Brunswick School’s hockey team continues to thrive, excelling on both ends of the ice in each of its games so far this season.

Through 12 games, the Bruins own a record of 10-1-1 while playing the majority of their matchups on the road. On December 22, Brunswick captured its third straight Kevin Mutch Holiday Tournament title with a thrilling 4-3 overtime win against Northwood at St. Sebastian’s School in Needham, Mass.

Junior Joe Salandra scored the game-winning goal in overtime for Brunswick. He scored off a penalty shot with a snipe to the right side and into the back of the net. A Harvard University commit, Salandra drew the call after driving wide and going hard to the blue paint with 2:11 remaining in overtime.

Northwood took a 3-1 lead with 14:48 to go in the game but as head coach Mike Kennedy noted, the Bruins never panicked and stayed the course, ultimately netting two goals in a 27-second span on a 5-on-3 and the ensuing 5-on-4. Those two tallies tied the game with 7:59 left in the third period.

The Bruins’ second and third goals were tallied from the top of the crease by senior Tucker Spiess, who as Kennedy said, “played a hard-nosed brand of hockey (as usual) all afternoon long and reaped the benefits.”

In the opening game of the Kevin Mutch Holiday Tournament at St. Sebastian’s on Dec. 20, Brunswick went up against Williston Northampton School and faced a 3-0 deficit after 10 minutes of action. However, the Bruins staged a spirited comeback and earned a 7-5 win.

The line of senior Oliver Czaja, junior Ben Lombardi, and sophomore Keegan Kazan led the charge with five goals. Czaja scored two goals, which erased the deficit and tied the game at 3-3 before the end of the first half. 

In the second, they kept it going, as Kazan gave the Bruins their first lead of the contest – and then Lombardi netted the final two tallies after senior Alex Melillo got involved in the scoring parade.

Brunswick advanced to the finals of the Kevin Mutch Holiday Tournament with a gutsy 3-1 victory over Rivers School in the semifinals at the Henry T. Lane Rink on the campus of St. Sebastian’s on Dec. 21.

Spiess tipped home the only goal of the first half after a quick snapshot from the blue line from freshman Cam Minella made its way to the net. 

In the second half, Rivers pushed hard on the rush and put a lot of pucks on Brunswick goaltender Dylan Lee-Stack, but the junior and the Bruins’ defensive corps held the fort until sophomore Keegan Kazan extended the lead to two after finishing off a rebound in front. The goal came on a picture-perfect low-to-high play up the wall from junior Ben Taylor to defenseman Jack McCullough.

Rivers finally broke through with 6:51 to play, but Brunswick iced it on a late power-play goal by junior Mason St. Louis, scored on a one-timer off a pass by Salandra. 

Following a brief break for the Holiday, Brunswick traveled up to Buffalo to compete in the Belmont Hill/Nichols Tournament on Dec. 28. The Bruins played St. Francis of Athol Springs, N.Y., in the first game of the tournament. After St. Francis tied the game at 1-1 early in the second period, Brunswick reeled off the next seven goals to win going away, 8-1.

Kennedy credited junior centerman Ben Taylor, who, as he said, “played a hard-nosed brand of hockey and netted the Bruins’ first tally and drew a penalty that led to a PPG.”

Coach Kennedy also credited junior defenseman Hampus Vandenberg, who had four assists from the backend and Minella, who had one goal and two assists. Sophomore defenseman Harry Holland posted his first career goal for the victors.

Senior goalie LJ Bylow made his first-ever varsity start between the pipes and turned aside 19 of 20 shots from the Red Raiders to earn the victory for ‘Wick.

Brunswick was dealt its first loss of the season on Sunday (Dec. 29) a 4-3 double overtime defeat against Belmont Hill School in Buffalo in as coach Kennedy described, “a fantastic prep hockey game full of momentum swings, physicality and overtime chances for both teams.

The Bruins jumped out to a two-goal lead in the first period on two goals generated by the line of sophomore Declan Minella, sophomore George Karayiannis and freshman Hunter Hanford. Junior defenseman Hampus Vandenberg scored the first goal and senior captain Blake Stant had the second tally – his first-ever goal as a Bruin. 

Belmont Hill scored the game’s next three goals, carrying the territorial edge and a 3-2 lead into the third, when Brunswick dug in and played its best period of the game. Junior Ben Lombardi converted a shot from the point from freshman Minella with 7:32 remaining to knot the score at 3-3.

Following their stay in Buffalo at the Belmont Hill/Nichols Tournament will host several games once the new year starts. They will play host to Upper Canada College on Jan. 4 at Hartong Rink at 5 p.m, and play the same squad again on Jan. 5 at home at 12:30 p.m. Brunswick will then host Dexter Southfield School Jan. 10-11, the Hill School on Jan. 18 and Delbarton School on Jan. 22.