Following a 2-0-1 finish at the recent St. Sebastian’s Tournament, Brunswick School’s hockey team’s record stands at 5-2-1, heading into another tournament – the Nichols-Belmont Hill Tournament – at Belmont Hill in Massachusetts after Christmas.

The Bruins began play at last weekend’s St. Sebastian’s Tournament in Needham, Mass., with a 5-0 victory over Albany Academy.

Junior Eli Friedman (two goals, two assists), junior Niko Cadoret (one goal, two assists) and sophomore Brendan Giles (one goal, two assists) paced the Bruins’ offense.

Senior Maxime Sauve scored his first goal as a Bruin and freshman Tucker Spiess earned his first point wearing a Brunswick jersey. Junior Brendan Holahan earned the shutout win in goal.

In the second game of the St. Sebastian’s Tournament held this past Saturday, the Bruins skated to a 3-2 overtime win against St. Sebastian’s to earn a spot in the title game. Eli Friedman, a junior, gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead, tallying off a rebound. Sophomore Drew DellaSalla and junior defenseman Sloan Farmer each assisted on the goal.

Trailing 2-1 after St. Sebastian’s tallied twice in the second half, Brunswick knotted the score at 2-2 when junior co-captain Hank Cleaves scored on a tip-in. Assists went to Bruins classmate and co-captain James Shannon and junior Lucas St. Louis. 

In overtime, DellaSalla won a face-off clean to senior defenseman John Burdett, who walked the line and fed Friedman on the near-side boards on a set play. The Yale University commit took a few steps and fired a snap shot that hit off linemate Brendan Giles’ body and bounced in for the game-winning goal. Holahan made key saves throughout the game in the win.
 
In the championship game of the St. Sebastian’s Tournament held on Sunday in Needham, Mass., Brunswick was edged by Northwood School, 2-1, in a shootout. Northwood won the shootout in four rounds, after the teams were tied at 1-1.

The result will go down as a tie in the record books due to NEPSAC Holiday Tournament rules, so Brunswick’s record for the season so far is 5-1-1.

Brunswick came from behind twice in regulation, with St. Louis tying the score at 1-1 before the first intermission and sophomore Casey Quinson knotting the matchup at 2-2 with three minutes remaining, shortly after Northwood took a 2-1 advantage.

Senior alternate-captain John Burdett, who earned admission and will play collegiately at Middlebury next year, assisted on the equalizer for the Bruins.

As Brunswick coach Mike Kennedy noted, At 5-2-1 on the young season — after eight tough games on the road — the Bruins are in good position heading into the Christmas break.

Brunswick plays Nichols School in the Belmont Hill Tournament on Dec. 28.