Massive lacrosse goalie leads Mass. squad by filling nearly entire cage

Unlike their hockey counterparts, lacrosse goalies aren't usually typified by Titanic size. Some may be larger than average, but at least as many are also on the shorter side of the spectrum.

As reported by the Boston Globe, that's certainly not the case with Reading (Mass.) High lacrosse star Matt Comerford, who stands a massive 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds and nearly fills the Rockets' cage on his own.

Large lacrosse goalies can sometimes be criticized for a lack of mobility or athleticism. That's certainly not the case for Comerford, who has earned enough looks as a junior to spark talk of a future in Division I lacrosse.

"With oversized goalies, sometimes you try to pressure them with quick attackmen and force turnovers," Westford (Mass.) Academy lacrosse coach Matt Tholander told the Globe. "But this kid is an athlete. He can face dodge, handle the ball, run around and find the open man.

"And I'm telling you right now, the thing he does better than anyone else is get the ball up on transition. He can throw the ball 50, 60 yards downfield and stop it on a dime."

A surprise breakout sensation, Comerford led his conference (Eastern Mass.'s Middlesex League) with a 5.44 goals-against-average. While the Rockets eventually fell in the second round of the Division 2 state playoffs, Comerford could hardly be faulted for that, with the junior limiting Foxborough to just three goals in a season-ending, 3-1 loss. Reading finished the season with a 16-6 overall record.

Whether or not Comerford can continue to build on his junior success remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: He won't be hard to see in the cage itself.

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