A’s remain upbeat despite tough start
Zackary Toll has quickly made his presence felt with the St. Catharines WMKL Athletics.
The 17-year-old sophomore had a solid rookie campaign with 17 goals and 41 points in just 16 games and seems primed to blow past those totals this season.
Toll had three goals and five assists as the A’s dropped an 11-10 decision to the visiting Mimico Mountaineers in Ontario Junior Lacrosse League action Wednesday night at Canada Games Park.
The loss drops the Athletics’ record to 1-6 while the Mountaineers remain perfect at 5-0. Toronto Beaches are also undefeated at 6-0.
Toll missed the first five games of the season while he was finished up his school year at Culver Military Academy in Indiana but came back in mid-season form with two goals and four assists in his 2023 debut last week.
“I’ve come back and done pretty well for myself,” he said. “It’s a lot different coming back for your second year. You see the same faces and get some familiar feelings. I feel as you get older in this league it becomes a little more easier.”
Toll said it was difficult to miss the beginning of the season, even if the circumstances were beyond his control.
“It’s hard, especially when your dad is the coach here and so many familiar faces are asking when you are coming back,” he said. “It’s really tough when you’re away but school’s important and you just have to finish it up as quick as possible and get back.”
A’s coach Steve Toll admitted it’s tough to critique his own son.
“He’s played well. Obviously, I’m proud of him because hopefully I taught him most of it but he’s playing well, he’s seeing the floor well and he’s being unselfish,” Steve Toll said. “He’s shooting when he should and he’s passing when he should and that’s how he’s always played so I knew he’d bring that.”
The A’s fell behind 6-1 versus Mimico, which spelled disaster.
“It’s really tough against a team like Mimico being as old and how good they are this year,” Zackary Toll said. “It’s unfortunate. You can’t come out in this league and not be hot off the start. You have to come out flying and to fall down early in the first period like that is tough. I believe in all these guys and it’s not over until the final buzzer.”
Despite just one win in their first seven games, Steve Toll said there is no panic in the organization.
“If we’re losing to crappy teams — there are no crap teams in junior A — but if you’re losing to teams below us then I’m upset about it but we’re losing to good teams and we’re giving efforts,” he said. “I’m OK with good effort games like that. Obviously, no one likes to lose and we have to make a few adjustments but we’re right there.”
Steve Toll said he doesn’t feel the players are becoming discouraged.
“I don’t think they look at the standings because our six losses are against the top three teams in the league and two of them haven’t lost. I don’t think they’re getting upset about that.”
STATS PACK
Mountaineers 11 Athletics 10
WMKL Player of the Game: A’s Zackary Toll with three goals and five assists.
St. Catharines Athletics: Toll 3; Keaton Zavitz 2; Gavin Howard 2; Carson Robins, Colin French, Colton Armitage.
Mimico Mountaineers: Lucas Dudemain 4; Finn Thompson 3; Alex Roussel, Ryan Stines, Justin Lee, Mark Watters.
Up next: The A’s are at Kitchener-Waterloo Friday and Six Nations Sunday. Whitby visits next Wednesday.
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