St. Augustine had a challenging road just to get to Prudential Center for the New Jersey state championship game in the non-public division. It took on the defending champion, Christian Brothers Academy, in the quarterfinals, and won 2-0. Then, St. Augustine took on third-seeded Don Bosco Prep and got a Kai Ackerman goal in overtime to win, 2-1.
Waiting for St. Augustine in the championship game was top-seeded Delbarton. For the second consecutive game, St. Augustine was taken to overtime, and for the second time in a row, it notched a golden goal, this time winning the non-public championship by a score of 3-2.
“To win as a coach, in my first year, it’s pretty special,” Roman Ammirato — who played for St. Augustine and lost in the state championship to Delbarton in 2011 — said in an interview with The Press of Atlantic City.
“It was a long time coming. Not just for me, but St. Augustine. I had a bunch of my teammates text me and congratulate me. A lot of this was for them. It was a little bit of a bittersweet moment for myself.”
