BRUNSWICK — Max Rosner saw success during his time as a student-athlete at Brunswick High School from 2005-09, both on the lacrosse field and soccer pitch. His teams’ combined regular season mark of 98-5-1, one state title (lacrosse), three other state final appearances (two in lacrosse, one in soccer) and three regional finals easily reflect this fact.

So, when Rosner decided to stay close to home, attend Bowdoin College and play college lacrosse, the 2009 Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Lacrosse Player of the Year was naturally going to suit right up for Polar Bears coach Tom McCabe’s squad.

However, things didn’t start off that way for Rosner, who watched from the sidelines throughout his entire freshman season as the Polar Bears went 10-6 and advanced to the NESCAC semifinals, never once cracking the lineup to battle the other New England Small College Athletic Conference powers.

Now, Rosner could have sulked, let his studies slip and quit the game all together.

Think again!

See, Max Rosner, the son of Irl and Gail, is never one to quit anything. Instead, the challenges laid out in front of him made the psychology major work even harder to crack the lineup coming into his sophomore season.

His efforts paid off in spades, as Rosner is now a two-year starter on a Polar Bear team that stands at 5-1 this season with a pair of key NESCAC home contests slated for this weekend on Pickard Field, as Middlebury visits Saturday and Williams comes to town on Sunday. Both games are slated for 1 p.m. face-offs.

“I knew right away that Max had the passion for the game of lacrosse,” said McCabe on why he recruited the local kid to his program. “In high school, I watched Max improve every season, and even though as a freshman he didn’t get into a game here, he worked throughout the offseason because he had a goal. He increased his foot speed, is a smart player and understands team defense. He is an outstanding teammate and superbly bright, also shining in the classroom.”

“I always felt Max would be successful no matter where he ended up because of his work ethic,” said Peter Gardner, Brunswick’s longtime soccer leader who coached Rosner for four seasons. “Max is a perfectionist. The things he may lack in overall raw ability, he makes up for by having a second-to-none work ethic. Max puts so much into what he does, and is just one of those kids every coach would love to have.”

Remembering the Dragons

“I owe a lot to my Brunswick High School coaches — Peter Gardner and (boys lacrosse coach) Don Glover,” said Rosner, who won a Class A state lacrosse title in 2007 with a 12-9 victory over Portland. The Dragons competed for the Class A state lacrosse title in both 2008 and 2009, coming up just short on both occasions. “Don’s work ethic, both on the lacrosse field and in the classroom, are what makes Brunswick lacrosse successful. He takes both seriously.”

Rosner had a ton of success playing for Gardner as well, including a state title game appearance in 2007.

Despite this success, Rosner admitted he wasn’t thinking about becoming a Polar Bear while attending BHS.

“I watched Bowdoin games, and was always excited to see a game between Bowdoin and Middlebury, but I didn’t see myself going to Bowdoin,” said Rosner. “When I was looking for a college, I met some good people here. Coach McCabe is awesome and is someone I greatly respect. I learn more and more from him every single day, and to this day he amazes you with the respect he shows each of us players.”

During Rosner’s time at BHS, he teamed with some pretty good athletes. Players like Sam Kaplan (soccer, now at Amherst), Peter Morrell (Williams) and brother Justin (Dartmouth), just a few of the many who walked the halls at Brunswick and have since gone on to compete in college.

“I’m still tight with all the athletes I played with in high school, and I get to see them at breaks when they come home,” said Rosner. “It was a great group that we had during that time at Brunswick, and attending high school there made us what we are today.”

“It gives me a huge amount of pride to see the kids be successful in college,” said Gardner, who is also a vice principal at BHS. “When those kids played for me, I considered them to be my kids, making sure they do the right things. Kids like Max get what they get by putting everything into it. That is something that makes me very proud.

“With Max, he would go into an AP class with not much knowledge on the subject and come out as one of the best students. He puts his heart and soul into everything he does.”

As to not getting into a game during his freshman year, Rosner believed this “reality check” allowed him to focus on what he needed to improve on.

“I realized quickly that at Brunswick I was a big fish in a little pond, where at Bowdoin I was a small fish in a great big pond,” said Rosner, whose sister Jackie graduated from Bowdoin last year. “That freshman year, watching what those seniors did as far as their work ethic, allowed me to grow.

“Coach McCabe was honest, told me what I needed to do, like increase my foot speed and get better in oneon one situations, in order to get on the field. My work in the offseason got me onto the field as a sophomore, and now I am expected to be a leader on defense.

“I have a lot of respect for (senior captain) Matt Egan, a great leader who makes my job on defense a lot easier. We have learned to play well together, and our team is so close, a true strength of ours. It boils down to having a year under my belt, and I see a team with a lot of confidence. We each realize the program and Bowdoin College is bigger than each of us.”

“With Max, I saw the work ethic right away,” said McCabe of his junior defenseman. “He continues to fine-tune his skills and play better every day. His work ethic is contagious, and makes others around him work even harder. He is a leader, and we’re lucky he stayed local.”

This season has begun particularly well for the Polar Bears. A 5-1 record, including Tuesday’s 9-8 victory over Springfield in a battle of nationally-ranked Division- III squads, has Rosner and his teammates dreaming of even more success this year — namely the NESCAC title.

“We feel we can go a long way this year,” said Rosner, whose Polar Bears have been eliminated by Tufts the past two NESCAC postseasons. “We have solid goaltending, a good defense, and forwards and midfielders who can score. It’s up to us to continue to work hard. If we do that, we will have success.”

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