Rochester inks defenseman Ethan Garland to a 1-year deal.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Knighthawks announced today that the team has signed free agent Ethan Garland. By agreeing to the one-year deal, the 25-year-old defenseman will get his first shot at making a National Lacrosse League roster.
Ethan Garland
“It was unbelievable,” he said after signing his first pro contract. “Honestly, it’s a dream come true.”
Garland has spent the past four seasons with the Victoria Shamrocks of the Western Lacrosse Association. In 2017, he appeared in 18 games and helped the Shamrocks earn a berth in the WLA Playoffs. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound defenseman, who is known for his size and strength, really caught the attention of the Knighthawks’ scouting staff.
“We’ve been watching Ethan this summer and have been impressed with his play,” said Knighthawks scout Stuart Brown. “He plays the game hard and physical. We think he has an opportunity to come into camp and compete for a spot.”
During his time in Victoria, Garland appeared in 62 regular season games and collected 7 goals and 17 assists for 24 points. He advanced to the postseason every year, and in 2015 won the Mann Cup.
The Victoria, B.C. native played his Junior “A” lacrosse with the Victoria Shamrocks in 2012. The following year, Garland captained the Saanich Tigers to a B.C. Junior “B” box lacrosse championship. In the tournament, he led the Tigers with 15 goals and 25 points in four games. In 2014, he made the jump to senior lacrosse after being selected 55th overall in the WLA Draft.
Garland believed after winning the championship that he had played his last lacrosse game, but the Shamrocks had other plans. He was a long shot to make the team, but he persevered and established himself as one of the anchors of the Victoria defense.
“I thought I would never play lacrosse again after my junior year,” he said. “After some pressure from the GM and the Shamrocks players, I just gave it a shot and here I am four years later on the team.”
His next goal is making an NLL roster, which is something he is not taking for granted. Garland said he is going to make the most of this opportunity with the Knighthawks.
“Obviously, I have a lot of work to do,” he said. “I still have to go out there, give it my all and make the roster. It’s something I have always wanted to do.”