The newly acquired veteran forward is playing with his 6th team.
By Mitchell Courtney / Rochester Knighthawks
Located in southern Ontario, the city of Kitchener is known for its German heritage and its citizens’ fondness for both hockey and lacrosse. As the home of the Ontario Hockey League’s Kitchener Rangers and the Ontario Junior “A” Lacrosse League’s Kitchener-Waterloo Braves, some of the best young athletes compete in the city.
Current Knighthawk Ryan Benesch grew up in Kitchener and played for the Braves before embarking on his storied professional lacrosse career. In fact, Benesch credits a good amount of his success to the Braves’ coaching staff.
“One of my best coaches for sure was my Junior ‘A’ coach, Corey Hallman,” he said. “He got to know me on a personal level, and he always knew how to get the best out of me.”
Hallman’s tactics allowed Benesch to achieve astounding levels of success at the Junior “A” level, piling up 178 goals and 391 points in just 104 games. His junior success turned the heads of countless NLL executives, and Benesch was selected with the first overall pick in the 2006 NLL Entry Draft by the San Jose Stealth but was subsequently traded to the Toronto Rock. Although being selected with the first pick in the draft is a tremendous honor, it also comes with an incredible amount of pressure.
“Coming in as a first overall pick, there are certain expectations of you to perform on the floor,” Benesch said. “You always feel that little bit of pressure.”
That pressure never seems to dissipate, even as a player’s career moves well beyond the draft process. However, Benesch noted that he realized that he had more support than doubt at his disposal.
“The one thing that I found was that my teammates were always there to help me,” he said. “I had some great support from them and my family as well. I certainly have a lot of people to thank for my success.”
Two of his biggest supporters and influencers were two professional lacrosse players who also played in Kitchener.
“Guys like Aaron Wilson and Colin Doyle who [also] grew up in Kitchener and played there were very influential as well,” he said. “I watched them, and I actually had the opportunity to be coached up by them.”
Wilson, who retired following the 2015 season, came into the league in 2003 with the Toronto Rock and played with Benesch from 2007-2008 before being traded to Rochester; where he spent just six games before being dealt once more. Doyle spent all but three seasons of his 19-year career with the Toronto Rock, spending most of that time as the Rock’s captain.
Although it may seem like Benesch was always destined to play in the NLL, he noted that he started playing the game almost completely by chance.
“My dad put me into lacrosse. It is one of those things where you have to play a summer sport,” he said with a chuckle. “It was either soccer, baseball or lacrosse.”
Even after he started playing lacrosse competitively, Benesch had to decide between two sports in which he excelled: hockey and lacrosse. Hailing from Kitchener, this is about what you would expect from a premier athlete.
“It was sort of a toss-up. I was playing hockey too, and I could have gone either way,” said Benesch. “I chose lacrosse because I thought I had a better shot at making it professionally. I took a chance, and I never looked back.”
His risk certainly paid off, as Benesch has enjoyed one of the most decorated careers in NLL history, including a 113-point season in 2015 with the Buffalo Bandits. He has impressed with Toronto, Edmonton, Minnesota, Buffalo, Colorado, and now Rochester.
Success in the NLL is easy to spot, but player movement is often unpredictable, and it is never easy. For Benesch, he was traded before he ever played in an NLL game, and he is now with his sixth organization, despite his production at the highest level. His latest move to Rochester was one that he was admittedly not expecting at the time.
“I would be lying if I said that I was not shocked, it caught me off guard for sure,” Benesch said. “It is part of the business, and I had heard many great things about the Rochester organization.”
When asked about his first impressions of the Knighthawks’ organization, Benesch was especially impressed with Rochester Owner and General Manager Curt Styres.
“I know Curt [Styres] is very passionate about lacrosse, and he will do anything for his players,” he said. “I am excited to be in Rochester, and I am looking forward to the future.”
Although he has moved around the league, his status as a seasoned veteran allows Benesch to see the game in ways that many young players cannot. He noted that he is hoping to share his wisdom with some of his younger teammates to pay forward the experiences and coaching he received as a young player.
“Being a 13-year veteran means that I have an obligation to be a leader,” he said. “I want to show some of the younger guys what it is like to be a professional in this league.”
Benesch is as dedicated to his craft as anybody, and he hopes that he can leave a lasting impression on the people of Rochester. He wants to win, but more importantly, he wants to give the city and the team everything that he has to offer; which is all that can be asked of any athlete playing for any team.
“I am definitely a team-first guy,” said Benesch. “I will do whatever it takes to win games. I will do whatever is asked of me.”