Fast starts have been a staple for Don Bosco Prep over the course of this past week.

It was those same fast starts that put the Ironmen, No. 1 in the NJ.com Top 20, that gave Don Bosco an early edge, one that it would hold on to in a physical game against No. 3 Christian Brothers in a 5-2 victory Sunday night.

Don Bosco would score the game's first two goals in the opening four-plus minutes and would go into the first intermission with a 3-1 lead. The Ironmen exacted some revenge on the Colts after Christian Brothers won the first meeting between the two teams this season, 3-2, in what has been Don Bosco's only loss so far this year.

"We came out fast on them last time and their goalie was great," Don Bosco coach Greg Toskos said. "We wanted the same first period that we had down there. I think we were able to do that early. The game got away from everyone about halfway through that game but the first period was a pretty fast period for us."

In its last four games in wins over Gloucester Catholic, St. Augustine, Ramsey (in the Bergen County Tournament quarterfinals) and now Christian Brothers, Don Bosco has scored at least two goals in the first period and has won each game by at least three goals. 

It's been a stretch, that also includes a shutout win over previously top-ranked Delbarton, that has Don Bosco playing its best hockey to date with much more in mind after a disappointing end to last season where the Ironmen lost just twice, both to Delbarton in the Gordon Cup and the Non-Public final.

"During the break, we said that this is the second half of the season and we have to step it up," Senior captain TJ Schweighardt said. "The past few years haven't gone our way and we have to make sure that it goes our way in our senior year."

Tyler Sedlak would post a hat trick, completing it three minutes into the second period. Schweighardt led the Ironmen with four assists as Max Schwarz allowed two goals, both on power plays, while stopping 23 shots on net.

Matt Herrick and Ray Cartigiano found the back of the cage for Christian Brothers with Zachary Wagnon and Garett Silverman recording an assist each. Jake Brown made 36 saves in the loss.

Sedlak and Zach Hammond netted the first two goals to give Don Bosco the early edge with Herrick getting Christian Brothers on the board as he netted a goal on a 5-on-4 advantage with five minutes left in the opening frame. Sedlak would get No. 2 with 1:26 with Schweighardt and Liam McLinskey assisting on both Sedlak scores.

Sedlak would finish the hat trick three minutes into the second period. After that score, both teams spent a considerable amount in the penalty box.

The two sides combined for a total of 20 penalties and 46 penalty minutes, including two five-minute majors and seven different instances of roughing. Much of the second period was played with one or more players in the penalty box

"The only thing you can do is take ice time away and that's what we did. We started running out of guys," Toskos said.

Amid the multiple marches to the box, McLinskey would net Don Bosco's fifth goal five minutes into the second period. Carligiano would take advantage of a power play and get a puck past Schwarz with 12 minutes on the clock in the third.