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05/25/2017 12:00 AMKeaton Roarick loves the fast-paced nature of lacrosse, as well as the rapid reflexes one needs to stop on a dime and make the right move. This spring, Keaton has used both his passion and his skills to record an individual milestone, while helping the Old Saybrook boys’ lacrosse squad put together a turnaround campaign.
Keaton, a junior captain goalkeeper, played soccer, basketball, and football before being introduced to lacrosse by his mother. The rest was history—actually, state history—as Keaton became Connecticut’s all-time leader in career saves when he made No. 768 against Valley Regional on April 18, breaking the previous mark set by Hand’s Kurt Breckheimer, who played from 1997 to 2000. Keaton now has a total of 965 saves after recording 279 during the recent regular season. He also owns career a 64-percent save percentage for the Rams, who went 7-9 and qualified for states this year after going winless the last two seasons.
“I always like the pace of play in lacrosse. It’s the fastest sport on two feet. I love the athleticism and mental IQ it takes to succeed. You also have to react in fast time,” says Keaton. “I was taken off-guard at first with breaking the record. It’s a surreal feeling. There have been a lot of great goalies in Connecticut. It’s a crazy feeling to put the work in and get something out of it. I’m thankful to my team, my defense, and my family.”
No matter how many great saves a goalie makes, some shots are bound to find the back of the net in high-scoring sport like lacrosse. However, Keaton feels those moments make him a better netminder by strengthening him mentally.
“You have to have some mental toughness because you have to realize you can’t save them all,” Keaton says. “When you let up those goals, you have to move on. After a while, you get into a rhythm and try to have a good game.”
As one who plays a pivotal position in a sport with so much laser-quick movement, Keaton knows that he always has to keep a keen eye on the ball and trust what he’s learned from his years of experience in goal.
“I just keep focusing on the ball itself and not the guy holding it,” says Keaton. “I just see the release point of the ball, rely on my instincts, and, hopefully, get either a body part or stick on it.”
Keaton has picked up the pace with his motions in goal as his career has unfolded, and the same can be said of his thought process during the heat of battle between the bars.
“Since freshman year, I’ve definitely gotten bigger and stronger. You have to be the fastest person in a 6-by-6 area as goalie, and my reflexes have gotten faster over time,” he says. “My IQ of the game has improved, too. I think I’ve developed a stronger sense of what’s going on.”
Old Saybrook’s first-year Head Coach James Hespeler feels proud of Keaton for breaking the state’s saves record. Hespeler says that Keaton features all the essentials to serve as both an excellent stopper and a top-notch leader.
“Talking to Keaton, you wouldn’t know that he was on his way to beating the saves record. Keaton is such a humble kid that he didn’t talk about the record. He just continued to do his job as a captain and goalie. Keaton beating the record was an incredible accomplishment. It’s great to have him on our team, and we’re proud of his achievement,” says Hespeler. “Keaton’s effective in the goal because of his work ethic and his natural lacrosse ability. He was made captain this year because he pushes himself and his teammates to be the best that they can be. He is a naturally gifted goalie, but that only goes so far. He puts in the hard work day in and day out in order to make himself one of the best goalies in the state.”
Despite their rough start to the spring, the Rams rallied for a strong second half to seal their spot in states. Old Saybrook wound up winning five of its last six matchups, including its final three, to qualify for the Class S bracket.
“We got out to a 1-7 record, which was not what we wanted, but we got better on offense and defense in each game afterwards,” says Keaton, who thanks all of his family and his coaches. “We preached every day about getting better, and it was all we could do.”