The Delta Footmen concluded their season in impressive fashion by capturing silver at the B.C. U15 Field Lacrosse Tier II Championships in Richmond last weekend.
With impressive wins in round robin play, the No. 5 seed Footmen battled No. 4 Burnaby for a place in Monday’s championship game.
Having never pulled off a win in regular season play against the Devils, the Footmen got off to a terrific start with a solid goal in the opening seconds of the game — followed by impressive play from both veterans and notable rookies Isaiah Gill, William Bocolas, Ethan Fasse and Riley Neaves between the pipes. With an overall team effort, Delta moved onto the final with a nail biting 10-8 triumph.
Entering the gold medal game with nothing to lose against unbeaten and host Vancouver/Richmond, the Footmen battled quickly to get on the board first, but after almost 90 minutes of play, were defeated 9-6 by their rival.
It was a bittersweet loss as the boys rose to the occasion and gave the tournament's top seed a run for its money with outstanding performances from Jared Maznik, Cameron Squarek, Turner Anderson, Brayden Johnston and Antonio Luey.
The Footmen had to settle for silver, but bringing home a medal is plenty to be proud of, according to head coach Michael Squarek.
“What a rewarding season with silver at provincials and gold (earlier) at the Richmond Romp. I’m very proud of all these young men. They worked hard all season, grew as a team and saw great success," said Squarek. “I am also so proud to have been a part of this team with both my sons, Cameron (15) as a player and Conrad (17) as an assistant coach, it’s a once in a lifetime experience."
Earlier action saw the Footmen defeat North Island (20-3) and Poco (17-8) in round-robin play, while taking an 11-5 loss to Richmond/Vancouver.
Game MVP awards went to Riley Neaves (2), Turner Anderson, Cameron Squarek and Nathan MacPherson-Ridgewell. Nathanial Gao was awarded the Fair Play Award for the Footmen.
The Footmen’s roster features 22 players: Turner Anderson, William Bocolas, Aiden Currivan, Ethan Fasse, Isaiah Gill, Tyler Nakano, Jared Maznik, Zachary Milne, Riley Neaves, Owen Turpie, Owen Venier, Tavis Bott, Nathaniel Gao, Davis Granum, Brayden Johnston, Antonio Luey, Nathan MacPherson-Ridgewell, Dylan Maskell, Ajay Pannu, Payden Purchas-Duch, Robert Sheldrick and Cameron Squarek. The team is coached by Michael Squarek, Ashton LeClair and Conrad Squarek. The team is managed by LeeAnn Neaves.
The field lacrosse provincials continue this weekend with Port Coquitlam hosting the U18 level.
