Facing a three-goal, third period deficit certainly didn’t cause the Brunswick School varsity hockey team to let down or give in during its NEPSAC Large School Tournament semifinal-round game against No. 1-seeded Tabor Academy. Instead, the Bruins responded with a comeback they won’t forget.

Brunswick capped an improbable comeback just 1:53 into overtime, storming back from a three-goal, third-period deficit to shock Tabor Academy, 5-4, on March 7th in the NEPSAC Large School semifinals in Marion, Mass. 

On the game-winning goal, sophomore Hunter Hanford came off the bench and headed straight to the blue paint, where he knocked in a backhand feed from senior Owen Gibbons. Gibbons celebrated his 100th career game in a ‘Wick uniform with a patented gritty forecheck and drive to the net, Bruins coach Mike Kennedy noted.

Before that, it was the Keegan Kazan show after Tabor scored just 59 seconds into the final period to take a 4-1 lead. Kazan, a junior forward, scored a natural hat trick in just five minutes of action – two on the power play and the equalizer at even strength. What an amazing five minutes of action for Kazan.

All of a sudden, it was 4-4 with 8:18 to go in regulation after Tabor held a 4-1 advantage.

Brunswick goaltender Evan Akerman came up big late in the third period and in overtime to set the stage for the extra dramatics, as the visitors were forced to kill a penalty as the clock wound down. 

The fourth-seeded Bruins, now winners of 20 games for the sixth consecutive season, will face second-seeded Cushing Academy in the NEPSAC Ken Martin/Tom Earl Large School Tournament final today (March 8th) at UConn. The game is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m.

Brunswick started play in the NEPSAC Large School Tournament by earning a 2-1 win over fifth-seeded Thayer Academy in the quarterfinals at the John T. Gardner Hockey Rink at Avon Old Farms School on Wednesday afternoon. 

’Wick jumped out to a 2-0 lead after just 11 minutes of action on goals from junior forward James Jackson and senior defenseman Jack McCullough, who played in his 101^st career game as a Bruin and ultimately took home the game-winning goal.

Jackson’s linemates – sophomore Colton Cleaves and senior Owen Gibbons – were involved in the assists, as the trio was on for both tallies and dominated the action for much of the contest, coach Mike Kennedy noted.

Thayer regrouped at the intermission and cut into Brunswick’ lead on the first shift of the second and the game was on from there – with both squads having great looks at even strength and on the power play, coach Kennedy noted. Ten-bell saves were also aplenty for junior goaltender (and birthday boy) Zai Ferraro and his counterpart in the Thayer crease.

The score remained the same for the rest of the quarterfinal-round tilt. Thayer pulled its goalie and had two faceoffs in the offensive zone in the final 48 seconds but couldn’t tally the equalizer before the final buzzer sounded.

Here is the link to the livestream of today’s championship NEPSAC Large School championship game between Brunswick and Cushing Academy https://bbiglive.com/events/2374-martin-earl-large-champ-2026-03-08