When the NJSIAA Group 2 championship was handed to Manasquan for the first time in program history, an unheralded senior firmly grasped the state title.
Everyone got a piece of the trophy on Friday, but Kelly Mulligan had first dibs.
His path to that moment, in many ways, was the perfect encapsulation of what it took for the Warriors to make history and bring home the title. Mulligan tore his ACL last spring, and was on the sidelines for the 2024 playoffs, including a one-goal loss in the state final. It was their fifth championship loss for the Warriors.
He dreamed of being back for the season-opener, but knee infections in November and March delayed his rehab. Mulligan sat and watched for 21 games. He entered the lineup in the fourth quarter with Manasquan, No. 15 in the media news Top 20, in full control against No. 16 Hopewell Valley. A black brace and white athletic tape secured his left knee as he planted on that leg and ripped a shot into the corner of the net. It was his first, and only, goal of 2025.
It was also the last score of a 13-5 championship victory. The lasting image of a night where Manasquan finally broke through and won a state title.
Everyone in the community was on my side, and it's an incredible feeling to win this title and score in my only game of the season; the state championship game. I'm speechless," Mulligan said following the Group 2 final at Seneca. "This is a testament to all the alumni and everyone who has been part of this program. They set this program up to be where it needed to be to achieve this.
Mulligan's older brother, Casey, was part of three sectional title teams before he graduated in 2021. His teams lost in the overall Group 1 final to Mountain Lakes three years in a row. That stretch included a heartbreaking 7-6 loss in 2019 for a team led by Canyon Birch, the state’s all-time leading scorer.
Before this breakthrough championship win, it was the greatest stretch of lacrosse in program history.
Manasquan was on the cusp of getting over the hump and winning a state championship. The foundation was in place. Birch, Mulligan, and a long list of Division I commits made sure of that under former coach Sean Cunningham.
When veteran coach John Naslonski left Randolph and took over at Manasquan last season, he grabbed the keys to a program that was ready to rip.
Naslonski saw the talent and recognized the potential that the Warriors had.
He'd seen it before, and knew Manasquan had everything it needed to win a title. When Summit was moved to Group 3 in the preseason, Manasquan came in this year knowing the Group 2 championship was its ultimate goal.
It's been 20 years since we won a state championship at Randolph, so I know how tough this is," said Naslonski, who was with Randolph when it won the Group 3 title in 2005. The Rams lost in the final the next two years. "These kids came in ready on March 10 and day in and day out, they showed total dedication and total teamwork. I love these guys like they’re my sons.
Manasquan entered the final as the heavy favorite and quickly took a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Bentley commit Ryan Aldi and junior midfielder Lucas Longo The Warriors never trailed, but Hopewell Valley stayed in it for a while thanks to Washington and Lee commit Luke Caldwell, who had a game-high four goals.
Caldwell finished with 121 goals this year for North, Group 2 champs. He’s just the fifth player in state history to score 100-plus goals in a season.
Manasquan's offense was too strong in the end. Hopewell Valley could not keep up and faded away in the second half. Aldi, Longo, Lehigh commit Brandon Kunz Cornell commits Jack O'Reilly Monmouth commit Matthew Schneider and his younger brother, Kieran , made sure of it. Montclair State commit Kai Donahue and Villanova commit Parker Harms shined on defense and scored in transition.
Mulligan's late goal was the perfect way to cap off the historic win.
"This wasn’t just for us. It’s for everyone back in Manasquan," said Kunz, who also teamed with O’Reilly to win a Group 2 basketball title in 2025. “Hopewell Valley had a great year and (Caldwell) scored 121 goals, which is unbelievable. We came out firing, though, and were super strong. We left no regrets.”
“We had full hustle from the beginning and we kept it up every second of this game,” added Aldi, who had four goals. “I’m never going to forget this moment.”
Caldwell had a hat trick before halftime and scored 31 seconds into the third quarter. Hopewell Valley got the ball back and had a chance to make it a one-goal game, trailing 6-4 at that moment. Harms and the defense got a stop and then Aldi scored on the other end to start a four-goal run.
Manasquan only allowed one goal for the rest of the game as it built up a comfortable lead.
Harms, Rollins commit Chris Carhart Delaware Valley commits James Caddott and junior John Lake They were locked in. They’re a group of long poles who slide well and play physical lacrosse that makes you hesitate and second-guess yourself.
Donahue and senior Pat Frost played well as defensive short-stick midfielders.
Muhlenberg commit Pat Loxley made nine saves. He swatted away a couple of well-placed shots in the first half with athletic moves that frustrated Hopewell Valley. Those stops made sure that Manasquan stayed in control.
Loxley waited his turn to start for three years. When he won the starting job coming into this season, he made sure to take advantage of the opportunity.
This group of guys this year meshed so well together and that’s just the culture here at Manasquan," said Harms, who Naslonski thinks was the most dominant defender in the state this spring. "We all learn from each other and we just are great together. It also helps a lot to have a stud like Pat Loxley in net.
Manasquan was stunned a few weeks ago when it saw a three-goal lead disappear at the end of the Shore Conference final. It was the second year in a row that a conference championship slipped through the Warriors' fingers.
This squad regrouped after that loss to Rumson-Fair Haven, knowing what was at stake in June.
Manasquan dominated on its way to the South, Group 2 final, scoring 18 goals per game. The sectional title game was more of a battle, but the Warriors walked off the field in their final home game with a 9-7 championship win.
It was a nice box to check, but Manasquan wanted more.
The Warriors made the trip to South Jersey this weekend, knowing they had to bring the title back to Monmouth County. It showed from start to finish.
The first lacrosse program ever started in the Shore Conference has now joined Rumson-Fair Haven as the only programs in that area of Jersey to win a state title.
It’s such a great town and community. I’m so proud to be a part of this team and bring this trophy back to Manasquan," Donahue said. "This is history. Everyone will look back and see we were the first ones to bring it home.
Brandon Gould can be reached at bgould@njadvancemedia.com Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @BrandonGouldHS .
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