Roughnecks draftee Seth Van Schepen comfortable, confident in rookie year
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As first get-togethers go, this one has seemingly gone pretty smooth for Seth Van Schepen.
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Roughnecks draftee Seth Van Schepen comfortable, confident in rookie year Back to video
He’s really fond of his new family in the Calgary Roughnecks.
And that band of brothers is truly excited about his future with them.
“It’s a great group of guys,” said Van Schepen, who’s become a key cog for the Roughnecks in just his first year of his National Lacrosse League career. “I couldn’t imagine a better group to have my first year with. Not only are we talented out there, but just going into battle with this band of brothers out there has been a helluva time.”
The connection has been made even better by the success of both Van Schepen and the NLL club.
The rookie forward-turned-defender has fit in quite well with a Roughnecks crew that’s on the cusp of winning a franchise-best 13th game in a season when it suits up this weekend for its regular-season finale.
The 18th game of the schedule for the Roughnecks (12-5) goes Friday night against the Panther City Lacrosse Club (10-7) in Fort Worth, Texas (6:30 p.m., TSN.ca).
The meeting could well be a first-round playoff preview between the West Conference’s current second- and third-place teams, although the Roughnecks — with a win in Texas and two subsequent losses by the top-spot San Diego Seals (12-4) — could still finish first in the conference and PCLC could still be caught by the fourth-place Colorado Mammoth (9-7).
“People kind of counted us out early, and we’ve been kind of the darkhorse of the league,” said Van Schepen. “But we’ve never doubted ourselves.
“It’s pretty special to be able to step into a playoff game in my first year, for sure.”
He and the team have earned the honour.
The Roughnecks identified lefty Van Schepen as a versatile player — one who could succeed at both ends of the floor in the pro box circuit — when they plucked him as a forward 10th overall in the 2022 NLL Draft.
And he has delivered, thanks to his talent, his ability to evolve and the team’s commitment to paying it forward.
“It kind of took me a while to get my feet under myself,” said Van Schepen, who didn’t draw in as a regular right away but has played in 15 games in his freshman campaign. “But we’ve got some great veterans back there. And, you know, even the younger guys on the defence are legit in every way. So they kind of took me under their wing, and I just try to be the best I can out there.
“No one is saying, ‘Watch what I do’ or ‘Try to mimic me’,” continued Van Schepen. “But, you know, everyone on the team has little pointers here and there for you, and guys like Jeff Cornwall and Jesse King are really big on helping me just get comfortable out there.”
Van Schepen, of Brampton, Ont., played for the Oakville Rock of the Ontario Senior B Lacrosse League, notching 12 goals and 29 points in eight games played.
The 23-year-old previously starred for the Brampton Excelsiors in the Ontario Junior League, finishing the 2019 season with 21 points in nine games.
And in four seasons with the NCAA’s Siena Saints, he counted 13 goals and 45 points in 40 games played and captained the team in his senior year.
With defence now his top concern, his one goal and five points on the year are secondary to his 56 loose ball recoveries and eight shot-blocks, which both rank fifth-highest on the team.
“It is a lot faster here than the junior game, for sure,” said the 205-lb. defender. “But it’s been a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to learning more. I try to do my best out there. I mean … my main focus is defence-first. But if the transition goals come, they come.”
Indeed, here in the NLL, the rookie is being noticed for his defensive play as a back-end prospect and is learning from the leaders around him.
“We don’t consider him a first-year kid anymore,” said Roughnecks head coach Curt Malawsky. “He’s been out there battling and made some good plays. He’s getting key loose balls, and (last Friday in a 12-7 win over the visiting Las Vegas Desert Dogs), he made a really good stop one-on-one against Rob Hellyer. So he’s just getting more comfortable and confident.
“(Jeff) Cornwall and Curtis Manning, they’re really good mentors. Something we’ve always done in Calgary is pass it forward and make sure our veterans take care of the younger guys so they can learn, and that’s how we’ve always kept success throughout the years. These guys care about the logo and the guys next to them.”
And that’s now benefiting Van Schepen.
“I don’t know if there’s really a certain time where I can pinpoint where it clicked,” added Van Schepen. “Just as the chemistry builds and the more you play — the more reps you get — you kind of get used to getting a little more comfortable out there.
“I came in with wide-open expectations. I wasn’t expecting anything from the team — just wanting to go out there and do the best I can. I wanted to get closer with the guys and, hopefully, pull some wins out. I’m still young and trying to figure it out as I go. But the main thing for me is to try and be the best teammate I can be.”
QUICK STICKS
Roughnecks D Mitch Wilde (lower body) and T Ethan Ticehurst (lower body) are questionable for Friday’s game … Week 21 of the NLL season means the last game for both the Roughnecks and PCLC, but two more weekends remain on the docket … The Saturday night slate sports: the New York Riptide (8-12) at the Halifax Thunderbirds (8-8), the Georgia Swarm (8-8) at the Rochester Knighthawks (9-7); the Toronto Rock (13-4) at the Buffalo Bandits (12-4) in a battle for first place in the East Conference; the Mammoth at the Saskatchewan Rush (6-10); and the Desert Dogs (5-11) at the Seals … Sunday’s only game sees the Philadelphia Wings (7-9) visit the Albany FireWolves (3-13).
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