A group of local lacrosse players has achieved a feat that hasn’t been accomplished by a local team for well over a decade.
The U-11 B Salmonbellies team won the gold medal at the 2023 John Witt Memorial Bellie Bowl on June 4. The New Westminster Minor Lacrosse Association is checking its records, but early indications suggest it’s the first time a New West team has won gold in any division of the tournament since 2006.
The Bellie Bowl, hosted by the New Westminster Minor Lacrosse Association, is an annual tournament for novice-aged players. This year’s tournament saw 19 teams in A, B and C divisions play a total of 44 games.
Along with teams from the Lower Mainland (Burnaby, Coquitlam, Langley, Ridge Meadows, Surrey and Vancouver), this year’s tournament also attracted teams from Kamloops, Quesnel and Port Alberni. It was the first time the tournament has been held since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was great to bring back our U11 mixed tournament, the John Witt Memorial Bellie Bowl, for the first time since 2019,” said tournament organizer Michael Ranalletta. “It was exciting to host 19 teams from around the province and unite the lacrosse community back in New Westminster.”
The Novice B team won its division after defeating Kamloops in the gold-medal game.
“The weekend was topped off with the home Salmonbellies B division team winning the gold medal in a hard-fought game at Queen’s Park Arena versus Kamloops, 5-4 in overtime, completing an undefeated run in the tournament,” said Ranalletta, who is division manager of the U11 Salmonbellies.
Congrats to the U11 B gold-medal winning team: Beckett Diaz; Ben Ranalletta (goalie); Benjamin Reid; Elliot Pare; Ethan Morin; Ethan Renaud; Garrett Bayer; Jack Kiss; Jack St. George; Logan Smith; Mason Smith; Milo Stirling; Paris Ventouras; Rhodes McGarry; Sawyer Osborne, as well as head coach Ryan Osbourne (a Bellies alumni who is now coaching his son) and coaches Ryan Reid, Jesse Kiss, Bruno Morin and Steve Smith.
New Westminster’s Novice A and C teams also participated in the Bellie Bowl but they didn’t make the semi-finals of this year’s tournament. The Bellie Bowl ran from June 2 to 4 at Moody Park and Queen’s Park arenas.
