HAMILTON – Steinert’s boys soccer team got the start that it needed and the re-start that it needed. The result was a 5-2 win for the 3rd-seeded Spartans over 14th-seeded Lakewood in a NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III tournament first-round game Tuesday. Steinert (14-4-3) stormed to a 2-0 lead in the first 21 minutes, watched the Piners seize momentum and cut it to 2-1 early in the second half, and shortly thereafter scored two goals in a span of 1:16 to seize control with 21 minutes remaining. Junior midfielder Chris DiMarco was the catalyst with a first-half goal and two second-half assists along with a pass that set up another goal. “He was just everywhere on the field,” coach Anthony Tessein said. “He looked like he was playing at a different pace than most of the guys. His vision was excellent, he just changed the game in the second half.” With co-leading scorer Chris Vega out of the lineup – he was playing with the Guatemalan U-17 National Team – DiMarco stepped up as a facilitator. “Mostly we just tried to exploit the space they were giving us,” he said. “Switching the ball, going from me to someone else, switching sides was working really well. I think we executed on the wings really nicely and we finished. Good execution by our guys.” As a veteran of state tournament wars, Tessein warned his squad that lower seeds can pull off huge upsets if they are allowed to hang around. The Spartans took heed as Brayden Quinn scored on a nice individual effort in the ninth minute and DiMarco slotted a ball out of the air to make it 2-0 in the 21st minute. “Coach made it very clear we should not take this game for granted,” DiMarco said. “Anything can happen. It feels good to come out and make a statement and we know what we’re capable of.” Lakewood began to get its footing, however, and with several talented one-v-one players the Piners began attacking the goal. “I told them when you’re the high seed you want to jump out on teams that are the low seed and hope it confirms their priors, like ‘Ohh we gotta play the high seed,’ and you hope they hang their heads,” Tessein said. “It looked like that was gonna happen but you gotta give them credit. They fought hard. It could have turned to three or four nothing, and then they looked like the high seed. They started ripping shots.” When they did, Steinert keeper Kevin Chaykovskyy came through. The senior has not been tested often this season but kept the lead intact with seven first-half saves; including two on shots in close that robbed Lakewood of goals. “That was the most shots I’ve taken in a while,” the senior said. “I feel like I did my part in this game and hopefully we can keep this up.” Steinert will need Chaykovskyy to keep performing well since a keeper can often be the difference in state games. “The goalie is the main thing,” he said. “It keeps the group together and it’s the last line of defense. I had to put everything together to come up with the win today.” And he did just that. “Especially shots at distance and the reaction saves he made in the box,” Tessein said. “He’s one of the best keepers in the CVC, no doubt.” “He played so well, he definitely saved our butt a couple times,” DiMarco added. “Dennis is our back line, our rock.” But even Chaykovskyy didn’t stand a chance when Lakewood was awarded a penalty kick two minutes into the second half and William Alejo converted. With the momentum they built at the end of the first half combined with the PK, the Piners appeared ready to unleash. But as it has done often this season, Steinert grabbed back the play and began to possess in the attacking third. With under 23 minutes remaining, DiMarco was given a meadow of open space that he exploited by dribbling up the middle before sending a through ball to an unmarked Quinn, who blasted it in the short side from the right wing. “I got the ball from Ty (Tafrow),” DiMarco said. “I just decided to drive, see what they were giving me. I saw Quinn, Quinn made a great run, he kept himself onsides and just lifted it in.” Just over a minute later, DiMarco repeated the play only this time to Mathias Perez on the right. Perez’s shot was saved but Tyler Tafrow pounded in the rebound to make it 4-1. Lakewood wasn’t done yet and got one from Javaughn Johnson with 9:03 remaining. Steinert answered yet again on the same play it had been utilizing, as DiMarco came up the center and played it off to Matt Tafrow, who tallied the clincher with 5:53 left. “We worked on that in practice yesterday,” DiMarco said. “It’s always nice to see when Tessein puts things together how we can execute in the game. They were giving it to us a lot on that side, especially the through ball.” The win gives Steinert a Friday home game against the Red Bank Regional-Brick Memorial winner. Steinert will be short-handed again, as midfielder Gavin Giallella is out with a hip injury and the dynamic Vega may still be gone. “To the best of my understanding, we have to win another game before we  get Chris back in the mix,” Tessein said. “And then we have to reintegrate him to the team. He’s a good player, but we gotta play with the guys who are here.” After one state game, those guys have shown well. “The whole year it’s been a team effort,” DiMarco said. “When we play together like this I feel we can be unstoppable.” Lakewood (6-10) 0 2 — 2 Steinert (14-4-3) 2 3 — 5 G: L-Alejo, Johnson. S-Quinn 2, DiMarco, T. Tafrow, M. Tafrow. A: L-Melendez. S-DiMarco 2. Shots: L-13, S-18. Saves: L-Diaz-Bonilla. S-Chaykovskyy 8.