Though the season didn’t have the type of ending the Brunswick School lacrosse team wanted, it was still one to remember and celebrate for coach David Bruce’s squad.

The Bruins recently concluded their 2024 season with an outstanding record of 17-1, including victories in their first 17 games. Brunswick’s lone loss came on May 19 when it was defeated by out of state rival Lawrenceville in the championship game of the National Preps tournament, 14-5.

The title game of the National Preps tournament marked the third straight season Brunswick faced Lawrenceville from New Jersey. The Bruins won the 2022 national title game and Lawrenceville beat Brunswick in 2023 and this past Sunday before a big crowd at Cosby Field. For the season, Brunswick earned the No. 2 ranking in the country in the USA Lacrosse High School Boys National Top 25 poll.

Undefeated prior to playing Lawrenceville in the National Preps final on May 19, the Bruins held the No. 1 ranking in the national high school poll for practically, the whole season.

“It was an awesome season,” Bruce said. “The seniors were awesome. Their leadership was awesome. You don’t go 17-1 without guys who were dialed in and they got the rest of the team to commit and sacrifice. The four captains and all of the seniors were contributing.”

The Bruins were led so well by their four captains, all of whom graduated from Brunswick this week – Hudson Hausmann, Luke Hublitz, Casey Quinson and Tucker Williams. Brunswick’s 2024 captains will each continue their lacrosse careers at the collegiate level. Hausmann and Hublitz are taking their lacrosse skills to the University of Virginia, Quinson is headed to Colgate and Williams will play at Brown University.

In Brunswick’s championship game against Lawrenceville School in the Prep Nationals, it found itself in an unfamiliar situation, as the visitors scored the game’s first five goals and held a 5-0 lead with just under two minutes remaining in the opening quarter.

Hausmann put the Bruins on the scoreboard with a goal at the 1:18 mark of the first quarter, but Lawrenceville tallied with just 12.4 seconds left in the quarter to take a 6-1 lead into the second period.

“We changed things up defensively, we tried to change things up offensively and I don’t think our team felt like they were out of it,” Bruce said. “We could never get on a roll.”

Lawrenceville held an 8-2 advantage on ‘Wick at halftime and carried the momentum into the second half. Senior Max Warden, sophomore Lucas Garcia and senior Kyle Pagnani scored a goal apiece in the second half for the Bruins, who reached the National Preps tournament final by posting a 12-6 semifinal-round win against NEPSAC rival Salisbury School on May 17 at Cosby Field.

The Bruins split their season series with Lawrenceville, as they edged them on the road during the regular season on April 10, 13-12, in overtime, courtesy of a game-winning goal by Quinson.

“Every area that we beat them last time, they improved, since the last time we played them,” Bruce noted about Lawrenceville. “I thought we cleared very well in the first half. We didn’t do as well in the second half of clearing the ball. We just could never get the momentum going.”

Brunswick began its season by rolling to a 12-1 win at home against St. Sebastian’s School, then followed the victory up with an 11-5 triumph versus visiting Radnor High School.

One of the Bruins’ closest calls of the season came in their third game when they visited NEPSAC foe Deerfield Academy and prevailed in dramatic fashion, 12-11. The Bruins then visited in-state rival Darien High School and were victorious, 12-6.

Loomis Chaffee visited Brunswick and dropped a 13-6 decision to the Bruins, then ‘Wick traveled to Taft and grinded out an 8-4 victory. Decisive wins against Hotchkiss School (15-6) and Hill Academy from Canada (19-10) followed for Brunswick, which then earned road wins against Trinity Pawing School (a 12-6 triumph) and Delbarton (14-8 win).

Ridgefield gave the Bruins a close game, but ‘Wick registered an 11-8 win, then the Bruins doubled up Westminster School, 16-8. Brunswick kept its unbeaten streak going all the way up to the Prep Nationals final, topping Avon Old Farms School at home, 13-8), beating Salisbury (14-8) and Staples (11-5 victory) on the road, then notching a win versus Salisbury again in the Prep Nationals semifinals.

Indeed, it was another season that saw the Bruins excel on both ends of the field. For the 2024 season, Brunswick scored 223 goals in 18 games for an average of 21.3 goals per game.

Meanwhile, the Bruins only allowed 123 goals, an average of only 6.8 goals a game. Brunswick took some quality shots during the National Preps final versus Lawrenceville, which was up to the tough challenge.

“They’re extremely athletic, really well coached and they stuck to their bread and butter, which is the ride,” Bruce said of Lawrenceville. “You run into a hot goalie that hurts. When you see a hot goalie that makes it looks easy it deflates you.”

So with three consecutive appearances in the National Prep tournament finals against Lawrenceville, will the Bruins and their rival from N.J., make it to the title game again in 2025?

“In order to be the best you have to play the best,” Bruce said. “Hopefully, we’ll have more good games against them in the future.”