Junior B Athletics win season opener
The St. Catharines WMKL Junior B Athletics goaltending job is Mike Napoli’s to lose.
The A’s have handed the starting position to the 20-year-old St. Catharines native and have every confidence he will take the ball and run with it.
“Mike is going to be our guy to start for sure,” A’s coach Alec Tamas said. “He was with us last year and he’s a good local kid with a ton of potential.
“He played Team Ontario growing up and we see a lot of potential in him. We think he can be our guy to take us all the way.”
Napoli joined the Athletics down the stretch drive last year before performing admirably in the playoffs.
“I came out late last year and I proved myself to the coaching staff that I’m the man and I can do it,” he said. “Let’s hope that continues this season.”
While Napoli will be given a long leash, he isn’t taking the job for granted.
“They want to win as much as I do,” the St. Francis graduate said. “If I play bad, I’m getting the boot. I’m just going to go out there and give it my all and show them what I’m made of.”
Backing up Napoli will be 17-year-old rookie Aaron Gross of Port Colborne.
“Definitely have to get him some time,” Tamas said. “In a couple of weeks we have to play three in three nights so we’ll go to him. We play a lot of back-to-backs so he will definitely get his looks this year.”
Napoli donned the pads in paperweight and never looked back.
“I was always a goalie,” he said. “They needed a goalie and I stepped in and have been in this position ever since.”
He said his mindset is a bit different at the junior level compared to minor lacrosse.
“Switching to junior lacrosse, it’s a big step up,” he said. “It’s a completely different game. When I was playing minor lacrosse four years ago, giving up those goals, you can’t get down on yourself.”
Tamas feels with Napoli firmly ensconced in goal, the A’s can concentre on other aspects of their game.
“He’s our rock back there. He’s the last line of defence and if something breaks down, he’s our last hope. He’s usually pretty good at that. He was like that for us last year in the playoffs. He was the one who kind of got us through the first round.
“It helps our defence too knowing we have a guy who can bail you out. You can afford to pressure more and get out of offence more because you know if you do get beat throwing that high pressure at them, you have a guy behind them.”
Napoli was the winning netminder as the Athletics topped the expansion Cambridge Highlanders 8-7 in their Ontario Lacrosse Association regular season opener Friday night at Canada Games Park.
Newly minted captain Jaden Patterson paced St. Catharines with three goals.
The A’s now hit the road for five straight road games before returning home Friday, May 19 to host the Wallaceburg Red Devils.
“It’s tough to win on the road and that’s something we preach, we have to be good on the road,” Tamas said. “We’re going to be pretty good defending our home floor so we have to make sure we get those wins on the road.
“It’s going to be a good time for us. Some long trips in that stretch so it will be a good chance for the boys to spend a lot of time together and come together. Really looking forward to it.”
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