The Bellefonte boys lacrosse team played in a playoff game on Tuesday, just three days after one of their teammates passed away. Head Coach Rick Johnson says the game took on a bigger meaning.
Although the Bellefonte boys lacrosse team lost to Selinsgrove on Tuesday in their district playoff matchup, coach Johnson says he is so proud of this team, and how they’ve rallied around each other following the passing of their teammate, 16-year-old Nathan Dan, on Saturday night.
Before the game started, Bellefonte left an open space in their starting lineup for their teammate Nathan Dan, who tragically passed away after drowning at Raystown Lake on Saturday.
Before the first faceoff, everyone stopped for a moment of silence to honor Dan. Bellefonte was able to get off to a quick start, scoring the first two goals of the game.
“The last couple days have made me extremely proud of these kids, the way they’ve taken care of one another, not only them but the community," said coach Johnson.
Dan’s number 15 jersey and helmet sat on the bench for the entirety of the game. The Bellefonte coaches wore a number 15 patch on the back of their shirts and each player on the team wore a sticker on their helmet with number 15.
Selinsgrove pulled away from a very emotional Bellefonte team and ended up winning 18-3. After the game, both teams shook hands and then joined together at midfield to say a prayer for Dan, led by one of his teammates.
“The kids started going downhill going into the game and it started getting to them, and I think that is going to help them move forward," said coach Johnson. "I think it’s going to change the way the guys look at playing this sport and playing in this league in District IV," he continued.
Coach Johnson says that the team played for Nate, and played the way he would’ve wanted them to, by focusing on enjoying every moment.
“I’ve been in lacrosse for a while and it’s a different sport, it really is a community sport, and it’s constantly people taking care of one another, helping one another, and this was a good example of that," said coach Johnson.
The Dominos on High St. in Bellefonte will donate a percentage of all of their sales to the family of Nathan Dan on June 5.
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