SEDLAK, MCLINSKEY STRIKE QUICKLY TO PACE NO. 2 DON BOSCO OVER NO. 1 DELBARTON

Don Bosco seniors Liam McLinskey and Tyler Sedlak needed just two chances to turn a scoreless tie into a lead that seemed insurmountable as soon as the puck crossed the goal line. The two connected twice in the span of 15 seconds, with McLinskey crossing the puck to Sedlak for the finish on a pair of 2-on-1 chances, and that was more than enough as Don Bosco, No. 2 in the NJ.com Top 20, topped No. 1 Delbarton, 3-0. "(McLinskey) picked it up in the neutral zone and we went in 2-on-1, he was able to make a nice saucer pass over to me and it was a pretty open net. I couldn't miss that one. "Next one, it was a bit of a repeat except Liam was able to battle for it and we got another 2-on-1. He slid it under this time and the goalie almost got it but it ended up getting it in the back of the net. That was a good 2-0 lead to get on the board early. Then we focused on defense, ended up getting another one and running away with it from there." Sedlak's two goals and McLinskey's score later in the second was more than enough offense behind another stellar outing from Max Schwarz, who notched the shutout on 24 shots. Delbarton goalie Brett Cleaves was able to turn away 29 shots on net. Delbarton turned up the aggression in the first period and spent much of the first 15 minutes in the attacking zone as Schwarz continued to turn away shot after shot. That Green Wave aggression continued out of the first intermission but it didn't change the plan for Don Bosco. The Ironmen waited for its opportunity to strike in the second period. It culminated in the two captains executing on a scenario that has become second nature for the duo. "I picked up the puck and saw the 2-on-1 chance," McLinskey said. "I tried to look him off so the defense would think I was shooting then go back to Tyler and he knows how to finish with the puck. We're always working on building on that chemistry together." After the quick strikes, Don Bosco looked to focus on its defensive side but that didn't stop McLinskey from adding even more insurance. McLinskey got the puck to the left of the Delbarton net and sent a wrister into the top shelf that expanded the Ironmen lead to three. That advantage was more than enough for Don Bosco, which was able to limit Delbarton's chances by keeping the Green Wave in its own defensive zone for much of the third period. "It was really a transition game, especially in the third period," Don Bosco coach Greg Toskos said. "We were able to keep a lot of pucks in the zone and wear them down in the third period." With the win, Don Bosco swept the regular season seres, winning both games by a combined margin of 6-1. Yet the Ironmen, who won both regular season games against Delbarton last year but lost its only two games of the season to the Green Wave in the Gordon Cup and Non-Public finals, know it means nothing if they can't produce again in the postseason. "Going 2-0 against them in the regular season is nice. But it means absolutely nothing," Sedlak said. "Come playoff time, it's crunch time and you have to find a way to win those. Added Toskos, "I think the message was less about, 'we'll see them,' and we will, and was more about that they played in the structure that we asked them to. Which was, before the game, we need to think that this is a state championship type atmosphere and play like it. Every play you make, every detail that's out there is important."

SEDLAK, MCLINSKEY STRIKE QUICKLY TO PACE NO. 2 DON BOSCO OVER NO. 1 DELBARTON

Photo Credit: Andrew Koob