Following a great 2021 season, the Delbarton varsity soccer team looked ready to have another successful year.  After an initial loss to St. Benedict’s, who ranks #1 in the country, Delbarton followed up with a series of hard-fought wins, notably against Dematha, Morristown, Mendham, and Putnam Science of Connecticut.  The team then fcelebrated an overtime win against Chatham. With Senior Josh Hepplewhite spinning into a shot attempt at the top of the 18-yard box, Captain Luca Tusche knocked in the rebound for an exciting win. 

Unfortunately, Delbarton varsity soccer then fell into a three-game slump where they fell to Randolph, Roxbury, and Montville.  The Delbarton squad would quickly have their revenge though, as after beating Morristown, Mendham, and Chatham again, they took down Roxbury 2-0, Randolph 2-0, and Montville 1-0.  

The Delbarton varsity squad also took home the Morris County Tournament championship, winning a thrilling 3-1 battle against Mendham.  The Green Wave made the first move when Luca Tusche sent a cross into the box where Josh Hepplewhite headed the ball over the diving keeper.  With less than a minute in the first half, captain Nate Zimmerman proved why he’s one of the best in the state as he ripped a shot from outside the box post into the net.  Delbarton sealed the game when Will Pedicano headed in a free kick from Zimmerman.  

While Delbarton soccer didn’t fulfill the hopes that many had of being state champions, Delbarton still made a successful run to the quarterfinals.  They first beat Newark Academy 3-1, with a goal from captain Luca Tusche, a penalty from Kevin Cull, and the third goal from Joshwin Jennings.  Moving into the quarterfinals, Delbarton ended their season with a close and hard-fought loss to Bergen Catholic 1-0.  

Throughout the season, there were many setbacks, but despite the frustrations, multiple players had stand-out seasons, specifically Nate Zimmerman, Josh Hepplewhite, Joshwin Jennings, and Luca Tusche.  Nate finished the season with 16 goals and 9 assists, Josh finished with 6 goals and 4 assists, Joshwin finished with 5 goals and 7 assists, and Luca finished with 4 goals and 7 assists.  

Now, Delbarton soccer looks towards a bright future. The current juniors plan to use the Bergen Catholic loss as motivation to make a deeper run into states next year.