NETANYA, Israel – Grand Valley State assistant lacrosse coach Nora Boerger took her skills to the Mediterranean this summer, serving as an assistant coach for the Swiss national team in the 2019 Women's European Lacrosse Championship in Netanya, Israel. The two-week tournament saw Switzerland finish in 12^th place of 16 teams; good enough to qualify for the 2021 World Cup.
 
Boerger, who enters her second season as an assistant at GVSU this spring, lauded the experience in both the athletic and cultural sense of adventure this summer.
 
"I have never been to Israel, so it was an incredible experience. Not only did I have the chance to coach for and against international teams, I also had the opportunity to learn about the Israeli culture through tours of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv," Boerger said. "Did you know they will not serve milk when meat is being served? Or the practice of Shabbat, which means from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday a lot of people do not work and shops close up."
 
The experience on the field saw Boerger overcome some slight language barriers, although most of the athletes able to speak English, with the predominant language in the country being Swiss-German. Boerger, working exclusively with the Swiss defense, helped the nation to a 2-5 record in the two-week tournament, including the country's first ever win over Italy.
 
In addition to the seven matches, Boerger got the opportunity to discover a new country and culture, exploring the multiple religious hot spots in Jerusalem including the Christian Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Jewish Western Wall. In addition to site-seeing, there were other sensations to enjoy.
 
"I definitely got my fill of Mediterranean food," Boerger said with a smile.
 
The Swiss finished fourth in Group B and qualified for the ninth-position bracket, where they topped Spain, 11-3, in the opening round. They would fall in the semi-finals to Norway then to Austria in the eleventh-position match. The finish shows promise for the growth of lacrosse in Switzerland, which currently has no youth lacrosse system in place. Boerger hopes to be a catalyst for the sport both globally and in the Division II world back in Allendale.