Gerry Argento, the Impact’s third-string goalkeeper over the past two years, has signed an amateur contract with the club for the upcoming season.
“With the addition of Simon Gatti, we are once again adding more depth in the midfield,” said Impact head coach Nick De Santis. “He is a midfielder who can play well offensively and defensively and who has good technical skills. Gerry Argento, for his part, is fighting with Andrew Weber for the no two goalkeeping spot. Gatti and Argento have both shown some good things since training camp has started.”
Gatti, 25, was the 12th overall pick in the draft held last January 24. In 19 games with the Rhode Island Stingrays in the Premier Development League (PDL), a division of the USL, he scored two goals and had one assist. He also played with the Rhode Island University Rams from 2002 to 2005. With the Rams, he scored 10 goals and added eight assists for 28 points in 85 games, including 79 as starter.
Argento, 21, joined the Impact in May of 2004 but has yet to play an official USL game with the club. Last Thursday, he was named the Montreal University Carabins’ Male Athlete of the Year at the club’s 2005-2006 awards ceremony. In his first university season, he tallied eight wins and allowed only seven goals in 10 games, in addition to being named Rookie of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year at the national level.
The Impact will play its third pre-season game of training camp this Wednesday at 10 am against the UQAM Citadins, at Riverside Park in LaSalle. The Montreal team won its first two games by shutout, 6-0 against the Lac St-Louis Lakers and 2-0 against the Montreal University Carabins.
The Impact will play its first regular-season game on Sunday, April 23 in Miami. Montreal’s 13th home opener in club history at Claude-Robillard Sports Complex will take place Sunday, May 21, against the Minnesota Thunder.
-30-
Source: Patrick Vallée, Montreal Impact
Info: 514-328-3668 (ext. 27)
