Ultimate Warriors: Manasquan tops Hopewell Valley for first boys lacrosse state title

TABERNACLE — As the clock ticked down with under a minute to play at Seneca High School, you could already see the smiles through their face masks.

For 31 years, Manasquan’s boys lacrosse team had worked toward this moment. From grassroots beginnings as the first boys lacrosse program in the Shore Conference to a resurgence 10 years ago that saw the Warriors elevate themselves to a top-10 team in New Jersey and a conference champion, one trophy had continued to elude them.

But now, the waiting is over. On Friday night, Manasquan finally broke through to win a state championship.

The senior trio of Ryan Aldi, Brandon Kunz and Matt Schneider combined for nine goals and five assists while senior defenseman Parker Harms and senior goalie Pat Loxley led a superb defensive effort as the Warriors defeated Hopewell Valley, 13-5, to win the 2025 NJSIAA Group 2 state title.

Facing a Hopewell Valley team that features a high-scoring offense and a player having one of the greatest offensive seasons in state history, Manasquan put together one of its most complete games of the season to win its first state title in its sixth trip to the championship game. The Warriors join Rumson-Fair Haven as the only Shore Conference boys lacrosse programs to win state championships.

“This is everything,” Schneider said. “I remember being in sixth grade and watching Manasquan play in the state final, and now to be here winning it, it’s a dream come true.”

“It means everything to me, to my teammates, to my parents, to the coaches, and to Manasquan in general to finally accomplish this after all those years,” Kunz said. “I’ve come up short many times throughout my career so I’m just super proud of this team for accomplishing this.”

Aldi scored a team-high four goals and one assist while Schneider had three goals and two assist and Kunz had two goals and two assists. Harms, senior midfielder Kai Donahue and senior Kelly Mulligan each scored once. Harms and fellow senior pole Chris Carhart, senior LSM James Cadott, junior defenseman John Lake, and senior short-stick defensive midfielders Donahue and Pat Frost combined to limit Hopewell Valley to just five goals. The Bulldogs entered the game averaging 13.4 goals per game. Senior attackman Luke Caldwell scored four goals for Hopewell to give him 121 on the season, but Harms prevented him from taking over the game and Manasquan’s defense erased every other option.

“This is huge, first one in school history,” Loxley said. “This group has been together since third grade Shark River lacrosse, all the seniors and multiple juniors. It feels so good to start down there and then finish at the top our senior year.”

“It’s amazing, a moment I’ll cherish forever,” Aldi said. “I love this set of guys so much. I can’t give our coaches enough credit for getting us to this point. I’m full of emotions right now.”

The Warriors’ 13th and final goal was the cherry on top, and it carried much more meaning than a typical late add-on goal. When Mulligan hit the back of the net for a man-up strike with 2:45 left in the game, his teammates and the Manasquan crowd erupted. Mulligan injured his ACL last season and suffered numerous setbacks on his road to recovery. He was cleared just today to return to competition, so when Manasquan had a two-minute man advantage with under four minutes to play, Mulligan had his number called.

“There was a chance I would get in depending on how the game was going. I was on the sideline and one of our middies was gassed, and coach called my name,” Mulligan said. “I knew right then and there it was my time and I wanted to get one.”

His teammates kept feeding him the ball for shot attempts, and on the first, Mulligan absorbed a huge hit as he released his shot. After over 12 months of grueling rehab and uncertainty, nothing was going to knock him out of the game. His next shot attempt off a pass from Schneider stung the top corner and his teammates mobbed him while the Manasquan fans chanted his name. It was a storybook moment for a player and family that has meant so much to Manasquan lacrosse.

Mulligan’s older brother Casey was a standout attackman who helped Manasquan win three sectional titles and two Shore Conference titles before heading to the University of Pennsylvania where he just completed his senior year. Mulligan’s mother, Lora, was the president of Shark River lacrosse for many years. Manasquan lacrosse is in their blood.

“It was unreal,” Mulligan said. “These guys have been pulling for me all year and even last year. They brought the (sectional) trophy to my house after I had surgery. To have a group like this with all my brothers out here, my whole family, the physical therapists and my doctor who helped get me here, I knew I had to make the opportunity count.”

“We had the man-up and we were up a few goals, so I went over to the coaches and said let’s get Kelly in, and they let him,” Kunz said. “We were just trying to get him the ball for a good shot, and it went in. I’m just so proud of him. It was a great moment for him, for his family, for everybody. For Manasquan.”

Mulligan’s drive to get healthy for a chance to simply get into a game this year epitomizes Manasquan’s pursuit of its first state title. Five times prior, the Warriors reached a state final only to be turned away one win short. A 4-2 loss to Chatham in their first state finals appearance in 2016, crushing losses of 7-6 and 7-5 to Mountain Lakes in the 2019 and 2021 Group 1 state finals, and last season’s 7-6 loss to Summit where a furious fourth-quarter rally came up one goal shy. But with enough swings of the ax, even the biggest tree will fall.

“It sounds corny but when you think of a brotherhood, look up brotherhood in the dictionary and you’ll see these guys,” Manasquan head coach John Naslonski said. “A great example of that is when we put Kelly Mulligan in the game. They wanted him to get on the field and then they saw the opportunity on the man-up. They treat him like a brother. The whole community, it’s such a unique environment. The administration, the teachers, the parents, neighbors. It’s a true family town. I’m so happy to be a part of it and that I can celebrate with these guys.”

Manasquan aims to start fast and keep a relentless pace for all 48 minutes, and that offense was on display for most of the Group 2 final. Aldi got the scoring started when he converted a setup from Kunz at 8:35, and Longo made it 2-0 off a downhill dodge at 6:01. Hopewell Valley responded when Caldwell got free in transition and beat Loxley for his 118th goal of the season, cutting Manasquan’s lead to 2-1. The Warriors answered in under a minute when Matt Schneider dodged and scored for a 3-1 lead after the first quarter.

Donahue extended Manasquan’s advantage to 4-1 early in the second quarter with a lefty bounce-shot off a high dodge. Caldwell struck again at 9:27 to make it 4-2, but the Warriors came right back when Aldi scored off a nifty pass from junior midfielder Jack O’Reilly at 7:43 and Matt Schneider bullied his way inside with a flag down to score and give Manasquan a 6-2 lead with 4:50 left in the first half. Caldwell continued to carry Hopewell Valley’s offense and netted his 120th goal with 4:12 on the clock. The teams went into halftime with Manasquan ahead, 6-3.

Caldwell, who finished with four goals, ended up third on New Jersey’s all-time single-season goals list with 121. First is A.L. Johnson’s Matt Poskay with 129 and second is Manasquan’s Canyon Birch with 123.

His fourth tally of the day came just over a minute into the second half and trimmed Manasquan’s lead to 6-4. The Bulldogs were hanging around, but then the Warriors broke it open, beginning with a play that screamed “Manasquan lacrosse”. With Big Blue playing a man down, Loxley made an excellent save on Caldwell and then quickly turned the ball upfield to Cadott in transition. The ball ended up in the crosse of Kieran Schneider, who sent it across the box to Aldi where the Bentley commit faked and scored for a 7-4 Manasquan lead.

“Patches was really impressive, one of his best games of the season,” Matt Schneider said. “Our poles and D-middies are so quick and athletic getting up the field that teams can’t keep up.”

Manasquan increased its lead to 8-4 when Kunz scored a man-up goal off a setup from Matt Schneider at 5:20. In the final 90 seconds of the third quarter, Manasquan scored twice with Kunz getting his second of the game and Aldi scoring his fourth with 40 seconds left for a 10-4 Manasquan lead. Johnny Ellis broke Manasquan’s run with a goal at 29 seconds, but the Warriors had taken control entering the final 12 minutes.

“Ball movement and just relaxing and playing lacrosse,” Aldi said of Manasquan’s third quarter surge. “It’s a championship game but we came out with the mindset that it’s just another game and we’re going to get it done.”

“The momentum swing totally our way and we started lighting it up,” Matt Schneider said.

Indeed they did.

On a great sequence early in the fourth quarter, Schneider avoided a check by going behind the back with his stick. Shortly after, he took a pass from his brother Kieran and hit a jumping backhand shot for an 11-5 lead.

“I don’t even know, it was a flow state,” Schneider said. “It’s the championship game and I was letting it fly.”

Off the ensuing face-off, Harms raced into the box and scored to make it 12-5 with 8:28 to play. At that point, it was clear Manasquan would finally bring home a boys lacrosse state championship.

“I thought everyone did their jobs,” Kunz said. “Patch made saves, Will (Conway) won face-offs, we won ground balls, we pushed transition. We played a full 48 minutes.”

Now it’s onto the Kirst Cup where the five state championship teams will square off to determine the overall state champion. Seton Hall Prep won the Non-Public A title, Manasquan won Group 2 and Glen Ridge won Group 1. Saturday’s Group 3 final between Summit and Shawnee and the Group 4 final between Westfield and Kingsway will determine the field. All games will be played at Kean University starting Monday.

“I’m really happy we get to keep playing,” Aldi said. “We live for another game.”

First, the Warriors will celebrate a title three decades in the making.

“I have no words,” Kunz said. “We came up short my sophomore year, lost by one to Summit last year. I’m so proud I got to help lead this team to a state championship.”

“To make history with this team, with my best friends,” Matt Schneider said. “We’re going to remember it forever.”