Lacrosse coach sees rapid improvement in team

The Bonners Ferry Lacrosse Club started a first year program for boys in third to seventh grade April 17.

The team consisted of eight seventh graders, six sixth graders, three fifth graders, three fourth graders, and one third grader. The players were Ethan Bertling, Ashton Blumenauer, Cory Clory Clairmont, Blake Copeland, Gabriel Egge, Alma Fischer, Seth Fisher-Fodge, Wyatt Hathaway, Braded Hershberger, Dixon Merrifield, Seth Rice, Wade Rice, Devon Skehan, Gabriel Stindt, Raemond Stindt, Jacob Summerfield, Donovan Varelman, Bradon Westbrook, and Isaac Wilson.

According to coach John Niewieroski, the Bonners Ferry club played home and away games against a Sandpoint Club and a Cranbrook, B.C. Club that have players on their teams with one to two years experience.

“Our boys have played for just over a month,” Niewieroski said. “Although we did not win a game, it was encouraging to see the boys progress throughout the season. From day one, learning catching and throwing, to participating in the games using offense and defensive techniques, Coach Glaza and I saw improvement in the play of players.”

In the last home game against Cranbrook, Isaac Wilson was the high scorer with three goals, Donovan Varelman and Dixon Merrifield had 2 goals each, while Ethan Bertling’s rock found the back of the net one time, Niewieroski said. The Bonners Ferry team lost the game 10 goals to 8.

“High praise goes out to our goalie, Gabriel Egge,” Niewieroski said, “who, with nerves of steel, stood tall in the goal and made more than fifty percent saves during the course of the season.”

The Bonners Ferry team rounds out its season with the Sandpoint tournament on June 14 where the boys will play two or three games.

The week of June 16 to 20, Niewieroski will be holding a lacrosse camp at the fairgrounds from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. for boys going into the fourth through eighth grades.

• For more information on the summer camp you can contact John at 267-2778.