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Livingston defeated Verona 8-3 for its first-ever Essex County Tournament title on Saturday, May 9, at Allen 'Jake' Jaco bson Memorial Field with solid effort that include the work of leading scorer Will Davis (14) persistence from others such as Noah Shin (21). The intensity was certainly there as was good work on faceoffs while veteran head coach Brad Dzama happily endured the customary post-game dousing and the team could gather together with their ECT championship hardware. (Photos by Ayden Acebo and Jeff Stiefbold)
LIVINGSTON- When 12-time defending champion Seton Hall Prep elected not to enter this season’s Essex County Lacrosse Tournament the door was left open for something completely different to ensue. And, did the dominoes fall in definitely new directions, which led to an upset-filled quarterfinal round as the top two seeds Montclair and Glen Ridge were knocked off, and then an eventual final with a pair of first-time participants in fourth-seeded Verona and seventh-seeded Livingston. What would happen next was anyone’s guess as a high-octane Hillbillies squad, averaging close to 11 goals per game and were the final undefeated boys lacrosse team left in New Jersey, took on a defensive-minded Lancers squad that was fortified by having played a very strenuous Bianchi Division schedule, but had also been through a few ups and downs along the way during its journey to get to this point. The championship game, played under frequently rainy skies on the Lancers’ Allen ‘Jake’ Jacobson Memorial Field wound up providing a few more intriguing twists as that noteworthy Livingston defense proved to be decisive as standout goalie Dylan Levine and the stellar group of athletes in front of him helped pave the way to an 8-3 victory over the ‘Billies (12-1) and a first-ever ECT title for Lancers (11-6). “We are very confident with our defense and we feel like we have one of the best goalies anywhere in Dylan,” said Livingston senior face-off artist and midfielder Mitchell Snow. “We knew that Verona has a great offense with some talented scorers, but we were able to hold them down and give our offense the ball and a chance to fire enough times into the back of the net to make a difference. “This team has great senior leaders and we’ve all come together so well at the right time to win our first county championship, and nothing feels better than to win this with my boys!” It’s been quite the run for the Lancers who started out the season at a strong 5-1 with the only setback being an 11-10 overtime loss to Montclair Kimberley Academy, then three losses in a row starting with one-sided setbacks to strong teams in Madison and SHP before a very disappointing 6-5 defeat to neighboring Newark Academy on April 17. There were then losses to perennial county stronghold Caldwell (8-7 in another overtime contest) and 16-9 to defending Group 1 state champ Glen Ridge who many people believed were the best team other than SHP in the county entering this spring’s campaign. But then came the opportunity to do something very special in what turned out to be a very wide-open 2026 ECT. A 10-4 win over Millburn was followed by the win of the tournament for Livingston, a thrilling 8-7 double-overtime quarterfinal stunner over second-seeded Glen Ridge on the same afternoon with eighth-seeded West Essex was knocking off top-seeded Montclair. Then came more redemption for Livingston with an 8-7 win at third-seeded Caldwell, the same score as the regular season matchup between the two teams, but this time in regulation as the Lancers’ noteworthy defense came through again in big spots. Holding a Verona team to eight goals below its season average in the ECT final would take a momentous defensive effort, and Livingston definitely answered the bell. “We’re very confident with our defense,” said the Lancers’ longtime head coach Brad Dzama, who has had two different tenures as head coach (2002-2006 and then 2011 to the present). “They (Verona) do have a great offense with some talented scorers, but we are very athletic on the defensive end and we thought we had the edge on that side of the field. “We have a senior goalie in Dylan Levine who came up with big saves when we needed them most, and all our guys did a good job limiting their potent attack.” Close defensemen including senior Austin Schragen and juniors Santino Otero and Alex Goldstein, senior long-stick midfielder Will Atkinson and junior middies Nick Sonanontoso and Anthony Sosa were among the Lancers helping to keep the ‘Billes at bay for most of the afternoon. Junior midfielder Will Davis led the Lancers offense with 3 goals while senior midfielders Reid Snow and Sam Kanchik each had a goal and 2 assists. Kanchik, with feed from Reid Snow, put Livingston on the board first with 9:48 left in the first quarter and the Lancers quickly made it 2-0 just over a minute later when Kanchik won a faceoff leading to a goal. Davis (team-leading 48 goals on the season) made it 4-0 with 9:25 left in the third quarter before Verona’s junior attackman Drew Krusznis scored his first of two goals on the day to cut the lead to 4-1 with 4:48 still remaining in the third. A Davis goal with 7:37 left in the fourth quarter to make it 6-2 Lancers really sealed the deal for all intents and purposes even as Krusznis scored his second goal to cut the lead in half with 6:47 remaining. It’s a Livingston team which has gotten hot at the right time and will look to make some noise in the upcoming NJSIAA Group 4 state tournament, while Verona, which has had a superb season under first-year coach Dave Giarrusso, will be a handful for anyone in the Group 1 states. “We’ve had our ups and downs this season, but our senior class has provided great leadership and the underclassmen just follow along with what they’re doing,” said Dzama. “Looking back at our first five years we didn’t win a lot when we entered the ECT, but now we’re county champs. “Our youth program and all the coaches who have been a part of this program are part of this and our great senior class has remained locked in. That loss to Newark Academy three weeks ago has really helped us now. “I felt despondent after that game, but our seniors rallied this team and it’s been a fun ride to get here and I couldn’t be any more proud of this entire group for what they’ve accomplished!” Essex County Boys Lacrosse Tournament final, Saturday, May 9, at Livingston's Allen 'Jake' Jacobson Memorial Field: (7) Livingston (11-6) 1 2 2 3 -8 ECT BOYS LACROSSE FINALS: Titles won: SHP 15, Montclair 3, Glen Ridge 2, West Essex 1, Livingston 1 Follow Steve Tober on 'X' @Chattermeister
Senior goalie Dylan Levine (1), junior midfielder Will Davis and senior long-stick midfielder Will Atkinson (2) were among the prime players for Livingston in 8-3 ECT championship win vs. previously-unbeaten Verona.
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