BlackJacks Announce School Day Game

The Niagara River Lions are excited to announce their full coaching, training, and medical staff for the 2025 season led by Head Coach and General Manager, Victor Raso, who recently signed a 3-year contract extension with the team. With the longest-tenured Head Coach in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) at the helm, and the return of many key pieces of the coaching staff, the River Lions are poised to defend their championship title in 2025. "Much like our roster, most of this staff has been together for years,” said Raso. “This group has built a camaraderie and understanding of roles which has led to buy-in from our players. We are incredibly excited to tackle the challenge of repeating as CEBL Champions, and are eager for training camp to start!" Returning to the basketball staff this season will be Troy Stevenson, Andrew Sergi, Joel Friesen, Jeff Zwolak and Marlo Davis, who each bring a unique set of experience and skills from their different backgrounds, but who also have long standing relationships with Victor Raso that will help the strength of the coaching team, and their ability to trust each other. The sole addition will be William Gatchalian. Stevenson, who is returning for his third summer, will step into the role of Lead Assistant Coach for the 2025 season. He brings a wealth of experience and a high basketball IQ to the team as the current Head Coach for the University of Waterloo Men's Basketball team. With over 30 years of experience, Sergi, a Hamilton, Ontario native will return for a second campaign as Assistant Coach. A longtime colleague and mentor to Head Coach Victor Raso, Andrew’s veteran presence and strategic mindset continue to be a key asset in player development and team success. Friesen will continue as Assistant Coach bringing experience having played and coached at the university and professional levels. Davis who has been with the River Lions since 2022 will take on a new role of Coaching Consultant while he continues to serve as the Head Coach of the Crestwood Prep Women’s team as well as fulfill National Team duties as a Coach with Canada Basketball. Zwolak will return for a 7th season as Chief of Staff bringing an invaluable attitude and perspective to the group. Zwolak has been a longtime assistant coach with the Cardinal Newman Cardinals basketball program in Stoney Creek, and is also a founding member of the Newman Youth Basketball organization. He is currently the Principal at St. Teresa of Calcutta CES in Hamilton. William Gatchalian, who is an Assistant Coach at Brock University and has spent time with the Winnipeg Seabears , will round out the coaching staff. Team training and medical staff will include Head Athletic Therapist,Marc Henri St. Francois, Strength and Conditioning Coaches, Matrixx Ferreira and Myles Mathner (Iron Performance) , Team Doctor, Dr. Jason Profetto, Team Dentist, Dr. Andrew Lee (Smilee Dental ) and Team Chiropractor, Dr. Mark Lessey. The Basketball Operations team will be led by Jack Beckett and include interns Naz Buhagiar, Benjamin Greaves and Samuel Bempah. The River Lions’ coaching, training, and medical staff boast a wealth of experience and knowledge, all working together to ensure that the team remains competitive and continues to represent the Niagara Region with pride. With this seasoned group in place, the team is focused on defending their championship and achieving even greater success in 2025. The Niagara River Lions are one of the original six teams of the CEBL and the reigning champions. Playing out of the Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines, the River Lions represent the twelve municipalities of the Niagara Region while embodying the values of pride and community. Season tickets, voucher packs, group tickets, and single-game tickets are on sale now. Visit www.riverlions.ca/tickets for more information. # ##