Damude seals the deal
Former St. Catharines Athletics goaltender Nick Damude has signed with the San Diego Seals of the National Lacrosse League. Photo by: BERNIE PUCHALSKI
Nick Damude is taking his game out west.
The 20-year-old Fonthill native has signed with the San Diego Seals for the upcoming National Lacrosse League season.
Damude led all Ontario Lacrosse Association junior A goalies with a 5.29 goals-against average for the St. Catharines Athletics and ranked in the top-five in saves (456) and save percentage (.816%). He was selected in the fourth round of the 2018 NLL Entry Draft by the Knighthawks where he spent the two seasons as their third goaltender.
Damude, who was a free agent, said he was approached by Seals general manager Patrick Merrill.
“He was in contact with me and pitched San Diego to me and I really liked the idea of California,” Damude said. “They are headed in a pretty good direction too so I was pretty excited about that.”
Damude said the Seals offered him the opportunity to earn a spot behind starter Frank Scigliano.
“I still have to go in and earn everything. I still have to go in and make the team,” Damude said. “I liked the idea of going in and learning from a veteran guy who has been in the league for eight years and played on a bunch of teams and knows what it takes to win.”
Damude feels his time in Rochester as a practice goalie has been beneficial.
“Lots of practice shots,” he said. “It definitely helped me a lot, getting tons and tons of shots from Cody Jamieson and some of the best players in the world. It gave me more confidence with the big net and the small stick and seeing what it takes to actually make that active roster and getting the feel for everything.”
Damude said the talent at the NLL level is mind-boggling.
“Lacrosse is a game of inches and you leave one spot open, just enough to put a ball there, and they put it there,” he said. “It’s definitely a really hard position. You need that intensity and confidence that you can stop everybody and can play with everybody. That’s the mindset you need as a goalie.”
Damude said he still feels the disappointment of the A’s being eliminated in the second round.
“It helps a little bit that I have a place to play in the winter, but it still stings,” he said. “It’s going to motivate me to push that much harder.
“Losing is not a good feeling, not a feeling you want to have. I’ve heard a lot of people say you have to lose to learn how to win. I’m going to use it as a pushing factor in the winter to be even better and stronger and faster.”
Damude has one semester left at Mohawk College where he is studying electrical engineering. He plans to move to San Diego in January for the NLL season and hopefully finish his education with a co-op there.
The Seals had an impressive debut season finishing with a 10-8 record.
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