15 Years in the Making: Notre Dame Claims the CVC Title Over Robbinsville

They had been here before. Last year, a CVC final, a two-goal loss, and a long offseason to sit with it. Thursday night at Hopewell Valley, Notre Dame made sure the ending was different.

The Irish defeated Robbinsville 16–11 to claim their first Colonial Valley Conference title since 2011, capping a 15-year drought with a performance that will be remembered for a long time. It wasn't clean from the start. It wasn't supposed to be. But when the moment called for it, Notre Dame answered in a way that left no doubt.

Robbinsville came out flying. Alex Giordano, who has been one of the most dangerous players in New Jersey all season, was a problem from the opening whistle. He scored five times in the first quarter alone, adding three assists on the night for an eight-point performance that had the Ravens in control at 5–2 after one. For a Robbinsville team chasing their first conference title in program history, the moment looked ripe for the taking.

Notre Dame had other plans. What happened in the second quarter was the kind of stretch that defines a season. The Irish scored nine times while holding Robbinsville to just one, turning a three-goal deficit into a 11–6 halftime lead in a span of twelve furious minutes. Kenny Romano, the Irish's all-time leader in faceoff wins, won 75 percent of his draws on the night and gave Notre Dame the possessions they needed to go on the run. Roman Klish, who finished with four goals and is second on the team with 59 on the season, got going. Cayden Federigo notched his third hat trick of the year. Ryan Bernstiel added three goals of his own. And Emanuel Jastrzebski, the Rutgers commit who leads the state in assists and finished with seven points on the night, was orchestrating everything from behind the cage. Notre Dame outscored Robbinsville 9–1 in the quarter and the game was effectively over before halftime.

Robbinsville credit goes where it's due. Nolan Embley matched his single season high with a hat trick and finished with 32 goals on the year. Giordano was spectacular despite the result. The Ravens averaged over 14 goals a game coming in and showed why, but they ran into a Notre Dame team that simply refused to let the second quarter be anything other than theirs.

The Irish extended the lead in the third and held firm in the fourth as Robbinsville chipped away to make the final score 16–11. Jastrzebski's seven-point night tied him for the 11th most points in a single New Jersey lacrosse season with 140, and he showed every bit of that form on the biggest stage of his high school career.

After the final whistle, Jastrzebski spoke on what this title means for a group that has been building toward this moment for years. "It means the world," he said. "We have a group of guys who have known each other for a very long time and have consistently come together to put in extra work both in season and off season, and after last year's loss it drove us even more to finally be able to bring one home. That felt especially good being it's a lot of our last years playing together. The difference in this year's success is that we have that experience."

That experience showed when the Ravens went up 5–2 in the first quarter and another early exit felt like a possibility. For a younger team, that moment could have unraveled things. For this group, it was just a problem to solve. "The group of guys we have had been playing high level club lacrosse and varsity lacrosse for years," Jastrzebski said. "With a deep playoff run like last year's under our belt, it helps us to stay calm even when everything seems to be falling apart, such as when we were down 5-2 after just one quarter. I also believe the group of guys we have this year are so tightly bonded and have truly embraced our motto of brotherhood, and it makes it that much easier to fight for each other and play our absolute hardest."

Notre Dame improves to 15-3 and now sets their sights on a state championship run. The CVC title is the first step of what this program has identified as a three-part mission this postseason. If Thursday night is any indication of how they respond when their backs are against the wall, whoever faces them next should be ready for a fight.

Jastrzebski closed it out the way only someone who truly gets what this program means could. "Nearing the end of my career I want everyone to know that Notre Dame lacrosse is more than just a group of guys coming together to play a game. We're a family. This group of guys are my brothers and I've built bonds with these guys that will last a lifetime. Notre Dame lacrosse is a community where everyone supports each other and are willing to die out on that field together."

Fifteen years. One extraordinary second quarter. A group of brothers who refused to let last year's heartbreak define them. Notre Dame is your 2026 CVC champion.