A young Victoria athlete made his debut in the National Lacrosse League sooner than expected this month after the San Diego Seals’ starting goaltenders were placed on the COVID protocol list.
Justin Geddie signed with the Seals on Jan. 12 with the expectation he’d be keeping the bench warm for some time. But two days later, with the active roster down, he was goaltending in front of 7,000 fans at Saskatoon’s SaskTel Centre.
Geddie helped lead the Seals to a 12-11 victory over the Saskatchewan Rush, earning him the game’s second star award.
“It just felt amazing to get that opportunity, especially in an environment like Saskatchewan,” Geddie said in a press release. “It was just such an honour.”
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The six-foot-five goaltender said when he entered the locker room following the victory, his teammates “doused him in celebration.”
“I was expecting something like that, but it was a ton of fun,” Geddie said. “It is a great group of guys in San Diego.”
Playing in the National Lacrosse League has been a dream for the goaltender since he was nine. In 2019 as a member of the Nanaimo Timbermen he was named the BC Junior A Lacrosse League Rookie of the Year.
Prior to joining the Seals, Geddie played in the Arena Lacrosse League West Division for the Black Fish Lacrosse Club. He’s the fifth player from the division to earn a spot on a NLL active roster for a game this season and the first to actually play.
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