Ross winging it as Shamrox' latest addition
A three-time All-MAAC selection. Second all time with 126 goals. Ranked No. 4 with 185 career points.
With the gaudy numbers he posted at Canisius, no wonder Kevin Ross didn't wait long for his name to be called at September's NLL entry draft.
But as he soon found out, the numbers from a 12th overall selection don't necessarily add up to a roster spot.
"When I got drafted I thought there was a pretty good opportunity for me to crack the squad," Ross said. "Instead of being fourth man on the depth chart, I ended up being sixth or seventh."
The 22-year-old forward was left off the Chicago Shamrox' active roster following training camp.
"We had talked about keeping your head up," said Randy Mearns, Canisius head coach and a nine-year NLL vet. "The biggest thing was he was still part of the organization and needed to continue improving his skills, because when he got a chance he needed to be ready."
In addition to training on his own and practicing with the Shamrox during their Wednesday workouts in Six Nations, Ontario, Ross worked as a substitute at his old high school in Toronto, teaching everything from science and English to French and Italian.
"And I don't even speak French or Italian," Ross said with a laugh. "I just winged it as best as I could."
"Winging it" is a perfect description of the way he rockets the ball toward the net.
"He's got a great outside shot," Shamrox coach Jamie Batley said. "Ross showed during training camp that he should be on the team, and we knew he'd be able to help down the stretch."
With the March 5 trade that sent Lindsay Plunkett to the Edmonton Rush, Ross finally got the call from Batley.
"Once I saw that we made that trade, I knew there would be an opening for a left-handed offensive player," said Ross, who had an assist in his Sears Centre debut Saturday night as the Shamrox (3-7) defeated the Minnesota Swarm 15-10.
Ross admittedly was nervous during his pro debut March 14 but still recorded 2 assists as the Shamrox fell 13-9 to the Swarm at the Xcel Energy Center.
"You're standing there and 14,000 people are looking at you," he said.
But in a 12-11 victory at Rochester on March 22 -- the Shamrox' first victory in nearly two months -- Ross stood out as he scored his first professional goal during the Shamrox' 7-3 fourth-quarter rally.
"That (goal) will hopefully take the stress away and he'll be able to settle in," Batley said.
And as the Shamrox' latest addition, No. 71 is counting on sticking around for a while.
"Definitely, the hardest part is keeping your job," Ross said. "My goal is to contribute in every win."