MaxPreps 2013 Soccer Early Contenders: Delbarton boys

The Delbarton (Morristown, N.J.) soccer team has never been one to rest on its numerous accomplishments. Or to see soccer as the only pursuit in life.

This year's team, one of 10 fall boys teams to be honored as a national title Early Contender presented by Dick's Sporting Goods and adidas, is no exception.

Fresh off a NJSIAA Non-Public A championship in 2012, the Green Wave will prepare for their state title defense this fall by doing something they're well accustomed to: Traveling abroad.

To kick off the season, Delbarton will head to Spain during training camp for eight days, with stays scheduled in two signature soccer cities, Madrid and Barcelona.



Aside from training and preparing for the regular season, Delbarton's trip will be as much about taking in the sights and absorbing the culture as it will be about soccer. Traveling overseas has long been part of coach Dr. David Donovan’s vision for the program.

See all the 2013 Fall Soccer Early Contenders

This trip comes on the heels of two previous soccer journeys, to Buenos Aires in 2011 (where the team trained with Club Independiente) and to Holland and Germany in 2007 (training with Dutch KNVB coaches).

"These trips have provided ample opportunity for team building and improving global awareness, with respect to other cultures and their futbol," Delbarton assistant coach Josh Hartle said.

"Each trip has included visits to museums, stadiums, cathedrals, a professional training session, a professional game and bike tours through the cities. This year’s trip is in lieu of our typical season-opening three-day, three-night retreat, where players attend classroom sessions, in addition to the field training."

The classroom sessions include topics ranging from tactics to psychology to nutrition to ethics and responsibility in sport. With a host of new players being counted on to step in and contribute immediately, the preseason trip to Spain is expected to help Delbarton grow as a team as it attempts to replicate its championship success of last season, when it beat Pingry in the NJSIAA Non-Public A final, 1-0.



See the entire Delbarton boys soccer photo gallery

Local outlook: "Delbarton doesn't rebuild. It reloads. This fall will be no different, as the Green Wave try to replace all but three starters, including striker Matt Clausen, whose 24 goals led Morris County and who scored the game-winner with 19 seconds left in the NJSIAA Non-Public A final a year ago. The Green Wave will likely come in still stinging from their lone loss a year ago, in double overtime in the Morris County Tournament final to underdog Roxbury. But it was that defeat that powered Delbarton to the state championship, and brought them back to head coach David Donovan's "first five, last five" motto. With so many new faces, the Green Wave will rely even more heavily on returning goalkeeper Scott Forbes, who gained rare experience as a freshman due to injuries during the MCT and was part of 11 shutouts last year."
- Jane Havsy, Daily Record, Parsippany, N.J. (@dailyrecordspts)
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State classification: NJSIAA Non-Public A 

Enrollment: 550 boys (Grades 7 thru 12)

Athletic director: Dan Whalen

2012 finish: 23-1 (No. 7 MaxPreps computer rankings; No. 16 NSCAA poll)

Head coach: Dr. David Donovan

Years at school: 22 (20 as varsity coach)

Career record: 344-68-21

Notable team achievements: Delbarton has won nine NJSIAA championships, including in 2012 on a header by Matt Clausen with 19 seconds to go. In 2003 and 2004, it won the triple crown, finishing second in The Star-Ledger state rankings in 2003 and first in 2004. In 2003, the team beat Saint Benedict's of Newark, which was the No. 1 team in the country at the time, and had not lost to a New Jersey team in 12 years. In 2007, Delbarton made it to the North Jersey Non-Public A final and had achieved a No. 4 ranking in the nation but lost 3-2 to rival Seton Hall Prep.

Notable soccer alumni: Teddy Schneider, who was drafted by the New York Red Bulls in 2010.



Notable non-soccer facts about school: In 2007, the Wall Street Journal ranked Delbarton as the No. 9 secondary school in the United States... Fourteen-year NBA veteran Troy Murphy is a Delbarton graduate.
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Key Player Losses:

M and captain Greg Seifert (15 goals, 9 assists, Princeton)

F Matt Clausen (24 goals, 7 assists, Haverford)

M Matt DiVite (10 goals, 6 assists, Bates)

D Dylan Stroud (Franklin & Marshall)

D Chris D’Aliso



D Conor Kelly

Key Returners:

Jr. GK Scott Forbes (10.5 shutouts)

Sr. F Mike Moshier (11 goals, 15 assists, set school freshman scoring record)

Rising contributors:

Sr. M Jared Stroud (returns after playing academy soccer last season)

Sr. M Tommy Griffin (returns after playing academy soccer last season)
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Toughest Game: "Any game in the second-annual Delbarton Soccer Invitational Tournament (which Delbarton won last season by beating then-No. 3 Gonzaga 3-0 and Chaminade of Long Island)," Donovan said. "This season's lineup includes Seton Hall Prep, St. Anthony's (N.Y.) and St. John the Baptist (N.Y.)."

Question Marks: "Having lost 15 players to graduation and returning only three starters, we will need to depend on younger talent in the program to step up," Donovan said.

National Look: Delbarton's in-state rival, Saint Benedict's, has been declared national champion and/or finished No. 1 in a national poll eight times, so there is no question as to where New Jersey soccer stands in the grand scheme of things. In addition, U.S. National Team legends such as John Harkes, Claudio Reyna, Tab Ramos and Tony Meola all come from New Jersey. The state has played a huge role in ushering the United States into the modern era of world soccer. 

In Summary: "With one of the toughest conference schedules in New Jersey and the most competitive tournament bracket in the state, we hope that our eight-day preseason trip to Spain this August puts our boys in the right competitive frame of mind for the season. It’s always exciting and sometimes unpredictable how a team will come together to compete. We look forward to the challenge."  
-Head coach David Donovan
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