HARRISON — Dylan Mazzarella confessed he was “just a little nervous” stepping out onto the field at Red Bull Arena on Friday night. But the Delbarton freshman got just the boost he needed looking across the field to the white-clad student section.
Mazzarella gave that spirit back to them after scoring a second-half goal in the Green Wave’s 3-3 double-overtime season-opening draw with Seton Hall Prep. Mazzarella’s shot ticked off the far goalpost, starting a rush toward the Delbarton fan section.
They responded with a chant of, “He’s a freshman.” Coach David Donovan estimated Mazzarella is one of around six freshmen to play on the Green Wave varsity.
“It was mindboggling, seeing all our fans,” said Mazzarella, a Parsippany resident. “I knew if I scored, I would run toward them. The second it hit the back of the next, it didn’t feel real. It felt like I was asleep. I was bleary, light headed.”
Sophomore Owen Miller gave Delbarton its first lead of the game with less than five minutes remaining. But Seton Hall Prep would not be denied, tying the game on a penalty kick two minutes later.
Eddie Krupski and Luke Rossomondo converted Pirates’ PKs. Delbarton senior midfielder Shea Coughlin also made one.
“It’s a great atmosphere,” said Miller, a striker from Long Hill. “Both the student sections came out with a lot of energy. I’m glad I had the opportunity to play here, and score a goal. Walking out of the tunnel and seeing all the fans cheering, and playing such a great game, this was amazing.”
The match started and finished harmoniously, with both teams posing for a photo.
Delbarton’s Benedictones and Seton Hall Prep’s C-Tonians sang the national anthem. Both choirs had rehearsed together at Seton Hall Prep before heading to the arena.
“As much of a rival as they are, we get together sometimes at things like this,” said Pirates sophomore Ethan DeJesus, a Morris Plains resident who sings bass and plays on line for the football team.
“I get to represent something other than sports. The arts are underrepresented at our school. Maybe this will inspire more people to join us, seeing us and the other school in harmony.”
But in the stands, the fans were very clearly separated. Looking from the benches, Seton Hall Prep was on the left and Delbarton the right, with the red-and-gold Red Bulls symbol in the middle. The student sections were on the outside edges, almost as far apart as possible on the same side of the stadium.
Delbarton students had special T-shirts for the match, with a small pirate ship being swamped by a huge green wave on the back – and a green bull on the right chest, opposite the school crest.
“It’s a really great opportunity to play in a pro soccer stadium, and a really good rivalry we have,” said Delbarton junior Jude Hall, a Mount Olive resident.
This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: NJ boys soccer: Delbarton Seton Hall Prep at Red Bull Arena