Admirals goalie ready for draft
Ethan Westlake is eagerly anticipating the Ontario Hockey League draft next week.
The 15-year-old netminder for the Southern Tier Admirals U16 AAA squad has tended goal at the AAA level since novice and would love to hear his name called at the draft which begins Friday, April 12 with Rounds 1-3 and concludes Saturday, April 13 with Rounds 4-15.
“I’m actually really looking forward to the draft. It’s all I’ve been thinking about for the past two or three years,” said Westlake. “For me, it’s just playing hockey at the highest level and taking whatever opportunity comes my way.”
Westlake plans to monitor the draft with family and friends.
“Probably follow on line and check in every 30 or so minutes to see if I got drafted or not,” he said.
Westlake, a Grade 10 student at Saint Michael Catholic High School in Niagara Falls, had a 2.49 goals-against average and one shutout for the Admirals this season.
He loves being between the pipes.
“I’ve been playing goalie since I was five. Played one year as a player when I was four and I just knew I was meant for the net,” he said.
Westlake enjoys the pressure of the position.
“The thing I find most enjoyable about being a goaltender is having your team rely on you in the net and being the backbone of the team,” he said.
He learned very young that goaltending was a defeatist position — make a save and you are doing your job, let a goal in and it’s your fault.
“After a goal I just try to forget about it and focus on the next shot that’s going to come my way,” he said.
Admirals coach Kevin Rosebrugh has high praise for Westlake.
“Ethan has a terrific work ethic both on and off the ice. He does a good job tracking pucks and playing big. He has really high compete level and is always battling in the net no matter the situation.”
Westlake mentioned flexibility, technique and calmness in the net as his main attributes.
“Being calm in net, you’re not jumping all over the place, you’re square to the puck and it’s easier to make the saves than goalies that are jumping around,” said Westlake, who has worked with goalie coaches Andrew Allen, Jason Barron and Ben Vanderklok.
Westlake is a strong student who said he scores high 80s and low 90s in most courses and high 90s in math-related subjects.
“I’m just trying to go towards the business part,” he said, when asked for his future schooling plans.
Dear reader. If you liked this story or one of the 5,900 other stories found on our website, please consider hitting the Support Us button on the right-hand side of our home page and making a PayPal contribution to our website. Your support would be much appreciated. If you are a business owner, please consider advertising on our site. Our rates are reasonable and we provide plenty of exposure for your business. Contact bpotrecz@outlook.com for more information.
