Another season of the National Lacrosse League is running up the floor. Soon, the Rochester Knighthawks will compete with 13 other teams in an effort to make the playoffs for a third straight season and push for a deep playoff run.
Players all around North America are getting ready in a variety of ways to put themselves in the best position to compete when the team opens training camp later in October. For some, that’s resting the body and focusing on their job away from lacrosse. For others, it’s staying active on the field playing in leagues like the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) or competing for a Mann Cup in Canada. In the case of four Rochester Knighthawks, it meant representing their country on the grandest stage in a 10-day international tournament at the 2024 World Box Lacrosse Championships.
Rochester forward Ryan Smith and transition player Matt Gilray represented Team Canada, capturing gold via a 13-7 win over Knighthawks teammates Ethan O’Connor and Brandon Robinson on Team USA.
“It was the opportunity of a lifetime to put on the red and white,” said Smith. “There’s no better feeling then when you open an email and it says you made Team Canada. This was the top lacrosse moment of my life. I never thought I’d be in this position to be able to play with and against some of the greatest players in the world. It made that two-week experience an unbelievable one that I’ll never forget.”
Canada and the United States play on the 29th of September, 2024 in the Gold Medal match of the World Lacrosse Box Championship in Utica, New York, USA. World Lacrosse/Reuben Polansky-Shapiro
“Having the chance to play for team USA at the World Box Lacrosse Championships was an unbelievable experience,” said Robinson. “While we fell short of our ultimate goal of winning a gold medal, we became the first United States men’s box team to make it to the finals, which will be something I’ll remember forever.”
“I can’t say enough just how much it meant to me to play for Team Canada,” said Gilray. “Putting on the Canadian jersey is like a ‘pinch me’ moment.”
“It was a long journey after tearing my ACL prior to the 2019 tournament and being able to finally compete and win silver for a country I’ve called home now for over 15 years is special,” said O’Connor. “Completing my citizenship process earlier this year also felt very fitting and getting to wear the red, white and blue jersey just felt like another way to celebrate that part of my life.”
While the experience of competing for patriotism was an adrenaline boost on its own, the added motivation of what’s to come in November amplified the experience for a quartet of players that want to bring the ‘Hawks to new heights.
“It’s massive,” said Smith. “I think the biggest thing is to take the lessons that come out of that experience and bring them into the NLL season. When you’re playing on an offense like Team Canada or Team USA, you’re playing with so many good players. Just watching the morale and bench when you’re up big or if it’s a close game is something you can take out of the tournament.”
Balancing the ups and downs. The message Smith shares is a lesson learned from a season ago, where the Knighthawks went from 3-0 to 3-6 to start their regular season. It showed moments of vulnerability, where the mental and emotional side of the game impacted the physical play that took place. Smith carried the weight of those losses, but attempted to help Rochester crawl out of its funk with a career-high season, posting up for 46 goals and 99 points.
“You can take all the experience from this international play and carry it into Rochester to make all those little things count and better the team for the season.”
“Ryan and Matt are all world, but at a tournament like the World Box Championships, where the talent level is so high, it makes you appreciate how good they really are,” said O’Connor. “They stand out even when surrounded by the best players in the world. Happy to call them teammates during the NLL season and not having to worry about trying to defend them.”
Canada and USA play on September 29, 2024 in the World Lacrosse Box Championships in Utica, New York, USA.
Gilray and Smith were teammates in addition to roommates during the World Box Lacrosse Championships in Utica. Neither complained about the other, despite sharing a room for 12 days.
“We interacted a lot,” said Smith. “We were catching up a little bit and sharing a hotel room and watching a couple of Netflix shows together.”
“He’s the best,” laughed Gilray.
When Netflix wasn’t on, the two would talk shop about (you guessed it) lacrosse. The takeaway was perspective on the game and how big the sport truly is and can become.
“It’s a perspective where we always talk about growing the game. In the NLL, we talk about growing the game. In summer ball, we talk about growing the game. To an extent, you can do that in the communities we live in, but where you see the real growth is in those different countries that have those skilled, very good players that are maybe just one step away, or you see the women put their talents on display for the first time in that setting. They have been grinding just as hard as we have growing up and now they’re getting that opportunity to showcase themselves. It’s just really cool to see all of this unfold around you.”
With under a month until camp starts and less than 60 days from Rochester’s season-opening game at home against Las Vegas on Nov. 30, this was an opportunity for ‘Hawks players to get reps and get ahead of schedule.
“I think the more lacrosse you play, the better off you are,” said Gilray. “I find it a little bit easier to transition into camp and the new season when you’re staying in the game and playing in the summer. I like to get the reps and in a situation like this, you can’t get those reps at a higher level than playing worlds.”
“I couldn’t be more excited to get back to Rochester,” said Smith. “We’re ready to start chipping away one day at a time to keep getting better and try to help us reach our ultimate goal of winning a championship at the end of the season.”
Canada and the United States play on the 29th of September, 2024 in the Gold Medal match of the World Lacrosse Box Championship in Utica, New York, USA. World Lacrosse/Reuben Polansky-Shapiro
“I’ve seen them across the floor but playing with and against these guys up close and in person again makes me super excited for the chance to play as one of their teammates,” said Robinson.
The Knighthawks have made the playoffs back-to-back years. They were staring down the odds of a three percent chance to make the playoffs a season ago, then rattled off their biggest win of the year when it mattered most to clinch a spot.
Still, the team has gone down in the first round both of those years. They want this to be different. They feel this year can be different. Smith and Gilray won gold. O’Connor and Robinson won silver. Together, they now join the rest of their teammates in the Flower City with the objective of being champions together in the NLL.
