4-0.
“We didn’t get the result we wanted [Sunday],” Lagasse said, “but we played much better.”
Luke Miller served a ball into the box and Brusco headed it past Lagasse. And that was it for the goals.
“[The Flyers] made it hard to break them down, and they got us frustrated at points in the game where we rushed and forced turnovers,” Green Wave coach David Donovan said. “Chaminade’s a great side, a class act, a class program.”
Keefer was robbed earlier in the second half via Vayun Swamy’s diving stop, one of his four saves. The Flyers, after losing 19-goal scorer Gianluca Falanga and 17-goal scorer Jack Dorsey on graduation day, have scored just twice over the four games.
Anselmo isn’t worried.
“We probably won’t have a 19-goal scorer,” he said, “but what we will have is a lot of guys with multiple goals.”
This sleepover trip for the two games should prove valuable for the Flyers.
“It’s a bonding experience,” Anselmo said, “and then it’s also the competition we’re playing.”
