(Rochester, NY)… The Six Nations Chiefs were crowned Mann Cup champions on Sept. 15, marking the fourth straight year they’ve hoisted the Cup.
The Chiefs became only the third team ever to win four consecutive Cups and hold a streak of winning the Cup every time they have made the final series; this was their 10th. They joined the Peterborough Timbermen (1951-54) and the Peterborough Lakers, who won all four Cups awarded from 2017 through 2022.
Two Knighthawks on that historic Six Nations team, Shonwahnonkon Thompson and Ryan Smith, each hoisted the Cup this summer. Thompson made it his fourth straight, while Smith made it his second in a row. It only took four games for the Chiefs to sweep the Coquitlam Adanacs.
“You never go in expecting to sweep a team,” Smith said during the week following the win. “So, you take it game by game, and you’re prepared to play all seven games. But we played extremely well this week, so we were able to get it done a little bit quicker.”
The Six Nations Chiefs with the Mann Cup on Sept. 15… (Photo credit: Kaylen Lomas/Dreamshot Media)
In two summers with Six Nations, Smith has won more than the Major Series Lacrosse (MSL) Championship and the Mann Cup. He has now been named the recipient of the Mike Kelley Award, the Mann Cup’s Most Valuable Player in back-to-back championships. He is only the fifth player ever to do so, joining Lloyd “Moon” Wootton, John Davis, John Tavares, and Shawn Evans.
“It’s a huge honor,” Smith said. “Looking at the trophy and the names on it, it’s surreal seeing the legends of the game who are around that trophy. You never think you’re going to be in that place growing up, watching all these Mann Cup games, whether it’s online or in person, so it’s a huge honor. You know, I’m happier with the Mann Cup, but it’s always cool getting that recognition of those individual awards as well.”
Last year, in a seven-game series with the New Westminster Salmonbellies, Smith led the tournament with 14 goals and added 12 assists to earn the award.
This season, the Chiefs won more so by committee on offense. Seven different players averaged either two points per game or a goal per game. They opened the series with an 8-2 win, with eight different goal scorers. Thirteen different players put the ball in the back of the net, and 17 players tallied points. Smith was second on the team in points with 13, but his off-ball play was what earned him the award this summer.
Knighthawks President and General Manager Dan Carey knows what it takes to earn the Mike Kelley Award. He was named the recipient in 2006 with the Peterborough Lakers after they topped the Victoria Shamrocks in five games.
“I think it just goes to show you that people recognize the value that Smitty brings outside of what’s on the score sheet,” Carey said. “He’s a guy that creates a lot of room, and he’s very crafty as far as using his body and positioning. He makes everybody better around him, and I know those guys recognize it. We’re lucky to have him here with the Knighthawks, and we’re pretty proud and happy for him to be able to receive that prestigious award two years in a row.”
Two summers of bringing home hardware have given Smith a lot of perspective as he enters his sixth National Lacrosse League (NLL) season and his second with an A on his chest. There are many similarities between his MSL and NLL offenses. Plenty of mouths to feed and star-studded with guys who have some of the best vision in lacrosse. Because of that, he can return to the Knighthawks locker room every summer with more experience and a better understanding of what it takes to win.
“It’s just learning how to win; I’ve said it before,” Smith said. “It’s funny, whenever you start struggling, it’s not going to be the perfect play that’s going to make the difference in whether you win the game or not. It’s going back to the fundamentals, to the little things, and those things become so much more important… It’s who’s going to come up with a small loose ball or big loose ball in the corner to get an extra reset, cutting off transition, making sure your defense can play 5-on-5 against the other team’s offense, getting off the floor hard, getting on the floor hard.”
“That’s the message we were told this Mann Cup,” he added. “That’s every team I’ve been on that’s been successful. It’s been an accumulation of all those small little plays during 60 minutes that adds up to a victory.”