From 4-0 Hole to Final Goal: CBA Completes Comeback over RFH

RUMSON — In a matchup that lived up to every bit of its billing, No. 1 Christian Brothers Academy went on the road and edged No. 2 Rumson-Fair Haven, 13–12, in a back-and-forth battle that felt more like late May than early April.

From the opening face off, the game carried the intensity of two elite programs measuring themselves against one another. The first six minutes belonged entirely to Rumson-Fair Haven, as the Bulldogs overwhelmed CBA early, building a 4–0 lead with sharp ball movement and efficient finishing. It was not until the latter half of the opening quarter that the Colts began to settle in, finding their footing and responding with composure. By the end of the frame, RFH still held a 5–4 lead, but the momentum had started to shift. Five different Bulldogs found the back of the net in the quarter, including senior attackmen Luke Lydon (Boston University commit) and Beau Devine, senior midfielder Joseph Whitehouse (Washington and Lee commit), sophomore midfielder Jude Passalaqua, and junior defenseman John Paik (Princeton commit). For CBA, junior attacker Turner Cooke sparked the response with two goals, while senior attacker Caden Lucich (Ursinus commit) buried a buzzer-beater, and sophomore midfielder Danny Varone added another.

Despite the early deficit, CBA never wavered.

“We definitely showed some resiliency,” CBA head coach Dave Santos said. “We could have folded down 4–0 in the first and just said, ‘Today’s not our day.’ But we rebounded and proved to ourselves that if we get in a hole in the future, we have the ability to come back and score in bunches like we did today.”

That response came in full force during the second quarter. The Colts flipped the game with a five-goal swing to take a 9–7 lead into halftime. Junior midfielder Christian Fox (Notre Dame commit) led the surge with two goals in the quarter, while sophomore defensive midfielder Sean McCarthy and sophomore attacker Anthony Lembo each scored. Varone added his second of the game as CBA’s offense began to show its depth.

“I mean, it just shows how deep we are,” Fox said. “We have freshmen scoring goals. We have sophomores and juniors. Everyone’s contributing… the next guy steps up in a next-man mentality.”

Rumson-Fair Haven answered again in the third, reclaiming momentum in a game that refused to settle. The Bulldogs took an 11–10 lead into the fourth quarter behind a balanced attack, highlighted by sophomore midfielder Kevin Collard’s two goals in the frame, along with continued production from their senior leaders. Despite controlling possession for much of the afternoon—winning 72 percent of face-offs—the Bulldogs were unable to fully separate, as CBA continued to capitalize on its opportunities.

Just as they had all afternoon, CBA responded when it mattered most.

The fourth quarter delivered the decisive moments. Varone completed his hat trick, Lucich added his second goal, and with the game hanging in the balance, freshman midfielder Michael Roskowinski delivered the biggest play of the day—his first goal of the game and the eventual game-winner.

“We had Mike step up in a big moment,” Santos said. “We got contributions all over the place, and we’re not just relying on Danny or Fox. We have other guys who can step up, and I think that’s going to help us move forward.”

Rumson-Fair Haven had one final opportunity in the closing seconds, but CBA’s defense—young, but increasingly cohesive—stood tall to preserve the 13–12 win.

“We knew we were going to give up some goals against this team,” Santos said. “They’re very talented… we just knew that in the key spots, we had to make stops. And we did that in the fourth quarter.”

Fox echoed that confidence in the unit.

“They might be inexperienced, but they’re really skilled,” he said. “They play together. It’s a brotherhood. We had no doubt that they would come together and make some stops.”

Statistically, the game reflected CBA’s balance. Sophomore midfielder Danny Varone (three goals), junior midfielder Christian Fox (two goals, one assist), and senior attacker Caden Lucich (two goals, one assist) led the way, but eight different players recorded points. Sophomore attacker Anthony Lembo added three points (one goal, two assists), while sophomore defensive midfielder Sean McCarthy chipped in two goals. Junior attacker Turner Cooke added two goals, and sophomore attacker Jackson Chaney dished out two assists. Freshman midfielder Michael Roskowinski’s lone goal proved to be the difference. In net, senior goalie Shayne Boresen (Manhattan commit) made 10 saves, including several key stops late.

For Rumson-Fair Haven, Joseph Whitehouse and Kevin Collard each finished with three goals, while Luke Lydon added two. John Paik, Teddy Whitehouse, Jude Passalaqua, and Beau Devine each contributed a goal. At the face-off X, sophomore Jaden Cavise controlled possession throughout, winning 21 of 29 draws (72 percent), while sophomore goalie Daniel Jaroschak made five saves.

It is also worth noting that Rumson-Fair Haven competed without three starters—senior Blake Ahmann, sophomore Liam Haggerty, and sophomore Michael Marino—making the performance even more impressive in defeat.

Still, in a clash of the Shore Conference’s top two teams, it was CBA that made the final statement, reinforcing its No. 1 ranking after jumping Rumson earlier in the week.

Yet, both sides understood the bigger picture.

“It feels great… but it means nothing,” Santos said. “All that’s going to matter is at the end of the day, who’s on top after the Shore Conference Tournament.”

Fox kept that same perspective.

“The rankings don’t really matter… it’s not really who wins now, it’s about who wins later in May.”

On a day that delivered everything—runs, responses, and a dramatic finish—it was a reminder of just how thin the margin is at the top. And if this game was any indication, a potential rematch in May might feel even bigger.