Spectacular senior season at Kenyon earns Wenham's Amorello athletic, academic accolades
Aug. 13—Patience wasn't simply a virtue for Mayo Amorello; it helped him stay focused in the classroom, find his place on the Kenyon College men's lacrosse team and, when the time came, readied him for a starting role between the pipes.
Grabbing the starting goalie's job this spring as a senior, Amorello had a fantastic season for the Ohio school, leading it to the most wins in program history. For his efforts, he was named Defensive Player of the Year in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) and chosen for the Intercollegiate Men's Lacrosse Coaches Association's (IMLCA) All-Region team. Furthermore, he was an All-American honorable mention for Division 3 men's lacrosse.
His star shone just as brightly in the classroom, where he earned a 3.61 grade point average while graduating with a degree in economics. In doing so, Amorello was picked as a Scholar All-American for Division 3.
"It all came together in the right way at the right time," said the 22-year-old Amorello, a Wenham native who starred in net for Hamilton-Wenham for a pair of seasons before heading off to college.
"I met some really great guys on the team, guys I'll always keep in touch with. We had a really good season, and I really enjoyed the academics there and will start a new job as an investment analyst at the end of September. Everything worked out really well."
Ready when called upon
Amorello, who is named after his late grandfather ("he was a legend, an all-time really good guy, the most caring, thoughtful, genuine person"), started all 18 games for the Lords this season, who finished with a 14-4 mark (8-1 in league play) and reached the finals of the NCAC before losing to rival Denison in the title game.
The netminder finished with 180 saves and a .606 save percentage as a first-time college starter, making double digit saves in a dozen contests. He made a career high 16 stops in a late April triumph over Oberlin and followed that up with an 11-save outing against Ohio Wesleyan, his team's first victory over the latter school in a decade. Amorello's performances in those two games earned him NCAC Player of the Week honors.
"The whole season was great, especially having some guys back after taking a year off," said Amorello, who was also credited with 37 ground balls. "We didn't beat Denison, which was unfortunate but we had some great showings, like against Franklin & Marshall when they were a top 10 Division 3 school in the country. We had a lot of talent and played up to our abilities."
Having played sparingly in his first three years of college — 64 minutes as a freshman, a mere 19 seconds before the 2020 campaign was cancelled due to COVID-19, and just 16 minutes over two contests as a junior — Amorello hadn't started a game since his senior year of high school. But any apprehension he might've had quickly dissipated after both his and the team's strong start to the season.
"I always felt that if I was given the chance, I'd do well," said the redheaded keeper. "But at the same time, you're just a product of the shots you're faced with as a goalie. If the guys in front of me aren't doing their job, it makes it harder on me. But our defensemen were fantastic — the best group I've ever played with — and I had the season I thought I was capable of as a result."
Kenyon's defense allowed just 7.055 goals per game, which ranked in the top in all of NCAA Division 3.
"Our defensemen, Kern Byrnes, James Buckley, Jack Napper, (captain) Graham O'Brien, (Acton native) Finn Murray, Mike Bazzano and Joe Bolea, were so strong, physical and tough to beat. Our D-middies were so strong on the ball, and our poles were just liked down most of the time. They were all monsters," said Amorello. "It was just up to me whether or not I was up to the task."
'A different approach'
In an honest admission, Amorello said he didn't mind being a backup to David Metzger his first three years. The two goalies were close, but Metzger (one year older) played better during a scrimmage Amorello's freshman year and continued to play well thereafter. The New Jersey native will get the opportunity to continue his career next spring as a graduate student at Monclair (N.J.) State.
"I started to take a different approach," said Amorello. "The way I saw it, I was in a good environment, playing lax with my buddies at a great school. I just liked being here at practice with my friends and enjoying the time. I knew I'd get the chance my senior year, and I knew we'd be a really good team."
Amorello also dedicated part of his season to his childhood best friend, Sam Cioffi. The 22-year-old had an outstanding season scoring-wise for the Salem State men's lacrosse team when he passed away suddenly on May 1.
"Sammy and I grew up doing everything together from kindergarten through eighth grade," remembered Amorello. "We hung out all the time, played club lacrosse for the Middlesex Bears together, then in Hamilton-Wenham youth lacrosse and when we both went to Shore Country Day School (in Beverly). He moved from Beverly to Marblehead for high school but we still saw each other; it's unfortunate we never played against each other in high school.
"When I heard about what happened to Sammy, that was devastating to me," he admitted. "We were still playing at the time, so I figured it'd be worth playing for him the rest of the way."
Contact Phil Stacey
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