Playing its first five games on the road, the Brunswick School varsity ice hockey team is off to a solid 2-1-2 start to its season, heading into this weekend’s St. Sebastian’s Tournament, which is also on the road.

On Dec. 6, Brunswick earned its first victory against Kent since 2019, defeating the Lions, 5-4 in the latest competitive, one-goal game between the two teams.

The Bruins jumped out to a 3-0 lead by the halfway mark of the matchup, with senior Brendan Giles registering the game’s first two tallies (one in the first period and one early in the second). Junior Tucker Spiess notched the third goal, giving visiting Brunswick a 3-0 advantage on Kent.

Kent didn’t go away, however, and got right back in the game by scoring two goals just 30 seconds apart, cutting Brunswick’s lead to 3-2 with 9:40 left to play in the second period.

Coached by Mike Kennedy, the Bruins didn’t let Lions tie the game, as senior defenseman Cooper Cleaves scored the period’s final goal – a clutch tally – to put the score at 4-2 after 36 minutes.

A key portion of the game for Brunswick was when it killed off a five-minute major penalty in the second period’s final five minutes.

In the third period, the Bruins had to go back to work on the penalty kill and fight off a 5-on-3 before adding what seemed to be an insurance goal by Spiess with 8:56 to go. Kent answered, though, on the very next shift to make it 5-3 with 8:46 remaining.

Kent capitalized on a power play and closed to within to 5-4 on a 6-on-4 4 (goalie pulled) with two minutes on the clockt. Brunswick ultimately went back on the penalty kill again before time finally ran out.

Giles earned the Player of the Game with two goals, five shots on goal and four blocks for the Bruins.

This past Saturday against Westminster in Simsbury, Brunswick skated to a hard-fought 2-2 tie after 59 minutes of intense action.

Junior forward Oliver Czaja banged in a rebound and staked the Bruins to a 1-0 advantage in the first period, but the Martlets scored back-to-back goals to seize a 2-1 lead in the second period.

Brunswick coach Mike Kennedy noted that if not for senior goaltender Will Baker and a huge two-minute 5-v-3 penalty kill late in the frame, the Bruins surely would have had a bigger hole to climb out of in the third.

But the visitors regrouped at the intermission and made the last period of the game their best period.

Senior Brendan Giles knotted the game at 2-2 with a shorthanded goal early in the final period, catching the Westminster’s goalie by surprise and banking in a shot off his body from just above the icing line.

Coach Kennedy noted that the teams played even strength from there and both had their share of chances to win the game — the Bruins certainly with the best of the looks in overtime, with at least two or three high-quality opportunities to clear the benches.

Baker was the Bruins’ star of the game with 40 saves. Up next for Brunswick is the St. Sebastian’s Tournament, held at The Rivers School in Weston, Massachusetts.

Brunswick’s first home game is Jan. 5 against Upper Canada College.