His team buzzed by during a postgame interview and sophomore goalie Nick Zaneto watched with a smile on his face as St. Joseph (Met.) doused coach Tony Calandra with a water cooler, adding to the rain that soaked him all night. That sequence symbolized what Zaneto loves about this team. “The hype and energy here is amazing,” the young goalie said after a complete 11-0 win over East Brunswick on Tuesday night. His Falcons left no doubt in a thorough the final of the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament. The shutout secured a second straight GMC title for St. Joseph (Met.). It was the third time this season that Falcons held their opponent scoreless. “That was phenomenal for the defense tonight to get that shutout,” said Zaneto. “We come into every game and treat it as a normal game. We have the same mentality. Nothing changes. We’re here to win.” Senior Nick Hengerer started his night with an assist and then slowly cut through the rain to score four times in the championship game. His effort paced an offense that also leaned on Zach MacDougall and Kenny Noonan. Those sophomores each walked off into the night with two goals. Sebastian Assuncao, Dylan Patterson and Hunter Perdue all scored once. Assuncao was elite on faceoffs, winning 13 time in 14 attempts. Zaneto anchored a defense that counted on veteran long poles Walter Scott, AJ Shearer, Enrique Mercado and Aidan Paris. Rookie Franco Reinoso made an impact as a short-stick midfielder for a defense that was perfect for 48 minutes. “We’re battling against kids in practice who are better than kids we’re going to see on the field,” said Hengerer. “We push each other to be our best.” St. Joseph (Met.) had a dominant stretch in Middlesex County where it won eight titles in a nine-year span, but before last season it had been nine years since the Falcons brought home the trophy. This repeat is the first the program has seen since St. Joseph (Met.) won back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2015. It’s what Calandra envisioned when he took the job four years ago. The veteran coach built great teams at Johnson and Chatham before moving into Middlesex County. Now, he’s revived a team that owns the GMC again. St. Joseph (Met.) has outscored GMC teams, 75-9, this season. The Falcons booked a tough schedule out-of-conference too, and picked up impressive wins over Christian Brothers and Haddonfield. This is one of Jersey’s best squads. “We have put St. Joseph (Met.) back on the map,” said Hengerer. “The win against CBA and some these top teams in the state helps us continue our drive. We’re hoping to keep this going and make a deep run in the state tournament.” Brandon Gould can be reached at bgould@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @BrandonGouldHS The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook |Instagram | X (formerly Twitter)