Seton Hall Prep lacrosse team wins 11th straight Essex County Tournament title

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Seton Hall Prep lacrosse team won three matches last week, capturing its 14th Essex County Tournament title. 

The top-seeded Pirates defeated second-seeded Caldwell, 14-4, in the final on Saturday, May 11, in Verona. It was the 20th ECT and their 11th consecutive ECT title.

After the score was tied 4-4 at the half, the Pirates broke open the match, scoring four goals in the third quarter. Luke Knezovic had two goals and Owen Dunleavy and Charlie Killen each had one in the quarter. 

Knezovic finished with three goals and two assists, Tyler Juhlin had three goals and one assist; Christian Schweiger, Dunleavy and Nolan Sabel each scored two goals; and Sabel had five assists. Luigi Pantano won nine of 16 faceoffs. Adam Angel had eight saves and Conor Keenan had 10 saves in goal for the Pirates, who won their seventh match in a row and improved to 9-5 on the season.

Following the victory, Juhlin said, “This championship is cool and we appreciate it but we have bigger games coming up to win.”

In the semifinals on Thursday, May 9, at Brendan P. Tevlin Memorial Field in West Orange, Seton Hall defeated fifth-seeded West Essex, 18-3. Joe DelMauro scored three goals, while Knezovic, Juhlin, Dunleavy, Schweiger and Killen each scored two goals and Sabel had five assists. Pantano won 11 of 15 faceoffs.

In the quarterfinals against ninth-seeded Columbia, the Pirates won, 16-1, Tuesday, May 7. Juhlin led the scoring with three goals and three assists, while DelMauro, Knezovic and Killen each scored two goals. Pantano won nine of 10 faceoffs.

The following Pirates were selected to the all-Fitch/Pitt League teams:

• First team: Julin, a senior attacker; and Schweiger, a senior midfielder.
• Second team: Sabel, a junior midfielder; senior defenseman Jonah Choi and Pantano, a senior faceoff player.. 
• Honorable mention: senior defenseman Pat Quinn.

  Seton Hall Prep lacrosse