The Rochester Knighthawks have announced the signing of Don Alton to a one-year deal. The 21-year-old goalie brings a championship acumen to the three-time National Lacrosse League champs.
This past summer, Alton had a career best season as he helped the Six Nations Arrows win the coveted Junior “A” Minto Cup. He was an Ontario Lacrosse Association First Team All-Star, the OLA Goaltender of the Year and the co-winner of the Robert Melville Award for lowest goals-against average.
“It took us a while to get there, but once you get there you realize why you worked so hard,” said Alton. “It wasn’t just that year, but the three, four, five years that I worked toward that ultimate goal of winning a Minto Cup. To finally reach it was really something special.”
Over his three seasons with the Arrows, Alton compiled a 26-4 record, a 7.13 goals-against average and a .790 save percentage. In his Junior “B” career, Alton was a two-time Founders Cup champion and a two-time co-winner of the league’s Goaltender of the Year Award.
Alton now joins a team he has been following for most of his life. His big introduction to the Knighthawks was at a weekend lacrosse camp in Hamilton, Ontario when he was 7 years old. At the camp, the first-year Novice goalie learned from the Knighthawks goaltending duo of Pat O’Toole and Pat Campbell.
“I tried to pick up a foundation I could build from at the young age. I wanted to continue developing as a goalie by using the foundation that they were teaching at the camp. That’s when I really started becoming interested in being a goalie,” said Alton. “I never really thought that I would reach a competitive level as high as this, but obviously I made the right choice switching to a goalie.”
Over the years, O’Toole has seen Alton play on several occasions, which included his participation in the NLL Combine. Alton’s style was reminiscent of another former NLL standout netminder.
“His play reminds me a lot of Dallas Eliuk. He is very quick and very agile. His focus is unbelievable. He plays his angles and moves exceptionally well,” said O’Toole. “He’s one of those guys who reads shooters and reacts. His biggest asset when he gets here will be his ability to get across the net and move into the shot.”
Alton, who was the 33rd overall pick in the 2013 NLL Draft by Philadelphia, will join his new team on Saturday, November 22nd as the Knighthawks open Training Camp at Total Sports Experience in East Rochester.
“We want him to come into camp and be competitive,” said Knighthawks Assistant General Manager Landon Miller, who also serves as the President of the Six Nations Arrows. “He has faced quality shots from quality shooters. He will give us the depth we are looking for.”
When he arrives at camp, Alton will be reunited with several former Arrows, which will help him settle in immediately.
“It’s nice to have a chemistry with a lot of the guys, or at least an understanding of who everybody is. Most of them know who I am just from being around Six Nations,” said Alton. “It’s going to be nice going in and knowing a lot of the guys. I think it will be really easy to fit in there.”
