Meet the Pure Coaches
Keagan Pontious: Premier 2024 & 2027
Current Coaching Status:
Keagan Pontious returns to the Pure Advantage coaching staff for her seventh summer. Pontious is in her fourth season at Hope College as the Head Coach. She led the Dutch to an undefeated MIAA Conference Championship and NCAA tournament birth for the first time in program history. The Dutch finished the season 12-6.
Playing History:
In 2019, Pontious finished up playing DII lacrosse at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Her senior year, she was named a NCAA Division II Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse All-American and helped Seton Hill advance to the NCAA tournament for the first time. She finished her career leading the PSAC Conference in Draw Controls.
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Angelica Gero: Premier 2025 & 2026
Current Coaching Status:
Angelica Gero returns to the Pure Advantage coaching staff for her fourth summer. Coach Gero is entering her sixth year at the helm of the Aquinas College women’s lacrosse program. She has led the Saints to a winning record. Before coming to Grand Rapids, Gero was the head coach at DII Adams State University in Colorado and started the DII program at Felician University in NJ before that.
Playing History:
Coach Gero attended Georgian Court University in Lakewood, NJ. While at GCU Gero was a member of the 1st recruited class to start the women’s lacrosse program. She was a 4 year starter and a 2 time first team all conference defender in the first two years that the Lions joined their conference. Her senior year Gero helped lead the team to the first conference championship in program history.
Carly Babb: Rising Stars
Current Coaching Status:
Carly Babb returns to the Pure Advantage youth coaching staff for her sixth summer. Babb graduated from Hope in 2021 majoring in Special Education and Elementary Education. She is currently a first grade teacher at Emmons Lake Elementary.
Playing History:
Babb was a four-year midfield starter at Hope College. Her second year at Hope she re-wrote much of the college record books taking top honors with points, goals and assists per season. Babb also earned all conference honors both her freshman and sophomore years at Hope in addition to be named to the Academic Honor Roll in 2018 and 2019.
Liv Ghent: Premier 2025
Current Coaching Status:
Liv Ghent returns to the Pure Advantage coaching staff for her fifth summer. Ghent is a midfield starter at Trine University. She received MIAA All-Conference in 2021 leading her team to a fantastic season for the Thunder.
Playing History:
Prior to Trine University, Ghent was a two year starter at Tiffin University. Ghent is the graduate of Caledonia High School. While attending, she was awarded with All-Conference Honorable Mention and All-State First Team. Ghent also earned Academic All-Conference.
Courtney Pontious: Premier 2027
Current Coaching Status:
Courtney Pontious returns to the Pure Advantage coaching staff for her third summer. Pontious is currently working at Pennell CPA as a Staff Accountant.
Playing History:
Pontious played four years as a starting midfielder at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky. As a sophomore, junior and senior she was First team All-Region and First team All-SAA. Prior to Transylvania, Pontious played at Seton Hill University in 2018. As a freshman, she was a starting midfielder for all 16 games.
Brooklyn Neuman: Premier 2024
Current Coaching Status:
Brooklyn Neumen recently graduated from the University of North Carolina where she played lacrosse from 2018-2023 where she was a captain for the 2022/23 season. She was the 2023 Leader of distinction and the Kellie Thompson Shiley Award recipient. This will be her second year coaching with Pure Advantage.
Playing History:
At UNC, she won three ACC championships and a National Championship in 2022. Neumen was also a part of the U19 U.S. Women’s National Team who won a gold medal at the 2019 World Lacrosse Women’s U19 World Championship.
Maddie Yakes: Goalie Specialist
Current Coaching Status:
Maddie Yakes is entering her third summer with the Pure Advantage coaching staff. Yakes is a senior starting goalkeeper at Hope College where she is studying Neuroscience.
Playing History:
Yakes recorded a save percentage of 46.8% her junior season and received a MIAA Defensive Player of the week honor on multiple occasions. She was named to the MIAA Second Team in the 2023 season. Yakes is a Rockford High School alumni.
Chris Klaiber: Goalie Specialist
Current Coaching Status:
Returns to Pure Advantage for his second summer working with goaltenders. Kliaber is currently in his third season as the head coach of the men's lacrosse program at Aquinas College. In both seasons with the Saints has finished in the NAIA top 10 (4th-9th). Career record as a head coach of 42-36. Was previously the head coach of D3 Monmouth College and graduate assistant at D2 Adams State University. Chris also works with the Pipe to Pipe Goalie School.
Playing History:
Originally from Syracuse, NY where he was a goaltender for Lafayette High School. In his time at Lafayette the team was nationally ranked by Inside Lacrosse, finished runner up in the state tournament and he was individually named to the All Central New York team. Would go on to graduate with a bachelor's degree in History from Mount Saint Mary's University (MD). While at the mount, he won an NEC conference championship, the team was ranked in the top 20 for first time, and was a two year starter.
Peyton Romig: Premier 2026
Current Coaching Status:
Peyton Romig is entering her first summer with the Pure Advantage coaching staff. Romig finished her first season as assistant coach with Davenport University. Romig aided in six players achieving all conference awards this season.
Playing History:
In 2022, Romig finished her playing career at the University of Indianapolis, a Division II school. During her 5th year, Romig was named most outstanding player of the NCAA tournament following winning the National Championship. She was also on the Tewaaraton watch list during her 5th year. She finished as a two time IWLCA first team All-American. In 2021 she was named IWLCA National Player of the Year. Romig finished her career as the all time leader in draw controls with 935.
Paige Rosenbrook: Regional High School
Current Coaching Status:
Paige Rosenbrook is starting her first summer coaching with Pure Advantage. Rosenbrook is finishing off a second season coaching at Forest Hills Northern/Eastern High School where she is the head coach of JV and assists with Varsity. She currently works full time as a Mechanical Engineer at Dematic.
Playing History:
Rosenbrook started her lacrosse career in 5th grade. She went to Haslett High School where she played defense and received multiple All-Conference and All-Area awards. Following high school, she attended Hope College where she played attack for four years. Rosenbrook was named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll and served as a captain during her time at Hope.
Julia Brown: Rising Stars
Current Coaching Status:
After working as an intern for the Pure staff in 2022, Julia Brown enters her first official summer as an assistant coach for the program. Brown has also helped assist the Forest Hills Central middle school program.
Playing History:
Julia Brown graduated from Forest Hills Central in 2022, where she was a four year varsity starter. Brown now attends Hope College, where she completed her freshman campaign receiving All-Conference and All-Region awards, as well as being named MIAA Rookie of the Year.
Lili Bouwma: Regional High School
Current Coaching Status:
After helping around last summer at Pure, Lili Bouwma is returning as an assistant coach. She has also helped coach a club team while away at college in South Carolina.
Playing History:
Lili Bouwma graduated from Grand Rapids Christian in 2022, where she remained a 4 year varsity starting attacker. Bouwma now attends Anderson University in South Carolina, where she is continuing her athletics playing Division II lacrosse. Bouwma was also able to be a part of Andersons Inaugural women’s lacrosse team this year.
Kendall Schneider: Player Development
Current Coaching Status:
Kendall Schneider returns to the Pure Advantage coaching staff for her fifth summer. Schneider is a graduate student at Niagara University a D1 in New York. She is starting her masters for elementary and special education in 2023.
Playing History:
Prior to Niagara, she was a four year starter at Caledonia High School receiving All-American status her senior year.
Kristen Szost: Player Development
Current Coaching Status:
Kristen Szost enters her second season with Pure Advantage. Szost is currently a senior at Hope College.
Playing History:
Szost was a starter her freshman and sophomore year until tearing her ACL. She was back during her junior season to help the Dutch win the MIAA Conference Championship and NCAA tournament birth for the first time in program history.