Bonner Baseball Goes To Disney World; Goes 3-0

The Bonner varsity baseball team flew down to take part in Disney's spring training, spending five(?) days in the land of Mickey. They got to enjoy the amenities of Walt Disney World, but they knew they had business to tend to first, and they did so. The team went 3-0, playing teams from across the country. They first played against Boys Latin School of Chicago and won. They then took on Ketcham High School from New York and won as well. Ketcham is the 7th ranked team in the state of New York, so a win against a quality opponent is a sign of good things to come. After winning these two games, they then took on Sidwell Friends School from D.C. Marty McKeone earned his first varsity win, as the Friars downed Sidwell 7-4. Senior Josh Van Horn closed the game out. Alex Libretore had four RBI's, and Rick Reigner had an RBI triple to propel Bonner to the win. Hopefully a good showing against teams from out of state will bode well for Bonner, as they begin their quest to capture the Catholic League title.

Coatesville Should Have Stayed Home...

Can anybody stop the rugby team? At this rate, I don't know. Bonner took on Coatesville today at Bonner. The team from Coatesville traveled about an hour or so to the turf at Bonner, warmed up, and that was about the best part of the day for them. It would have been better to forfeit. Bonner massacred the poor guys 71-5. The scoring started within the first two minutes when senior Dan Clement received a pitch and ran it in for a score. About five minutes later, Josh Dukes lateraled the ball to Matt Blumberg who ran in for another score. Mike George bulldozed his way in to increase the lead, and it was all but over within the first fifteen minutes. In the second half, Fred De Lia and Kenny Weyler scored to increase the lead. Then Bonner put must of their subs in, and continued its dominance. Rough day for Matt Blumberg and Matt Durso however. Blumberg took on the kicking duties, and well, it didn't quite work out. It's alright though, he isn't the kicker, and he's still a force on the field. But that wasn't all of his trouble. In the second half, Blumberg and Durso collided, causing both to have a pretty deep gash in each others heads. Anyway, with the win, Bonner improves its record to 2-0. They'll be back at it again after the really long Easter break, when they travel to take on Unionville. The game will be on Thursday, April 8th at 5:00pm.

Note: I've only been to a handful of rugby games, mostly from last year. Writing on it isn't easy. Still learning the rules of the game and everything. But it is a fun sport to watch. If you haven't gone to a game, I suggest doing so this season.

Bonner Lax Falls in Season Opener

Bonner's lacrosse team hosted the Harriton Rams Friday afternoon in the first game of the 2010 season. Last year, Harriton pulverized the Friars, beating them 17-0. This year, the game was much more competitive, but in the end, the Friars fell 7-5. Rick Reid and Mike Reagan each had two goals apiece, and Kevin Mathis scored for Bonner. Kyle Damico had four assists. Harriton held a 6-5 lead with less than a minute to play, however they tallied with thirty seconds left on the clock to seal the victory. Bonner falls to 0-1 on the year with the loss. They look to earn their first win of the season this Tuesday night when they take on non-league rival Upper Darby. This will be part of a double header between the two schools, as the Prendie lacrosse team will also take on Upper Darby at 6:00 pm. The boys will follow at 7:30 at Bonner.

Patience Please.....

I know everyone is getting excited about the new posts and articles. Kidding. But if you have been checking back daily or every now and then, I apologize for the lack of updates. With the winter sports season wrapping up, leaving only the Flyers and Keystone Cup Championships for hockey, and the state championships for basketball, there has been kind of a drag between seasons. Hopefully this won't be the case in the future, as maybe the hockey or basketball teams will turn around and make a run at a championship in the coming years. But for now we focus on the spring season.

The only team who has played an actual game so far has been the Bonner rugby team. Wow are they good. The team opened their regular season last Sunday versus Conestoga at Conestoga. After going undefeated and winning the championship in division II last year in their first year, some questioned whether they'd be able to step up to the division I level and be able to compete. Well if one game can serve as an answer to that question, then the answer is a most definite YES. Bonner dismantled the Pioneers 36-8. They start the season 1-0, and look to improve that record on Sunday, March 28th, when Coatesville comes to Bonner. The match begins at 2:00 pm at Bonner.

The Bonner baseball team is enjoying themselves right now. That lucky group of guys from the varsity team is spending a week down in Florida for some spring training action. They'll compete against a couple of teams from across the country to get back into "game mode" rather than the usual practice routine, and get back into shape for what will hopefully be a run at the Catholic League championship, if not beyond.

After falling in the league semi-finals to eventual champion St. Hubert's, the Prendie softball team looks to get over that hurdle and bring home a title. They begin that quest on March 26th, when the open away at Archbishop Ryan.

Bonner's lacrosse team is off to a good start, even if they've only played on scrimmage. They scrimmaged Marple Newtown on Monday and triumphed over the Tigers 8-7. Rick Reid had a goal for Bonner in the win. They'll kick off their season officially on Friday at 3:30 at Bonner.

Meanwhile, Prendie looks to improve from last season. They too will open their season up on Friday, only they will be away at Sacred Heart at 3:45.

The track teams look to return to the top of the Catholic League. Bonner, led by senior Max Curran, and Prendie, led by senior Angela Geiss, will both compete in their first meet on Saturday, March 27th in the Brother Jerome Invitational held at St. Basil. The meet will begin at 11 am.

Last but not least, we turn to the Bonner tennis team. They will open up their season at Roman Catholic on Wednesday at 3:45.

Rugby Begins Quest For Repeat

In the early parts of the 2008-2009 school year, Bonner learned that they would be forming a rugby club. Not many were sure what to think of it. Some laughed, some said it wasn't going to work, others looked at it as an opportunity to play another sport and have fun. Luckily, enough people did the latter, and the Bonner rugby team was born. With no experience from the players, and the team being in the league for the first year, not much was expected. Well, they proved that even in their first year, Bonner was going to be a force to be reckoned with, and they took the EPRU Division II by storm, defeating every opponent put before them. They won the championship on their own turf in only their first year of existence. Now the question is, will that success continue in Division I? It certainly looks that way, as Bonner recently defeated a strong St. Joe's Prep squad. But we will really get a taste of whether the success will continue on Sunday. Bonner opens its 2010 campaign at home versus Salesianum at 3:00 pm. The Friars hope defeat a talented Salesianum squad, and keep their unblemished record alive as they being their second full season of competition.

Bonner Baseball Schedule Released

It's hard to believe, but the 2010 Spring sports season is about to begin. As of now, the Bonner baseball schedule has been released, and it is posted here. Bonner's lacrosse schedule, along with Prendie's softball and lacrosse schedule will be posted when it becomes available to me. If someone has it, send it in.

Bonner Baseball 2010

3/18 SCRIMMAGE vs Haverford High School 3:30 HOME
4/3 at The Haverford School 3:45 AWAY
4/6 Archbishop Ryan 3:30 HOME
4/8 Archbishop Ryan 3:30 AWAY
4/12 LaSalle 3:30 AWAY
4/14 LaSalle 3:30 HOME
4/20 Cardinal O'Hara 3:30 AWAY
4/21 Malvern Prep 3:45 AWAY
4/22 Cardinal O'Hara 3:30 HOME
4/26 St. Joe's Prep 3:30 HOME
4/28 St. Joe's Prep 3:30 AWAY
5/2 Radnor High School 12:00 HOME
5/4 Father Judge 3:30 HOME
5/6 Father Judge 3:30
5/10 North Catholic 3:30 HOME
5/12 North Catholic 3:30 AWAY
5/17 Roman Catholic 3:30 AWAY Pachella Field
5/18 Roman Catholic 3:30 HOME
5/22 Hanover Area High School 1:00 HOME

Roman Hockey Has Bonner's Number; Friars Season Ends

For whatever reason, the Bonner hockey team just can't beat Roman Catholic. Coming into Wednesday night's Flyers Cup AAA first round game, Bonner had already lost to the Cahillites three times. The purple and gold completed the sweep, defeating Bonner handily. A four goal first period, including two from RC's David Hayes in a span of 20 seconds, secured the win. Tim Raeck, Ted Baldo, and Mike Pagliarella also scored twice. Bryan McLaughlin made 13 saves on 17 shots he faced. Steve Gallo made 10 saves on 13 shots in relief of McLaughlin. Corey Clauss made 17 saves on as many shots to secure the shutout. With the win, Roman moves on to face top-seeded Holy Ghost Prep in the quarterfinals of the tournament. Meanwhile, the Friars season ends with disappointment. However, they have nothing to be ashamed of. After a disastrous 2008-2009 year, the squad bounced back to place second in the division, and finish with an 11-8-1 record, and 9-3-1 in the division. Though the season ends bitterly, and seniors will be lost to graduation, the team will return the likes of Corey Cahill and Billy Gregg, who will lead the Friars to what will hopefully be a championship season.

But until then, let the spring sports begin.....

Bonner Falls in the Finals

Ice-Line didn't know what was coming when Monsignor Bonner took on Roman Catholic Thursday night. With a PCL Blue Division championship on the line, both schools packed the stands with crazy students eager to support their school to victory. In all the games I've been to in my four years, this has to be one of the craziest....besides an incident at the Skatium, but we won't get into that. But with the electric championship game atmosphere, the players took to the ice. After a dismal year last year, the Friars were on the verge to clinching a title. They'll have to wait until next year to do so. Bonner fell to Roman Catholic 4-0, giving the Cahillites the PCL Blue Championship.
The first period really showed the team's adrenaline was pumping. Both teams were flying down the ice, and players were hitting anyone in an opposing jersey. Roman controlled the first ten minutes of play, putting pressure on Bonner goalie Steve Gallo and the defense. The Friars went a man down after a penalty taken midway through the first, but the green and white held strong. The penalty kill gave Bonner momentum, and from that point on the puck was mostly in Roman's end. The Friars had opportunity after opportunity to put the puck past Roman goalie Greg Procopio, but they could not cash in. The score was 0-0 after the first period.
After the intermission, Bonner continued dominating. A tripping penalty by Roman gave Bonner an early opportunity to go up by one on the power play. The exact opposite happened. Roman's David Hayes stole the puck and took it on a breakaway, where he slipped the puck past Gallo. The momentum shifted drastically. The Friars looked deflated, and Roman started to get pressure, using their speed and strength to outplay Bonner. Roman scored two more times within a span of ten minutes to take a 3-0 lead into the third period of play.
Bonner showed promising signs of a comeback in the third. They started to get shots on net and pressure Procopio into making saves. The Friars could not capitalize on their opportunities. However, they did shoot themselves in the foot. Penalties at the most inopportune times halted any chance of a comeback. With four minutes to play, Bonner had a power play, but less then five seconds in, they take a penalty to cancel it out. Less then a minute later, Roman scored to go up 4-0, putting the game out of reach. The buzzer sounded, and the celebration ensued.
Although Bonner lost in the finals, the season still goes on. They'll participate in the Flyers Cup, a tournament for the top 10 Philadelphia AAA hockey teams. The winner plays the winner of the Penguins Cup for the Keystone Cup, which is in lighter terms the state championship. They play in the first round on Wednesday, March 10th, against none other then.....Roman Catholic. Revenge is certainly on the mind of the Bonner player's, and fans as well. The puck drops at the Northeast Flyers SkateZone at 6:55 on Wednesday night.

Bonner Hockey Rolls to the Finals

Two wins is all that is needed to capture the PCL Blue division title. The #2 seeded Bonner hockey team now needs one more. A 7-3 semifinal win over #3 seed Conwell-Egan propelled the Friars into the finals on Thursday evening against top seeded Roman Catholic. Mark McGrory's first period goal started Bonner's scoring onslaught. Star of the night Billy Gregg tallied four goals on the night. The Friars also received a goal from junior Dan Schwartzman and senior captain Dave Brewer. Bonner took a 6-0 lead into the third period, but Egan was able to tally three goals to draw the deficit back to just three. But that was all they would get past goalie Steve Gallo. Gallo thwarted the Eagles' offensive attack, stopping shot after shot to earn the win.

With the win, Bonner moves on to the PCL Blue Division Finals against Roman Catholic. The game will be played on neutral ice at Ice-Line in West Chester. The puck drops at 8:30 on Thursday, March 4th.

**** TO ALL BONNER/PRENDIE STUDENTS: THERE MAY BE A POSSIBILITY OF A BUS TO AND FROM THE GAME. LISTEN FOR AN ANNOUNCEMENT IN SCHOOL TOMORROW AND THURSDAY****