Bruvik exits Stuart after best year ever
By: Bob Nuse
Kelly Bruvik has been a part of the Stuart Country Day School field hockey program her whole life.
But this year was more special than any of the previous years she’s been part of the Tartan team as a fan or a player. It had to be, she’s a senior now and this was her final year on the field.
"I think it was more special because it was my last year, which was the sad part of it," said Bruvik, who helped the Tartans to a school record 18 wins this season. "But it was much more relaxed because the whole senior class was confident we could win every game. I think as a freshman and sophomore, you just don’t understand how successful this program is. It gives you a lot more confidence stepping on the field."
Stuart had its most successful season ever in terms of wins and losses. The Tartans went 18-1-1, with their loss and tie both coming against prep tournament champion Lawrenceville. The Tartans also won a second straight Mercer County Tournament championship and a fourth straight Patriot Conference title.
As one of six seniors on the roster, Bruvik has been a foundation to a program that has enjoyed success year after year. But Kelly Bruvik has been part of the program for more than just her four years with the high school team. She’s been there her whole life from the day she was born and a week later the head coach had her at a practice.
"This season, as every game passed by, it was a reality check that this was it," said Stuart coach Missy Bruvik, Kelly’s mother. "When they’re young and you’re a coach you hope your kids will play. I would bring her to games and practices in a snuggly and my mother-in-law would bring her to games. She was at every big game with my husband. She would be out at Mercer County Park when she was 4 or 5 and they used to play the doubleheaders out at the park.
"She’s been going to school here since she was 3 years old and we’ve always had this bond. It has been fun. But we also have managed to keep our own space and do our own thing. I think she always looked forward to playing, but I don’t think she ever felt like she was pressured into playing."
On the field, Bruvik got better and better each year, with this year being her best yet. She ended the season with 21 goals and 13 assists, finishing one goal behind team leader Jackie Gaudioso Radvany, while leading the team in assists. She finished her Stuart career with 66 goals and 43 assists, breaking Tracy Statter’s school scoring record.
Kelly Bruvik is the Princeton Packet Field Hockey Player of the Year.
"At the beginning of the season we weren’t sure how we would do because Christa (Goeke) and Alice (Murnen) were such important parts of the team and we were kind of built around them last year," Kelly Bruvik said. "Alice was such a good player. And Christa, we just had so much confidence in her in goal. We were a little worried about that. But I think once pre-season started we all realized we were going to be fine."
With the double scoring punch of Bruvik and Gaudioso Radvany, as well as some great senior leadership, the Tartans eclipsed their efforts of last year, when they had tied a school record for wins.
The current senior group will leave Stuart having won 64 games in the last four years.
"We had five seniors this year who played all the way through middle school and stayed with it," Missy Bruvik said. "There were the four that started for us, Kelly, Megan (Fitzpatrick), Liz (Colicchio) and Eleanor (Hayes-Larson), plus Amy Sismondo, who has played since middle school. They have been together the whole time since middle school and they’re great friends on and off the field. They enjoy coming to practice and playing together. They all know each other so well."
Next year will certainly be different for both Bruviks. Kelly is excited to be starting her college career at Bucknell, while Missy will have to learn to live without her daughter on the field and in the hallways at school.
"It will be strange, but fun," Missy Bruvik said. "It’s going to be a lot different to sit back and watch and have a chance to see her play from that perspective. The thing about it is that she is passionate about the game, so I think she’ll be successful and do what she needs to do to succeed.
"We never know if they’ll ever play sports. We never pushed her to play. She just always had a passion for a lot of different sports. She played soccer and basketball and lacrosse as well as hockey. She just always gave it her best and she has made the decisions on her own. Having watched her work hard to get where she is, I feel very fortunate and very lucky. She’s always had a good work ethic and she’s been very committed."
Playing at Bucknell will be a change for Kelly, who has spent her entire academic life at the same place Stuart.
"I wanted to play hockey there and I committed in August," she said of Bucknell. "They are in the Patriot League, which is a real competitive conference. And it is a strong academic school. I wanted to go to a strong academic school."
And she’ll focus on field hockey, although the possibility of playing lacrosse in college is also there. After all, she’ll have to find a way to keep herself busy. She’s been doing that athletically her whole life as well.
"I actually played club soccer from third through ninth grade, but then it was just too much with school and hockey," said the Montgomery resident, who is spending this week at the National Field Hockey Festival in Palm Springs, Calif. "I think almost everyone on our team has played soccer at some point. I think that actually helps us in some ways because the passing game is the same and our best goalies are all ex-soccer players."
And now, when it comes to field hockey, Kelly Bruvik is an ex-Tartan. But she’ll always be part of the program as well as being on its finest players to every play the sport.
"I think the game I’ll remember most is the county final last year," she said of the 2-1 win over Allentown in the Mercer County Tournament. "That was a big deal because we had been beaten by them twice before and it was more of a statement. This year we were expected to come in and do well."
And Stuart did just that. With a Bruvik leading them on the field and on the sidelines.

