Few positions in sport are as demanding as the lacrosse goaltender. Guarding a 6’ by 6’ field net with limited equipment or wearing 40 pounds of pads and guarding a 4’ by 4’ in sweltering arenas during the summer months. The keeper has their work cut out for them. Over the next few weeks TBLC will be highlighting their great goaltenders. Goaltenders who made a difference to the teams they played for. We start next week with one of the best still playing in the NCAA.

One of finest Beach goaltenders ever to play between the pipes. Derek Collins wears a Mann Cup ring as a member of the 2006/07 Peterborough Laker major lacrosse team.

He started his lacrosse playing minor lacrosse for TBLC from 1978 till 1990. His teams won provincial and national championships in 1985 and the Ontario summer games in 1990. He played junior lacrosse for Beaches from 1991 to 1995. He was voted the MVP in 1993.

He was drafted 5th overall by the Rochester Nighthawks in 1996 and played for a number of NLL teams. Internationally he played for Team Scotland from 2003 to 2007. He continues to give back to Beaches Lacrosse where he is a peanut rep coach coaching his young daughter.

Christopher Steele played goal for 14 years.  Most of that time was with Beaches minor lacrosse. 

His team won provincial box championships in his first year of lacrosse as a tyke and his final year of minor in intermediate.  He played both box and field in goal for Beaches, Hamilton, St. Michaels high school and the West Durham Jr. B IronHeads.

Christopher earned the nickname The Steele Wall for a reason— most nights it was tough to get a ball past him. 

He has been a ref and a trainer for Beaches and continues to coach. He currently is a mechanic with Air Canada.

Men’s Box, Women’s Box, Men’s Field, Women’s Field, NCAA Division 1 Women’s Field Lacrosse.  You name it, Samantha Kidd has played goal in them all and is still playing. One of best athletes to come out of Beaches Lacrosse, Samantha starred in men’s and women’s box lacrosse.  In 2013, she was the most valuable player in women’s national box lacrosse.

She backstopped Ontario to the National Championship in Halifax. She played between the posts in men’s box lacrosse starting at the tender age of 9. She went on to play women’s and men’s field and is currently playing at LIU Brooklyn. 

Her intention is to come back to Beaches senior women’s field at the end of her college season.  As well as playing net she also coaches both men’s and women’s lacrosse and, in her spare time, has been a referee.