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06/18/2020 12:00 AMAlex Amendola first picked up a lacrosse stick when he was in the 3rd grade. Alex wasn’t expecting his love of lacrosse to take off as quickly as it did, but he became full entrenched in the sport, and is now ready to take his talents to the college level.
Alex is a long stick midfielder who was named a senior captain for the Morgan boys’ lacrosse team this year. Alex and fellow captain Kyle Gagliardi were ready to lead to the Huskies to another successful season after they went 11-8 and advanced to the Shoreline Conference Tournament final last spring.
“I was looking forward to competing with Kyle this season, to push each other to get better and better as the weeks go on,” says Alex. “I was also looking forward to just playing with him. I think if I was ever playing long stick middie, and he was taking the face-off, we would have made a lot of good plays.”
Morgan graduated 10 seniors from last year’s club, and every one of them played considerable minutes for the Huskies. Alex and Gagliardi were going to have a lot of responsibility on their shoulders when it came to leading the team this spring, but he was certainly up for the challenge.
“My expectations were to grow with my team and make it back to the Shoreline championship game,” Alex says. “I wanted to lead by example, help out the underclassmen, because we were heavy on them and light on upperclassmen. I wanted to leave a legacy behind to Morgan of hard work and to play at a high level.”
Alex was determined to help Morgan make it back to the Shoreline final, so that he and his teammates could once again experience the excitement of playing in such a big game.
“My favorite memory from last season was the Shoreline championship. Warming up and running out on the field was the best feeling ever,” says Alex. “There really is nothing like a championship game. I’m so thankful to have been able to play with that team. It has been my best memory of lacrosse ever.”
Alex’s passion for lacrosse really picked up as he was growing up. Alex loves that lacrosse moves at such a rapid pace, calling it “the fastest game on two feet.”
“My favorite aspect of the sport is the flow of the game. I love how it’s always a fast-paced game,” he says. “The ball is constantly moving up and down the field, and you are always on your feet.”
Alex participates in lacrosse on a year-round basis in order to sharpen his skills. In addition to playing for Morgan, Alex competes for a summer league team called the Connecticut Cougars.
“This is such a tremendous way to improve my game, because I get so many more reps after the season, and it puts me in different situations, so I can learn to adapt to all parts of the game,” says Alex. “I also spend time outside hitting the wall. Wall ball is such a great way for anyone to improve their game. The constant throw and catch becomes a muscle memory after a long time. So, in a game-time situation, with all the wall practice, you’ll be sure to make that throw or catch.”
Aside from playing lacrosse, Alex was a member of the boys’ cross country and indoor track teams at Morgan. An honors student, Alex also enjoys spending time with his friends and doing charity work in the community.
“I think these are great sports to play in the offseason. It helps with my speed and endurance, which is crucial on the lacrosse field,” Alex says. “On top of that, I love hanging out with my friends. It eases away all the stresses in life. I also really enjoy helping out with [the Captain Andrew Patrick Ross Special Forces Charitable Fund], a club in my school that I helped co-found that gives back and raises awareness for veterans.”
Even though Alex didn’t get to play lacrosse at Morgan in his senior year, he still has some bright days on the horizon. Next year, Alex will join the men’s lacrosse squad at Nichols College, a Division III School in Dudley, Massachusetts.
“I’m looking forward to working hard and hopefully get back to another conference championship,” says Alex. “My ultimate goal is to make it to the Division III National Championship Tournament.”