MTA brotherhood draws in 3 commits

The Mounties bring in three out-of-province commits to their Class of 2017.

The small-time charm of Mount Allison University continues to draw in the commits and this time, it’s Josh Pinfold, a defensive back from Sir John A. Macdonald High, Peter Ordinelli, an offensive lineman from J.L. Ilsely High and Mike Domanico, a defensive back from Denis Morris Catholic Secondary School, who will be joining the Mounties family.

Josh Pinfold

Courtesy of Josh Pinfold.

Josh Pinfold is used to small towns so when he reaches Sackville, New Brunswick, its size won’t come as much of a surprise. Hailing from Tantallon, Nova Scotia, on St. Margarets Bay, Pinfold was in fact drawn to MTA because of its size.

“It’s a high-educated school with professors who will help you one-on-one and it’s in a town where the community is connected to the university,” the potential business student said. “I’ve always wanted to play at a high level and Mount A feels just right.”

The brotherhood of the Mounties was another reason why he committed to the university. “When I went on the recruiting trip, it felt like I was at home the moment I met the players,” Pinfold said. “The main thing that brought me closer was how the team is one giant family through out the year.”

Sometimes, to the outside eye, coaches can feel isolated from the team, but not at Mount Allison. “The coaching staff feels like family and the head coach, Scott Brady, seems like a friend of mine already but one that I look up too,” Graham said.

“I respect the coaches and I’ll be willing to show my respect to them on the field. I can definitely say they seem like the most advance coaching staff I’ve talked too,” he added.

The 5’10, 175lbs halfback has played seven years with the Timberlea Titans and three with the Sir John A. Macdonald Flames (Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation). While with the Titans, he was a four-time leadership award recipient and a five-time team captain. He also won a perseverance award. In his entire Titan career, he went undefeated each season.

When he reached high school, he received a special teams player award in grade 11 and was a Tier I all-star. The following year, he was back as a Tier I all-star. Continuing with his leadership ways, Pinfold was named as a team captain in Grade 12. While with the Flames, he has reached two championships against Citadel, but has came up short both games.

“The last one was a battle and came to the last minute from a field goal. It was heartbreaking, but the game moves forward and the off-season training is now on my mind to get ready for the next level,” Pinfold said.

“I am extremely excited to commit to the best university football program in the Maritimes and I can not wait to get started!”

Peter Ordinelli

Courtesy of Peter Ordinelli.

Fellow Nova Scotia commit, Peter Ordinelli, echoed similar sentiments as Pinfold. The product of Spryfield, Halifax, Nova Scotia, said he chose to commit to Mount Allison for many reasons.

“Starting with the small class sizes, I was really amazed by how small they were. I really like getting to know my teachers as there will always be help if I need it,” the potential political science student said. “The campus is small. Just in that one day at my visit, I knew where everything was located and it wasn’t hard to remember.”

He added that, “The football team seems very close-knit as well as the school in general.”

On his tour, Ordinelli had the pleasure of meeting Head Coach Brady and Gaétan Richard, the offensive coordinator. “I felt welcomed by the coaches on my visit, as well as my hosts. They took us for a tour around the whole school. They’re really great guys and made me feel like a brother on the team,” he said.

It was over dinner, however, that he got a little closer with the coaches. “There was a lot of questions about us and our schools, so we got to vent to the coaches and a couple players who came,” Ordinelli added.

Standing at 6’3, 255lbs, the offensive tackle played with the J.L. Ilsely Judges (NSSAF) in high school. He also suited up with the Halifax Argos in the Nova Scotia Football league. In 2015, his spring league team won the championship, but an injury prevented Ordinelli from playing.

Mike Domanico

Mike Domanico runs with the ball. Courtesy of Mike Domanico.

Unlike the other Mounties commits, Mike Domanico isn’t from the east coast. He calls Thorold, Ontario, which is near St. Catharines, home. It probably won’t take too long to get used to Mount Allison, however.

“I chose to commit to MTA because of the amazing academics and the inclusive, family-oriented environment,” the future biology student said. “The school has an amazing and young staff that is not far out of playing so they can connect to the players better than most coaches and Head Coach Scott Brady is one of the most knowledgeable young coaches in the game.”

The 5’11, 187lbs Niagara Spear (OVFL) has been involved with the Spears organization for seven years. He has also played five years with the Dennis Morris Reds (Niagara Catholic Athletic Association). He is a three-time Zach Duguay Memorial award winner and three-time conference all-star. In 2016, he won the Denis Morris Reds Coach’s award. Domanico has also been featured as a CFC Third Team All-Canadian.

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