Home

Like most people growing up, Ben Custer wanted to score the goals.

Now, the eighth-grader does whatever he can to stop them.

Ben, who started playing goalie in sixth grade because no one else wanted to, has been doing double duty for the eighth-grade Steamboat Youth Lacrosse teams.

He gets between the pipes for both squads.

"I'm the only guy that does it, but it's worth it," he said. "I chose to do it, and I think it's fun."

It's certainly fun when you play like Ben did on the opening day of the sixth annual Steamboat Classic Lacrosse Tournament.

The tournament brought 35 teams from across the state and Wyoming to compete in fifth-, sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade tournaments.

Steamboat fielded a fifth-grade team, two sixth-grade teams, a seventh-grade team and two eighth-grade teams.

Teams from Aspen, Summit, Vail, Grand Junction, Laramie, Wyo., and several from the Front Range all were in action.

Maybe no player stood out more than Ben. The 14-year-old helped the Steamboat Red team to a 2-0 start, giving up just two goals. He was equally impressive with the Steamboat White team, allowing just six goals and helping the team to a 1-1 record.

"He's a great listener. I think that's how you become a great player at any sport," said Neill Redfern, the SYL director and coach of the eighth-grade team. "He's done a good job listening to coaches. More importantly, he's been a great leader. He's very positive with his teammates, and everyone respects him. He's very mature."

Ben wanted to score the goals when he first started playing lacrosse in sixth grade. But his team didn't have a goalie, and his friends pushed him toward the position.

After two weeks, Custer said there was no way he'd play anything else.

"I was there just to be there at first," Ben said. "I did want to score the goals, but goalie was just what was for me in the end. Now, it's all about stopping the goals."

Playing with two teams can be trying at times. Ben said the two teams play different styles of lacrosse. Still, he said his outlook from game to game never changes.

"The style we play is much different," he said. "I play the same way for both teams. I try my best for both teams."

Ben said he is planning on playing for the high school team next year and hopes to make the varsity squad in goal by his sophomore or junior season.

Redfern said with Ben's style and attitude, those goals - no pun intended - shouldn't be a problem.

"Our emphasis isn't winning and losing games; it's about a positive athletic experience," Redfern said. "When you have players like Ben who treat new players with great respect and are nothing but positive and encouraging, that makes the program a lot stronger."

In other action, the seventh-grade team went 1-1 on Saturday. The sixth-grade red team - playing in the seventh-grade division - finished the day 0-2.

The sixth-grade white team went 0-2, and the fifth-grade team went 0-2.

Action starts at 8 a.m. today and runs until 5 p.m. All eighth-grade games are played at Gardner Field at Steamboat Springs High School, with the rest of the games at the Emerald fields.