Wolves turn season around
The St. Catharines Club Roma Wolves have gone from pretenders to contenders in a short period of time.
The Wolves got off to a slow start in the Men’s Championship Division of League1 this season but have turned things around with six wins in their last seven games to climb into fourth place in the standings.
Roma head coach Federico Turriziani said there is no secret to their recent success.
“For sure, it’s been the work,” he said. “We practise four times a week and that helps.”
The Wolves have also turned over their roster, bringing in seven new players since the beginning of the season.
“The new players that have arrived have fit perfectly on our roster and brought our confidence very high,” Turriziani said. “When you start to win we had the opportunity to understand we have the potential and are a good team.”
Turriziani and his staff — assistants Simon Doyle, Francesco Cardillo and Emanuele Piombarolo, technical director Davide Massafra and goaltending coach Gerry D’Angelo — have done a superb job molding the roster together quickly.
“For them, they are Roma players, they know the club, the situation, they know me and the group,” Turriziani said. “The challenge is to manage the 27 players and get everyone to feel important and part of the club. We are in a good moment and everyone is working very well and contributing and that’s making the group very tight and strong. Even if they only play a few minutes, they have to be ready to help the team, even if they only play one minute, they can contribute to win the game.”
Turriziani said there was no sense of panic when the team struggled out of the gate.
“It’s not easy but it’s something that is common in my career in general,” he said. “My teams perform better in the second part of the season in Italy. Even last year, we started to make points in the second part of the season and two years ago too.
“I’m very happy with what we have done and the team we have now. Right now we have an identity, a lot of confidence, and a lot of energy.”
Massafra was quick to give credit to Turriziani for the turnaround.
“He’s the pilot and we all follow what he does,” Massafra said. “This is proving that a professional coach needs players with talent that can follow structure. We have done a good job so far and this year finally the club has provided him with those talented players who have the maturity to follow and we are now beating everybody.
“I believe this club with a coach like him and with these players can go very far. We’re getting very close.”
The Wolves edged Windsor 3-2 Friday night on goals by Gianluca DelPriore, Ethan Miskolczi and Josh Salonen.
St. Catharines host Waterloo July 19.
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