Knighthawks draft Jr. A Athletics goaltender
Nick Damude signs two-year pro contract with Rochester
He began to play Canada’s national summer sport at the age of five, took up goaltending at the age of seven, and 12-plus years later is on the cusp of making the pinnacle of lacrosse.
Pelham native Nick Damude has been drafted to the National Lacrosse League by the Rochester Knighthawks in the fourth round, 40th overall.
“It was kind of surreal, I didn’t know what to expect,” said the 19-year old Damude, who was joined at the draft in Philadelphia by his parents Debbie and Paul.
“There was a lot of nerves waiting for your name to be called, but then finally when you hear it called there’s a lot of relief.
“A lot of years of hard work going into one moment, I was real happy.”
Damude’s numbers with the St. Catharines Jr. A Athletics last season couldn’t be ignored by NLL teams. The current Mohawk College electrical engineering student posted 11 wins with a sparkling 7.11 goalsagainst average and even better .816 save percentage.
Those numbers improved during the A’s playoff run: four wins, 5.65 goals-against average and 8.65 save percentage.
That success led Rochester to signing Damude to a two-year contract on Wednesday.
“I am pretty excited. It’s a lifelong goal finally coming true, signing with a pro team,” said Damude.
Fellow Pelham native and Knighthawks assistant coach Mike Accursi said the future is
bright for their newly signed netminder.
“He’s a good, young, goalie who will develop for the future,” Accursi said. “He was a good fit for us.
“He was the best goalie in the league at the junior level this year. He’s got a lot of upside to him and a lot of potential. We are looking for the next generation of goalie, and he has shown signs that he can be that goalie.”
Rochester owner and general manager Curt Styres has stressed film study as a way for Damude to prepare himself for the pro game, where there are bigger nets and the goaltenders are not permitted to use the large wooden sticks they use during the junior and summer seasons.
Damude knows taking care of his body is also of the utmost importance to bring his game to the next level.
“More workouts need to happen, get in better shape,” said Damude who still has a year of junior eligibility left with the St. Catharines Jr. A Athletics once the NLL season ends.
“We’re all pretty hyped to get back on the floor and see what we can do. Now, we know our potential and I think anything less than a Minto Cup (junior A championship) would be falling short of what we want.”
The Knighthawks open their regular season Saturday, Dec. 8, at home against the New England Black Wolves.
What makes Damude an even harder person not to cheer for going forward is his attitude off the floor.
“Focus on school, it’s just as important as sports,” Damude said. “So I’m hoping finish that out and get a nice job in the electrical field.”