This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
07/21/2016 12:00 AMNoah Bavolack had never played lacrosse prior to this year. However, after competing on the boys’ lacrosse squad at the Williams School during his recent senior season, Noah was named to the All-Southeastern New England Conference (SNEC) First Team and also took home his club’s Most Valuable Player Award for his excellent play as a goalie. Noah was used to lacing up his cleats as a catcher on the baseball diamond during the springtime and had no idea that he would ever play lacrosse.
“This past year, they cut the baseball team from the sports program. It was really hard because we had enough players for the team this year and we wanted to play our senior year,” Noah says. “We did all we could to save the team, but when that didn’t work out, I needed something to do and my soccer coach Merrick Smith asked me to play for him on the lacrosse team as the goalie.”
Noah is an Essex resident who recently graduated from Williams, which is a college preparatory school in New London. Noah was unsure about what to expect upon stepping onto the lacrosse field, although he had somewhat of a leg up in terms of manning the net. Noah played catcher for two years at Williams and was also the starting goalie on the soccer team and so he had some familiarity with blocking anything that came his way.
“It was kind of similar to catching and soccer because I was used to having the ball come at me at high speed, but instead of catching it, I used a stick to knock it down,” he says. “I guess it was a third catching, a third soccer, and a third lacrosse to me.”
Noah excelled at his new sport by finishing the year with a save percentage of 62, making 192 saves, and stopping a season-best 31 shots when Williams faced Forman. Noah averaged 19 saves a game and was triumphant in his first contest in the net as the Blues topped Rocky Hill 15-9. The solid start to the season helped propel Williams to the SNEC Playoffs.
“Noah made the transition from baseball catcher to lacrosse goalie with ease. Having played varsity goalie in soccer for the past two years, Noah transitioned to playing between the pipes in lacrosse and he was fearless,” says Mark Fader, the Williams School Headmaster. “He got better and better as the season wore on and really enjoyed the game. As a senior goalie, he was a natural leader on and off the field.”
Noah did everything he could to learn about lacrosse before joining the team. When it was time to play, Noah was relentless while trying to block shots, whether he was using his stick or his body.
“I watched a lot of games on television and on YouTube, threw the ball against the wall by myself, and practiced catching and blocking shots,” Noah says. “Some shots, I would just let them hit me in my chest protector, which reminded me of playing catcher in baseball. I was used to seeing the ball come at me from the pitcher’s mound distance [60 feet and six inches], so I was really good at shots from that length, but the ones from 10 or 20 feet were tough, and I would just try to get in the way.”
Being chosen for the All-SNEC Team and earning MVP honors from Williams were big moments for Noah. Another one came when he was named a captain for the Blues in his only season with the team.
“It was great to make All-Conference and that was a total surprise. I was shocked because I didn’t really know what I was doing and was still learning the rules. Winning my team’s MVP was maybe even more surprising,” he says. “I also learned a lot about leadership by being a captain. I never missed a practice and tried to get as much time as I could to get better. I always worked hard to be the best I could.”
Now that his time in high school is finished, Noah is moving on to attend college at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Noah grew up boating and often went to the Pettipaug Sailing Academy, where his passion for the water grew as he became a junior instructor.
“Off the field, Noah is headed to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, where he’ll pursue a career as a sea captain,” Headmaster Fader says. “Noah will thus take his leadership skills that he learned in soccer, baseball, and lacrosse to sea.”
As Noah gets ready to embark on the next chapter of his life, he appreciates how big of an impact sports have had on him, including one sport that he didn’t even play until just a few months ago.
“I’m not sure if I want to play baseball or lacrosse in college, but sports meant a lot. You have to get involved in an opportunity to play. My parents, who I have to thank, along with Coach Smith and my teammates, always wanted me to do sports and I wanted to expose myself to everything, so you can find out what you like and what you don’t like,” Noah says. “Lacrosse was fun and you have to do something, be active, and try everything you can.”