The Victoria Shamrocks found Rory Smith tough to get past the last two years in the Mann Cup.
So the Shamrocks went out and signed the six-foot defender. Smith played the past two seasons for the Six Nations Chiefs, who defeated Victoria in both the 2013 and 2014 Mann Cup national Senior A lacrosse championship series.
This will be Smith’s second appearance in the Western Lacrosse Association, after playing for the New Westminster Salmonbellies from 2009 to 2011.
Smith, a left-hander from Mimico, Ontario, has transformed his style of play in recent years from an intimidating enforcer to a defender relying on balance and agility.
The 28-year-old also brings post-season experience. In six seasons of senior lacrosse, Smith has played in four Mann Cup championships and won twice.
“For what he does, he is the best in the game,” said Shamrocks assistant coach Art Webster, who coaches Smith in the pro National Lacrosse League with the Vancouver Stealth.
“[Smith] makes people accountable on the floor. He is a defender who knows how to get the job done. He comes to play every night.”
Smith comes to Victoria via a trade with New Westminster in 2013, when Victoria sent Chet Koneczny and a conditional 2016 first-round draft pick to the Salmonbellies in exchange for the WLA rights to Smith and a 2014 second-round draft pick, which was then used to acquire the playing rights to Jon Harnett from Coquitlam.
Smith’s Canadian rights were acquired as part of the transfer of Jeff Shattler to Six Nations last year.
The two-time defending WLA champion Shamrocks open the 2015 season May 22 in the Island derby against the Nanaimo Timbermen at The Q Centre.
