Reid Feinstein in goal was money in the bank for the Bridgewater-Raritan High School boys’ lacrosse team.
Literally, because each save that he recorded this past spring raised money for a prominent organization in New Jersey.
Feinstein, a Class of 2026 graduate, received numerous postseason honors, including All-America and All-State recognition for his play as a goalie this spring, when his ability to guard the net led Bridgewater-Raritan to a 16-4 record and a trip to the North Group 4 state tournament semifinals--an 11-10 overtime loss to Westfield High School- and the Somerset County Tournament championship game--an 8-6 loss to Gill St. Bernard's School.
But off the field, Feinstein received another prestigious honor–the Bob Scott Award.
According to USA Lacrosse, the governing body of lacrosse in the United States, the Bob Scott Award is named in honor of the legendary coach and National Lacrosse Hall of Famer. These awards recognize one male senior player from each area who goes ‘above and beyond’ in service to his team, school, and community.
USA Lacrosse also stated that the athletes who receive this award truly honor the game of lacrosse, are invested in its development in their town, and are exemplary teammates. In addition, the award winners must be outstanding students with high academic achievement and serve as role models within their school community.
The award is bestowed upon lacrosse players throughout the country, with some states honoring players from within their regions.
New Jersey recognizes two recipients—one from the Shore region and one from the North region, where Feinstein was honored.
Feinstein was cited for his passionate work directing and raising money for Imagine, a heart-warming non-profit based in New Jersey.
According to its website, Imagine’s mission is to support children and families coping with loss and to foster resiliency and emotional well-being for all those who grieve.
Feinstein’s former Bridgewater-Raritan teammate, Class of 2025 grad Brody Nussman, spearheaded a drive when he launched Goals for Imagine in 2024.
The spirited Nussman stated last year that “he challenged the Bridgewater-Raritan lacrosse community to pledge donations for every goal that was scored during the 2025 lacrosse season.”
“This was not about just raising money, but it was about coming together as a team and a community to support a great cause. By the end of the season, my efforts brought in $5,005 for the 132 goals scored,” Nussman proudly said.
Before Nussman left for college at Stockton University, he passed the torch for coordinating Imagine's fundraising.
“Brody asked me to take over, and I said ‘sure,’ “ Feinstein recalled.
So Feinstein figured that instead of raising all the money from scoring goals, how about earning funds by preventing goals.
Feinstein donated a dollar himself for every save he made this spring when he recorded 183 stops. He added $183 to the overall total of $2,500 that was raised this year for Imagine.
“It was super amazing to run this fundraiser,” Feinstein admitted.
A famous tradition at Bridgewater-Raritan is the presentation of the No 8 jersey to a senior at the start of each season. The No. 8 was the jersey number worn by the late Michael Bruce, who was slated to be one of New Jersey’s best players out of Bridgewater-Raritan High School East as a senior in 1988.
But that fall, Bruce became fully paralyzed after getting into a terrible accident when his car skidded on wet leaves. Every year since 1990, Bruce’s No. 8 jersey has been awarded to an outstanding Bridgewater-Raritan senior player who best represents Bruce’s passion for life, love of lacrosse, and exceptional qualities shown on and off the field. Sadly, Bruce passed away in 2000.
Feinstein also revealed that it “was an honor to wear the No 8 jersey this year,” when he became the 37th annual recipient to wear that iconic number.
Matt Apel, the head coach of this highly successful boys’ lacrosse program at Bridgewater-Raritan, which has been directed by his father and Hall of Fame coach, Chuck Apel, since 1980, shared his feelings about Feinstein, the player and person.
“It has been a pleasure to have Reid not only play in our program but also be one of its strongest leaders. His commitment to our team and drive to improve his game and compete daily helped to set the tone for our underclassmen and uphold our team expectations and culture,” Matt Apel said. “Reid was also chosen to wear the No. 8 this season in memory of Michael Bruce and stepped up to spearhead our continued effort to support Imagine, an organization to help those who suffer the loss of a family member, in memory of '98 alum Mike Schambach. These two alumni and their memories form the foundation of our program and guide us in how we want to help our players develop as young men. Reid and all the members of his senior class have been outstanding stewards of their memory.”
Iona University will be Feinstein’s next stop, where he plans to play goalie and major in Business, a field in which he has already gained valuable---and a profitable--- experience in.