Eric Shewell agrees to a 1-year contract.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Eric Shewell will return for another season with the Rochester Knighthawks the team re-signed the gritty defenseman to a one-year deal on Dec. 1. After an impressive rookie season, Shewell (shoe-wull) is ready to make a more significant impact in 2018-19.
Last season, the 26-year-old played in four postseason games as the Knighthawks advanced to the National Lacrosse League (NLL) Final. Shewell was promoted to the active roster after logging key minutes in three games during the regular season. He finished with eight loose balls and one assist in seven games, which included all three NLL Cup games.
“My first playoff run was pretty surreal. I was watching from the sidelines for the majority of the year and then all of a sudden I was right in the thick of it,” Shewell said. “Looking back, it was pretty crazy. To have that as my first real true taste of the league was special. Coming out on the right end of things would have been extra special, but I think I’m fortunate to have gotten a chance to experience that so early in my career.”
Shewell’s career took a major step forward last season, following his steady play in the NLL Finals. Being on the league’s biggest stage did not seem to phase the young defenseman.
“He’s played a lot of senior lacrosse in Peterborough and has been in a lot of big games,” said Knighthawks veteran defenseman Scott Campbell. “He was used to that pressure and was ready to go (when we called on him).”
Playing in the NLL was a long time coming for Shewell. It was only after his third tryout that he finally landed a job in professional lacrosse. His previous training camp setbacks with Colorado and Toronto are what motivated him to get back in the gym and put in the work to achieve his childhood dream.
“I think anytime you’re let go or doubted, it lights a fire under you,” said Shewell. “I think that goes for all walks of life. Everybody wants to prove the naysayers wrong, and it was no different for me.”
“I’d been lucky enough throughout my lacrosse career to be afforded some great opportunities,” he added. “Luck and timing also played huge parts in where I am today, but getting cut from those teams woke me up to the fact that no one is going to hand me this and no amount of luck or timing will get me there either. I had to decide that this was something I wanted to do and put the work in, especially behind the scenes, to make it happen.”
This past summer, Shewell continued to have good fortune by winning his second straight Mann Cup (2017-18) with the hometown Peterborough Lakers. Playing under Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen, he appeared in 10 regular season and two Major Series Lacrosse playoff games. In his career, Shewell has played for Hasen in four of his five seasons with the Lakers. The Knighthawks’ bench boss knows what to expect from the stay-at-home defenseman.
“‘Shewy’ is not a guy who you notice, which is a compliment for a ‘D’ guy,” said Hasen. “He is positionally sound and not flashy. He may chip in at times by pushing the ball up the floor, but he knows his role, which is in the back end.”
In 2014, Shewell made his Senior “A” debut with Peterborough. The following season, he caught a break as Hasen was hired as the team’s head coach. After his third season under coach Hasen, Shewell earned an invitation to Knighthawks’ camp.
“We were looking for a young, steady defenseman and Eric was a perfect fit,” said Knighthawks Owner and General Manager Curt Styres. “After playing for Mike in Peterborough, he was familiar with our system. It was not long before he was playing valuable minutes for us. In the playoffs, he stepped up when we needed him the most.”
Shewell has had a history of playing for championship-caliber teams. In 2016, he won the Creator’s Cup with the Durham Turfdogs of the Canadian Lacrosse League (CLax). In 2017, he was a member of the Peterborough Timbermen of the Arena Lacrosse League (ALL) and played in the league semifinals.
With three championships and one trip to the NLL Finals over the past three seasons, Shewell has accomplished a lot in a short period. After grinding through a brief training camp and preseason schedule, he is ready for what awaits him in his sophomore season with the Knighthawks.
“I think getting thrown in last year has given me a certain level of confidence entering this year,” he said. “It was sink or swim for me. I proved to myself that I could play at this level and play with everything on the line. Mentally, that will definitely help me coming in. But, I also still believe I have a lot to prove, so I’m just hoping I can continue progressing forward and continue to grow as a player.”