The Brunswick High School lacrosse team was hoping they had turned the corner. Despite losing back-to-back games heading into the postseason, the hope was they were playing their best lacrosse at the right time of the year. They drew a difficult opponent in the first round of the MPSSAA 1A-2A playoffs as they headed to top seeded South Carroll for the first round game.

The game was one-sided in every form and fashion as the Cavaliers dominated the Railroaders in every possible way. They out shot, out hit and out hustled Brunswick on their way to a 16-3 victory. 

The defeat ended the season for Brunswick with a 3-10 record, not nearly indicative to the level of play they put on the field this past season. 

BHS Goal Scorers vs. South Carroll:

Sophomore Midfielder Layne Harich - 1 Goal / 1 Assist
Sophomore Midfielder Daniel Polyniak - 1 Goal
Senior Midfielder Justin Caraher - 1 Goal

Senior Goalie Tristan Dassele - 18 Saves

Coach Hartman's Thoughts on the South Carroll game:
"This loss was tough to swallow. Plain and simple, they were better in every facet of the game tonight. They wanted the ground balls more than we did, they out hustled us and they showed what winning lacrosse is all about. The tough part for me is the fact that I know my team is so much better than what we put on display tonight. This loss will stick with me for a long time, for multiple reasons, but my hope is the program will continue to flourish for years to come." 

The 2017 Brunswick High School Varsity lacrosse team might be most known for it's inability to win close games. Over the past several weeks, the team has dropped a game in overtime, as well as back-to-back games with the deficit three goals or fewer. Not a great trend heading into the playoffs, but the team is remaining competitive. 

On Friday night, the Railroaders traveled across county to play the Thomas Johnson Patriots in their regular season finale, and Brunswick, despite a very sloppy first half, was actually leading 2-1 at the break. Thanks in part to a defense who was doing their job, the Railroaders were hoping to extend their lead in the second half. However, the complete opposite happened as TJ scored 6 third quarter goals, and gained a lead they would never relinquish. 

Brunswick would claw their way back to a one goal deficit, but was unable to get the score back to even, largely due to 7 penalties taken throughout the game. The final score was TJ 8, Brunswick 6. 

The loss moves Brunswick's regular season record to 3-9, and they now await word on who, when and where they will play their first playoff game of the MPSSAA state tournament.

Goal Scorers for Brunswick vs. TJHS

Senior Attackman Chris Cornett - 2 Goals / 1 Assist
Sophomore Midfielder Layne Harich - 1 Goal / 2 Assists
Sophomore Midfielder Daniel Polyniak - 2 Goals
Sophomore Attackman Jacob Cadle - 1 Goal / 1 Assist
Junior Attackman Jacob Statler - 1 Assist

Senior Goalie Tristan Dassele - 12 Saves

Coach Hartman's Thoughts on the TJ game:
"I'm not exactly sure what the main issue is with this team, but there are times when the coaches are left scratching their heads as to what is going on. This team has a tremendous amount of talent, but for whatever reason, fails to put it all together when it matters the most. We played on of the sloppiest games of the year against TJ, and were only two goals away from pulling out the victory. We failed clears, missed easy ground balls and were unable to cash in on offensive zone time. All in all, a poor performance. It is now playoff time, and there is no guaranteed "next game". It is now or never, and I hope the players respond accordingly."

It all seemed too good to be true. What had plagued the Brunswick Railroaders throughout the majority of the season had been slow starts. Against St. Johns Catholic Prep, on Brunswick's Senior night and final home game, the team rectified their slow starts and came out with the early lead. However, a 2-goal advantage at halftime quickly evaporated as St. Johns dominated the ground balls and time of possession in the third quarter, and heading into the final frame of the contest, Brunswick found themselves trailing 6-5.

More St. Johns possession time, largely due to penalties called on the Railroaders, equated to them extending their lead and ultimately icing away the game. The final score was St. Johns 10, Brunswick 7.

Goal Scorers for BHS vs. St. Johns

Senior Attackman Chris Cornett - 4 Goals / 2 Assists
Sophomore Midfielder Layne Harich - 1 Goal / 3 Assists
Sophomore Attackman Jacob Cadle - 1 Goal / 1 Assist
Junior Midfielder Joey Intolubbe - 1 Goal

Senior Goalie Tristan Dassele - 18 Saves

Coach Hartman's Thoughts on the St. Johns Game:
"There was a lot of good to takeaway from this game. We improved on our starts, played well defensively, especially man down, but it wasn't enough. The key to this loss wasn't the officiating, which was bad, but the fact we lost the hustle plays in the second half. When the ball was on the ground, it was St. Johns who came up with it, not us, and our offense really struggled against their zone defense. We had our looks, but weren't able to cash in. The one positive to come out of this game was how the team is improving at the right time. Every team makes the playoffs, and as long as we are playing our best lacrosse at the right time, we will be a really tough team to beat when all the chips are on the table."

Upcoming BHS Lacrosse Schedule:
5/5 - BHS @ TJHS - 6:00pm - Bus Departs at 4:45pm
5/8 - MPSSAA Playoff Draw Released by 5pm
5/10 - First potential playoff date for MPSSAA tournament (Quarterfinals)
5/12 - MPSSAA Sectional Semifinals

The last time the Brunswick HS Varsity lacrosse team took the field, it ended in disappointing fashion by way of a 9-8 overtime loss to cross county rivals Catoctin. The Railroaders faced another challenge, and potential regional opponent, in the Smithsburg Leopards Tuesday night, and Brunswick finally got back into the win column, but it wasn't without work to be done.

Brunswick continued to come out of the gate slow, and after going down 2-0 finally settled in for the first half. At the mid-game break, the score was tied 5-5. It was the third quarter where the team finally turned up the heat on Smithsburg, and by way of winning faceoffs and dominating time of possession, extended their lead 10-5 heading into the final frame. In the fourth, Smithsburg scored two goals, but both were matched by the Railroaders to make the final score 12-7 in favor of Brunswick.

The win moves Brunswick's record to 3-7 on the season, with two games remaining on their regular season schedule.

Goal Scorers for BHS vs. Smithsburg:
Senior Attackman Chris Cornett - 4 Goals
Sophomore Attackman Jacob Cadle - 3 Goals / 1 Assist
Sophomore Midfielder Daniel Polyniak - 2 Goals / 1 Assist
Sophomore Midfielder Layne Harich - 1 Goal / 1 Assist
Junior Midfielder Andrew Shaffer - 1 Goal
Junior Midfielder Joey Intolubbe - 1 Goal
Junior Attackman Jacob Statler - 1 Assist

Senior Goalie Tristan Dassele - 18 Saves

Coach Hartman's Thoughts on the Smithsburg Game:
"This game has been a microcosm of our entire season. For whatever the reason, this team simply does not start games well. We went down 2-0 tonight before eventually clawing our way back to even. It worked out in the end, but if this team wants to be a threat in the playoffs our starts need to improve dramatically. It was nice to see the team respond with the challenge laid in front of them at halftime. I told the players this was a turning point not just in the game, but the season. Good teams take care of business when it matters the most, and they did just that. We blanked them in the 3rd and added 5 to our score. A great quarter of lacrosse. We still have work to do, but hopefully we can win two more games this week to head into the playoffs on a 3-game winning streak."

Upcoming BHS Lacrosse Schedule:
5/3 - BHS JV @ Middletown - 5:30pm
5/4 - BHS vs. St. John's - Varsity ONLY - 6:00pm - SENIOR NIGHT
5/5 - BHS @ Thomas Johnson - Varsity ONLY - 6:00pm - Bus Departs 4:30pm

Parents and players, 

Below is the schedule for the upcoming week. Please look closely and plan accordingly for the week.

Monday May 1st - 
BHS JV Practice: 2:30 - 4:00 (Practice will end at 4pm, pick up might be 4:15-4:30)                                                                
BHS Varsity Practice 2:30 - 5:00                                                 

Tuesday May 2nd -  
BHS Varsity @ Smithsburg HS - 6:00 p.m.  
BHS JV Practice: 2:30 - 4:00 (Practice will end at 4pm, pick up might be 4:15-4:30)

Wednesday May 3rd - 
BHS JV @ Middletown HS - 5:30 pm                                                               
BHS Varsity Practice 2:30 - 5:00 

Thursday May 4th -  
BHS Varsity vs. St. Johns HS - 6:00 p.m. - SENIOR NIGHT                                                                  

Friday May 5th - 
BHS Varsity @ TJHS - 6:00 pm                                                                  

Saturday May 6th - 
Practice TBD
                           
Be sure to check the website (http://leaguelineup.com/bhslax) for updates on the schedule. 

Players should be prepared for indoor practice every day due to field conditions or weather. Players will need tennis shoes to practice indoors.

Any questions email me,

- Coach Hartman

jeffrey.hartman@fcps.org 

The Brunswick Railroaders were primed for a run to the postseason, and although that run could still take place, it certainly took a step backwards Thursday night when the Catoctin Cougars came to Brunswick and defeated the Railroaders in dramatic fashion.

After a tightly contested first quarter, the game opened up in the second with Catoctin taking a one goal lead in to the second half. In the third quarter the game remained tight, but the Cougars took an 8-5 lead heading into the waning moments of the 3rd quarter. Brunswick stormed back to tie the game, and the defense kept Catoctin off the board in the 4th quarter. 

The game would go to an extra frame, where after Brunswick had a golden opportunity to win the game, a big save by the Catoctin goalie resulted in the last possession of the game as Catoctin buried their chance off a timeout. 

The loss drops Brunswick's record to 2-7, and they now face three games next week and are in desperate need of wins to help their playoff seeding and potential bye.

BHS Goal Scorers vs. Catoctin
Sophomore Attackman Jacob Cadle - 3 Goals / 2 Assists
Senior Attackman Chris Cornett - 2 Goals / 2 Assists
Sophomore Midfielder Layne Harich - 2 Goals
Junior Midfielder Joey Intolubbe - 1 Goal
Junior Midfielder Andrew Shaffer - 1 Assist
Sophomore Midfielder Daniel Polyniak - 1 Assist

Senior Goalie Tristan Dassele - 8 Saves

Coach Hartman's thoughts on the Catoctin game:
"This game hurts in a lot of ways. We had a chance to not only beat a rival, but also to improve our chances of hosting  a playoff game. With the loss, we now face an uphill battle and will have to do things the hard way heading into the final week of the regular season. After coaching this game for 12 years, you realize losses like this happen, but how a team responds in the next game shows the true attitude and heart of the team. Will they fold, or will they come out on fire with a new sense of purpose as they hope to be playing their best at the right time. Anything is possible. Just a few years ago a Brunswick team was left for dead, and ended up making their way to the Regional Finals. Time to pick ourselves back up and get back to work. It's all we can do at this point."

Upcoming BHS Lacrosse Schedule:
5/2 - BHS @ Smithsburg - 6:00pm (Varsity ONLY)
5/3 - BHS @ Middletown - 5:30pm (JV ONLY)
5/4 - BHS vs. St. Johns Catholic Prep - 6:00pm (Varsity ONLY - Senior Night)
5/5 - BHS @ TJHS - 6:00pm (Varsity ONLY)

The Brunswick High School Boys lacrosse team was coming off a very emotional win the last time they stepped onto a field, an OT win against rival Boonsboro HS, but their competition on Tuesday was certainly a step up in both talent, and class.

The Railroaders headed to Linganore to play the defending state champion Lancers on a cold, rainy, evening on the other side of the county. After the Lancers jumped out to a 5-0 start, Brunswick settled in and was able to cut into Linganore's lead 7-2 at halftime. However, in the second half it was all Linganore as they stormed their way to a 15-3 win. 

The loss moves Brunswick's record to 2-6 with four games remaining in the regular season.

Goal Scorers vs. Linganore:
Senior Attackman Chris Cornett - 2 Goals
Sophomore Attackman Jacob Cadle - 1 Goal / 1 Assist
Sophomore Midfielder Layne Harich - 1 Assist

Senior Goalie Tristan Dassele - 10 Saves

Coach Hartman's thoughts on the Linganore game:
"This was a game we knew was going to be a tough matchup for us. Linganore isn't just a really big school, but they are a tremendous program. It is the typical plug-and-play program where when one starter leaves, the next great player is ready to fill in and step up. Nonetheless, I liked the fight in our team tonight, and we made the game competitive for the majority of the game. However, what we need to do now is to take the experience we have gained from games like Linganore, Middletown and Oakdale, and make sure we don't play down to the level of our competition in the future. We have 4 games left, and we want to win them all heading into the postseason."

Upcoming BHS Lacrosse Schedule:
4/27 - BHS vs. Catoctin - JV - 5:30 / Varsity - 7:00

Brunswick and Boonsboro are becoming very strong rivals, at least in the sport of boys lacrosse, and that rivalry was in full force Thursday when the two teams met at Brunswick High School for the first, and only, meeting of the regular season. This game pitted two teams in the Maryland 1A-2A West Section facing off in a very important game for playoff seeding and home field advantage.

Brunswick got off to a quick start, going up 4-1, but Boonsboro clawed their way back to a 5-3 deficit at the end of the first quarter. It was a one goal lead for Brunswick until the 4th quarter when Boonsboro stormed back to take the lead, with possession, with under a minute to go in the contest. A controversial witholding call gave the ball to the Railroaders, and a bench foul on Boonsboro gave them a man advantage. Brunswick cashed in o the opportunity to tie the game with 12 seconds left in regulation.

The game went to sudden death overtime, when Brunswick's Joey Intolubbe scored the game-winning goal on the team's second possession of the extra frame. The win ends Brunswick's 5-game losing streak, and moves their record to 2-5 on the season, heading into Spring Break.

Goal Scorers for Brunswick vs. Boonsboro:

Sophomore Midfielder Layne Harich - 5 Goals 
Sophomore Attackman Jacob Cadle - 1 Goal / 3 Assists
Sophomore Midfielder Daniel Polyniak - 2 Goals
Junior Midfielder Andrew Shaffer - 2 Goals
Senior Attackman Chris Cornett - 2 Assists
Junior Attackman James Thornton - 2 Goals
Senior Midfielder Justin Caraher - 1 Goal
Junior Midfielder Joey Intolubbe - 1 Goal

Senior Goalie Tristan Dassele - 15 Saves

Coach Hartman's thoughts on the Boonsboro game:
"This was a big game. Not just because it was Boonsboro, and not just because it was a sectional game, but because we had lost so many in a row we needed to learn how to win again. Overtime games are a tough nut to crack. I have been a part of double overtime wins, double overtime losses, and plenty of overtime decisions in my 12 years as a coach, and they can be unbelievably huge in regards to momentum. Win the game, and it can catapult the team to major success. Lose these games and it can be absolutely devastating. I'm proud of the boys tonight, and am glad we came out on the right end of the game. Now it is time to continue to work hard and make sure we improve heading into the final two weeks of the regular season."

The Brunswick JV lost their game to Boonsboro.

Upcoming BHS Lacrosse Schedule:
BHS at Linganore - 4/25 - JV - 5:30 / Varsity - 7:00
BHS vs. Catoctin - 4/27 - JV - 5:30 / Varsity - 7:00

The Brunswick HS Boys Lacrosse program is reeling, and the skid continued at Middletown Monday night when the Railroaders lacrosse program took on the Middletown Knights. Middletown, on of the county's best teams, came out hot and scored 4 quick goals, but Brunswick answered with a pair of goals before the end of the quarter. At halftime, Middletown extended their lead, but Brunswick rallied and was able to scrap together 4 goals to make the score 7-4 at the midway point.

In the second half, Brunswick continued to hang around, but were never able to string together enough possessions to equal Middletown's offensive prowess. Heading into the fourth quarter Brunswick remained down 10-6, and the Knights pulled away late in the fourth quarter with a final score of 15-8.

The loss marked Brunswick's 5th straight defeat, and moved their record to 1-5. At the midway point of the season, the Railroaders look to rebuild and reload to make a stretch run. 

BHS Goal Scorers vs. Middletown:
Sophomore Midfielder Layne Harich - 1 Goal / 3 Assists
Sophomore Attackman Jacob Cadle - 2 Goals
Senior Attackman Chris Cornett - 1 Goal / 2 Assists
Junior Attackman Jacob Statler - 1 Goal / 2 Assists
Junior Midfielder Andrew Shaffer - 2 Goals
Junior Midfielder Joey Intolubbe - 1 Goal

Senior Goalie Tristan Dassele - 24 Saves

Coach Hartman's thoughts on the Middletown Game:
"The way we played this game has been indicative of how we have played the last few weeks. We are in these games against schools much larger than ours, but we continue to make mental mistakes at the most inopportune times. I know perfection is unattainable, but if we are able to minimize our mental lapses, we will be a tough team to beat. We have 6 games left on our schedule, and our main focus is to be playing our best lacrosse at the right time. We just hope that doesn't lead to more "moral victories" but actual wins over sectional opponents. The team is improving, and we have to stay on that track."

Upcoming BHS Lacrosse Schedule:
4/13 - BHS vs. Boonsboro - JV - 5:30 / Varsity - 7:00

The Brunswick boys lacrosse program went to Oakdale High School on a rain soaked evening in search of their second victory of the season, and to end their current losing streak. Unfortunately, neither of those events happened as Brunswick fell to the Oakdale Bears by the score of 10-3. 

However, don't let the score deceive you in regards to how close this game truly was. After a 2-2 tie after the first quarter, several failed missed opportunities by Brunswick turned into scoring opportunities for the Bears, which they capitalized on. The stout Oakdale defense shut down the Brunswick offense in the second half, as they extended their 6-3 lead into a 10-3 victory.

Goal Scorers for Brunswick vs. Oakdale:

Sophomore Attackman Jacob Cadle - 3 Assists
Junior Attackman James Thornton - 2 Goals
Junior Midfielder Joey Intolubbe - 1 Goal

Senior Goalie Tristan Dassele - 11 Saves

Coach Hartman's Thoughts on the Oakdale Game:
"This team aspires to be great, not just good or average, and they truly can be great. However, with that said, if they want to be great they have to take their execution up a notch. You saw a team tonight who blew chances, both offensively and defensively. If we cash in on those opportunities, this game is completely different. Instead, those blown chances turned into goals for Oakdale. When you play upper tier teams in Frederick County, the margin of error is razor thin, and we didn't execute well enough tonight. There were some really good things going on this evening, but the mental lapses have to stop if we want to stop our current skid and get back to our winning ways."

Upcoming BHS Lacrosse Games:
Monday 4/10 - BHS @ Middletown - JV - 5:30 / Varsity - 7:00
Thursday 4/13 - BHS vs. Boonsboro - JV - 5:30 / Varsity - 7:00

The season started off well for the Brunswick High School Varsity lacrosse team, but since that opening game, things have gone downhill fast. After being forced to forfeit their game against Urbana High School, the team dropped an 11-8 game against Tuscarora and although they had hopes of getting back to .500, they weren't able to do so against Walkersville on Tuesday night.

The game was evenly matched early on, but Brunswick's sloppy play, and overall lack of discipline, led to a third quarter to forget. Down only 3 goals at halftime, Brunswick failed to score a goal in the third, while Walkersville tallied 3 in the frame to extend their lead out of reach. If it weren't for 5 4th quarter goals for the Railroaders, this game would have been even more out of hand. 

The 13-8 loss moves Brunswick's record to 1-3, as they prepare to go on the road to play Oakdale on Thursday night.

Goal Scorers for Brunswick vs. Walkersville:

Sophomore Midfielder Layne Harich: 4 Goals
Sophomore Attackman Jacob Cadle: 2 Goals / 1 Assit
Sophomore Midfielder Daniel Polyniak: 1 Goal
Junior Attackman Jacob Statler: 1 Goal

Senior Goalie Tristan Dassele: 16 Saves

Coach Hartman's thoughts on the Walkersville game:
"Every season there are games where the team doesn't show up. Both mentally and physically. This was that game. Even after the game I felt we were capable of beating Walkersville, but they wanted it more. They won the ground ball battle, they put better shots on cage, they dominated time of possession and they cashed in on their opportunities. We failed to score with our opportunities, had long stretches without possession and didn't do our jobs in the ground ball department. Luckily for us, this wasn't a playoff game. We have to regroup, continue to work to improve, and do our best to beat Oakdale on Thursday. The season is far from over, but we need to pick up our game if we want be playing our best lacrosse when the playoffs roll around."

Upcoming BHS Lacrosse:
BHS JV @ Oakdale - 4/6 - 5:30 p.m.
BHS Varsity @ Oakdale - 4/6 - 7:00 p.m.

The Brunswick High School Varsity lacrosse team was coming off a forfeit loss to Urbana, and was back at home to host the Tuscarora Titans in just their second game action of the 2017 season. The game lived up to the billing as both skilled teams put their skill on display as this back-and-forth affair had the score tied at halftime. In the second half the Railroaders took an 8-7 lead, but failed to score again as Tuscarora took advantage of Brunswick miscues and turned them into four unanswered goals, for a final score of 11-8 in favor of Tuscarora.

The loss moves Brunswick's overall record to 1-2 on the season.

The Junior Varsity team also lost their game, moving their overall record to 2-3 on the season.

Goal Scorers for BHS vs. Tuscarora:

Senior Attackman Chris Cornett - 2 Goals / 2 Assists
Sophomore Midfielder Layne Harich - 2 Goals / 1 Assist
Sophomore Midfielder Daniel Polyniak - 2 Goals
Junior Midfielder Joey Intolubbe - 1 Goal
Sophomore Attackman Jacob Cadle - 1 Goal
Junior Attackman Jacob Statler - 1 Assist

Senior Goalie Tristan Dassele - 13 Saves

Coach Hartman's thoughts on the Tuscarora game:
"We were extremely prepared for this game, both mentally and physically, but being short-handed at a few positions, and not having enough game experience yet came back to haunt us. Penalties, ill-timed mistakes and turnovers equated to scoring opportunities for the opponent, and they cashed in. The effort was there tonight, and the players gave me absolutely 100-percent. Now we just have to work on finishing. I have a feeling they will learn that soon, and we can still be a team to be reckoned with."

The 2017 Brunswick High School lacrosse season officially got underway for the Varsity team Thursday when the Frederick High School Cadets came to Brunswick for both team's season openers. The Railroaders got off to a tremendous start, jumping out to a 9-1 lead, and continued to add to their lead in the second quarter as they lead 12-2 in the waning minutes of the contest before a penalized hit on the field turned into an on field scuffle between the teams. 

The scuffle resulted in the termination of the game, meaning Brunswick won the game 12-2, despite not even making it to halftime. Consequences of the incident meant the Varsity team is now forced to forfeit their next game, Tuesday 3/28, at Urbana High School.

Goal Scorers for BHS vs. Frederick:

Sophomore Midfielder Layne Harich - 5 Goals / 2 Assists 
Junior Attackman Jacob Statler - 3 Goals / 1 Assist
Sophomore Attackman Jacob Cadle - 2 Goals / 3 Assists
Sophomore Midfielder Daniel Polyniak - 1 Goal
Senior Attackman Chris Cornett - 1 Goal
Senior Defenseman Quinn Hutchins - 1 Assist

Senior Goalie Tristan Dassele - 1 Save

The Junior Varsity team also won their second game of the season 6-1, as they advanced their record to 2-0. However, they played Boonsboro HS on Friday, and were handed their first defeat of the season. They take their 2-1 record into the second week of action against Urbana and Tuscarora.

Coach Hartman's Thoughts on the Frederick Game:
"The truly disappointing game, from my perspective, is the fact this scuffle negates what was an extremely solid performance by our team. The defense was on point, we were clearing the ball well, riding well, not turning the ball over and cashing in on our offensive opportunities. In other words, we were playing a near perfect game, especially for the first game of the season, before this incident. It is a shame we won't get to prove ourselves further against a tougher opponent in Urbana, but we made our bed and now it is time to lay in it. We will be ready for Tuscarora on Thursday."

Upcoming BHS Lacrosse Games:
BHS JV @ Urbana HS - 3/28 - 5:30pm
BHS vs. Tuscarora - 3/30 - JV - 5:30 / Varsity - 7:00