Matthew Ladd has committed to Canisius College. He came in halfway through the 2018-2019 season for the Golden Griffins. Matt has been noticed for his athleticism and smooth cross-crease movements. He has a solid butterfly and deflects rebounds effectively.
Matt caught the goalie bug early:
“I started playing hockey in my basement as a goalie, I would have my dad shoot the street hockey pucks at me for hours. I didn’t start playing ice hockey until I was 8, I started playing goalie right from there and never looked back.”
An upstate New Yorker, Matt play most of his youth hockey the Buffalo area, however, his senior year he attended Avon Old Farms in Connecticut:
“My year at Avon is something I’ll never forget. It was a year to remember, going the prep school route is a great path and I would recommend it to anyone. Playing at a school like Avon and with Coach Gardner was great. It taught me how to be a well rounded student-athlete and it for sure got me ready for college.”
With a previous commitment to Colorado College, Matt’s recruiting journey has been unique:
“Going into my age out season with New Jersey, I had the goal of getting another D1 commitment and I worked really hard this summer with my trainer and goalie coach. It was an attainable goal, I just knew it wasn’t going to be easy and I’d have to take my game to the next level. I had visits with AIC, Holy Cross, and some talks with a few other schools, I just really liked what Canisius had to offer. I’ve always liked Canisius, being close to my home, I had been to a lot of games growing up and I always thought it’d awesome to play here one day. I like the feel of a smaller school as well, the campus is a everyone knows everyone type feel, and the class sizes are small so you have a good student to teacher ratio. It means a lot to me to play in my hometown. Every home game my parents and family members have been able to attend and its pretty special to see them in the crowd at my games. It was a no brainer to commit here.”
His first year of junior hockey was not as smooth as most, bouncing around 5 different teams:
“My first year of juniors was tough, I had a very unusual path to get where I am today. With bouncing around like I had to remain mentally tough, it wasn’t easy. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. I had to look at the positives and use it as motivation, looking back at it, that helped me out in the long run. It made me mature faster and I had to persevere, I could’ve rolled over and quit, but that was never an option. It was a good experience because it helped me become a better person and goalie.”
After his turbulent rookie season, Matt ended up with the New Jersey Titans in the NAHL for a season and a half:
“Playing in New Jersey for the Titans was awesome. It is a fun place to play juniors, they have everything in an organization that will help you succeed and get to the college level. Playing there I was able to find my game and get back on track. Coach Doremus has played a big part in my hockey career and I can’t thank him and the organization enough. I will always cherish my time playing there I made memories and friends that will last a lifetime.”
Continuing with his unique experiences, Matt started mid season with Canisuis:
“Entering college hockey mid season is never easy. I knew before I committed it was going to be tough. At the college level the game is faster and the players are smarter and can find the little plays you won’t see at the junior level. Working with Coach Nelson he helped the transition become easier.”
Discussing life after hockey:
“My main goal is to play pro hockey after college. I’m majoring in Health and Wellness at school, one day I would like to do physical therapy or strength and conditioning so that is what I’m studying at school.”
Matt played 15 games with Canisius College this season and earned a .905 save percentage.
Photo credit: Hickling Images
