Bergen Catholic wins big against Don Bosco by Sean Farrell of The Record
ORADELL – The noise emanating from the Bergen Catholic locker room was music to coach Joe Haemmerle’s ears.
The sound of victory in Oradell came from a chorus of Crusaders singing to “Sweet Caroline.”
No. 3 Bergen Catholic (2-1) enjoyed just about every minute of a 13-2 home win over No. 5 Don Bosco on Friday afternoon. And the celebration lived on long after the lacrosse team left the field at Crusader Stadium in one of the most dominant performances in recent memory.
“Their spirit has always been great,” Haemmerle said with a smile.
“It means a lot,” senior Shane Fable said. “There’s just something special about Bergen-Bosco.”
Bergen Catholic has now easily won two Gibbs divisional games in four days – including a victory over Ramapo – and is showing signs of another group capable of tournament success. The Crusaders’ preseason struggles now seem like just a thing of the past. The April slump that nearly derailed the team a year ago hasn’t reappeared.
“I think we can be a force,” Haemmerle said. “We’ll have to see if we can continue getting better for the rest of the season. But I really think we have a special group of kids.”
Bergen Catholic’s offense got off to a hot start, scoring all 13 goals in the first half, in large part because of Fable’s sharp play. He’s becoming the centerpiece of an offense that looks much different than the one from last season. So far, the St. Joseph-bound attack has risen to the challenge.
“It was sort of my debut varsity year last year and I was under the wing of Jeremy Magno, Trevor Weingarten and Frankie Feaster – all those great offensive players,” Fable said. “Now it’s my time and my senior year. There’s nothing better.”
All four of Fable’s goals came in the second quarter, as Bergen Catholic built up an insurmountable lead. He now has team-highs with goals (eight) and points (14).
“He’s a very unselfish guy to start with,” Haemmerle said. “But he’s got an exceptional work ethic. The work he did to prepare himself in the weight room leading his team is extraordinary. He’s the strongest player we’ve had in our program, and he might be the fastest.”
“He’s ready for the spotlight,” senior Alexander Borg said.
Borg showed why Don Bosco coach Brendan Gorman called him among the best faceoff specialists in the state. The Providence-bound Borg lived up to his reputation by going 13-of-15 in the circle, and helping Bergen Catholic score three times in a 54-second span at one point.
While Bergen Catholic put a barrage of shots on net, Don Bosco was held quiet with many of their opportunities coming from long range.
“I think winning the faceoff is going to make or break our season,” Fable said. “The ball starts on the X after every goal and the start of the half. When Borg performs like that, I don’t think anyone can beat us.”
Jack Walker also scored three goals for Bergen Catholic, while Anthony Scozzafava and John Titolo had two apiece.
“Scoring 13 goals is always great,” Fable said. “But after every game, no matter what the score is, I always feel like our offense can produce more.”