Bonney Lake Opens Season Against Emerald Ridge, Falls After Second-Half Surge

The Insider
1 day ago
2 min read

There’s always something unpredictable about a season opener.

For the Bonney Lake Panthers boys lacrosse team, their first game of the year started with promise but slipped away in the second half in a 15–8 loss to Emerald Ridge.

Strong Start in a Defensive Battle

With both teams opening their seasons, it showed early, in a good way.

Energy was high, defenses were sharp, and it took until the six-minute mark of the first quarter for either side to break through.

Senior Ryan Urban got the Panthers on the board first, scoring from about 10 yards out to give Bonney Lake a 1–0 lead.

Emerald Ridge answered late in the quarter, tying the game at 1–1.

Panthers Battle Back Before Half

The Jaguars found momentum early in the second quarter, scoring twice, including a quick goal just 30 seconds apart, to take a 3–1 lead.

What made the stretch surprising was that Bonney Lake had controlled much of the possession early, spending significant time on the offensive end.

But the Panthers responded.

Junior captain Blake Fixler cut the deficit to 3–2 with three minutes left, and moments later, junior captain Tyler Rieblie delivered a highlight, firing a hook shot into the net to even things up.

At halftime, it was tied 3–3.

Game on.

Third Quarter Shift

Then came the turning point.

Emerald Ridge struck within the first minute of the second half, and then again shortly after.

What followed was the decisive stretch of the game: seven unanswered goals, flipping a tight contest into a 10–3 advantage.

For a relatively young Bonney Lake squad opening its season, the momentum swing proved difficult to stop.

Late Fight from the Panthers

To their credit, the Panthers didn’t fold.

Junior captain Ethan Haywood got things going in the fourth, followed by Urban’s second goal of the night to make it 11–5.

Freshman Brenner Tustison provided a spark, scoring back-to-back goals, his first two at the varsity level, to pull Bonney Lake within five at 12–7.

Haywood added another late goal, but each push was met with an answer from Emerald Ridge, who closed out the game at 15–8. The Panthers also had trouble slowing down Emerald Ridge’s Colton Rowe, who found consistent success throughout the night.

Despite the scoreline, Bonney Lake goalkeeper Braden Bonn turned in a strong performance, recording 20 saves while facing heavy pressure throughout the game.

Building Forward

For Bonney Lake, the final score doesn’t tell the full story.

Through one half, the Panthers went toe-to-toe in their season opener. The second-half run by Emerald Ridge exposed areas to grow but also gave a clear blueprint for what this team can become.

With senior leadership, strong junior captains, and young players already making an impact, this is a group that should continue to improve as the season unfolds.