Mahwah’s Granquist keeps tradition going by Sean Farrell of The Record
MAHWAH – Aidan Granquist is a copycat.
It’s why the first decision of his lacrosse career was an easy one. It’s why Mahwah’s senior is a goalie. There was never a question about it when he started playing in third grade.
“[My older brother, Brendan] was really my role model and why I play goalie, to be honest,” Granquist said. “I really wanted to be like him when I was younger so I copied pretty much everything he did.”
Granquist is now thriving in the role his brother once held.
He kept one of Bergen County’s best offenses quiet on Thursday.
He made eight saves in a brilliant performance for No. 8 Mahwah in a 4-3 win over No. 6 Ramsey in the first-ever regular season meeting between the rivals.
“If he’s not in goal today, it’s a different game,” Mahwah coach Ryan Humphreys said. “He was unbelievable. I think he was easily the most important player on the field.”
The Thunderbirds got a goal apiece from Brian DePaola, Jake Davis, Aidan Kelly and Connor Tevis. But it was a fourth quarter shutout by Granquist that allowed the comeback victory to happen.
“He’s agile,” Humphreys said. “He’s got quick feet. He’s got a lot of confidence. He’s deceptive. You look at him and don’t think he’s got the quickness, but he does. His hands are great. There are a lot of different things he has that impress me.”
The Thunderbirds have consistently been one of toughest teams to score against over the last few seasons. For the last four, a Granquist has been the last line of defense.
Aidan is now in his second season starting in goal for Mahwah, after spending the first two watching Brendan.
“They have the same mannerisms, the same skill set, the same attitude,” Humphreys said. “They’re fun to watch.”
Granquist is actually one of four in the family to play lacrosse for the Thunderbirds. First, there was Patrick on defense. The youngest is Liam, a freshman who’s the backup goalie and next in line.
“I think he has the potential to be the best out of all of us,” Aidan said.
Ramsey jumped out to an early lead with first quarter goals from Matt Spagnoletti and Ryan Latkowski. But the Thunderbirds responded with a 3-0 run in the first half. The Rams were held scoreless for nearly two full quarters.
“It’s just from having a good defense,” Granquist said. “I’ve been lucky enough to have guys in front of me stopping shots and willing to do anything. That really helps out.”
A Mahwah defense, led by Jack Wood, Rich Paruszek and Chris Rovito, has now only given up 4.25 goals per game in its last four contests.
In the second half, Granquist only had to make two saves. He watched from a distance for the last two minutes as the seconds ticked away.
“It means a lot that all the guys could work together, work hard and get the win,” Wood said. “We were just able to come together as one unit. It showed.”
The biggest stop of the game came early in the third quarter.
Ramsey’s Andrew Bonan found an opening right in front of the goal.
But Granquist made the stop from point-blank range.
Just like his older brother used to.
“Brendan had a great career,” Humphreys said. “He was amazing. And Aidan has stepped in and made his own legacy, which his nice to see. If I had to pick one of the two, it would be a really tough decision. I’d probably just plead the fifth and take them both.”