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Player Spotlight highlights the finer details and elements while supplying insight to the fans on what a player's thought process may be pertaining to a certain play, game or situation. It brings the intensity, passion, and inner most thoughts of the individual player that otherwise may not be felt or heard. |
04/14/04 Lewis Ratcliffe - Calgary Roughnecks Lewis Ratcliffe of the Calgary Roughnecks had a few words recently with PLPA Correspondent Christine Kurt. | |
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You were born in London, England and are now in Victoria, BC. How did you end up there? |
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My dad was born in Vancouver and lived in England for 10 years. He met my Mom while he was there and my little brother & I were born there. When I was about 7 he got a job offer and we moved to Vancouver.
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When were you first introduced to box lacrosse? |
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Sixth grade so I was probably about 12. I didn't even know what it was. Coming from England I was playing soccer every day. My Mom just saw it at school one day and signed me up. And I loved it right away. Just right off the bat I was obsessed with it. |
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Does your younger brother play? |
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Yes...and he is pretty good. He will be playing intermediate for coach Tyson Leies this summer.
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What about field lacrosse? |
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I played at Radford with (Blaine) Manning and (Ben) Prepchuk. Then that year they dropped the lacrosse program and I transferred to Ohio State for a year and then got drafted after that.
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What is the appeal of the game for you? |
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Just the fast pace of the sport, the action, the running. I don't have the patience for something like baseball. Especially where the scores are 1-0. I like the run-and-gun, all the goals. Even compared to hockey it's more exciting.
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What do you think the appeal is for the fans? |
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Lacrosse has got a little bit of everything- fighting, goal scoring, good plays, the big hits. In hockey you don't see these things very often. In lacrosse you see it two or three times a shift.
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Now to last summer. You win Rookie of the Year in the WLA and a Mann Cup in the same year. How do you top a season like that? |
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I don't know if you can top it. It was an awesome summer! Especially after losing four years in a row in Junior in the finals. It was a summer I knew we were going to win before the season was even over. We were so confident. Playing with guys like (Jim) Veltman and (John) Tavares you are only going to get better.
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What does the Mann Cup ring mean to you? |
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I think it will mean more to me in a few years. Winning it in my first year I was kind of spoiled. I didn't really pay my dues, like guys like Dwight Maetche or Derek Malawsky. I don't think I take it for granted but I don't think I can appreciate as much as those guys. Obviously it is a huge honor but I think it will sink in in a couple of years.
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What is the importance of summer lacrosse? |
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You are playing five days a week so you are staying in awesome shape. You are playing against a lot of the same guys so there is not a huge drop off in skill. It is a lot slower, rougher. And with the NLL season being only five months long, you notice the guys in training camp who take the summer off. And I'm only 22 so I should be playing all year around.
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From the Victoria Shamrock team this summer, your thoughts on a couple of your teammates... |
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John Tavares- "Just how smart he is. He doesn't want the ball all the time. His game is so unreal to watch. All of a sudden he's open in front of the net and you can't figure out how he got there. He does everything- he plays physical, picks up loose balls, scores huge goals, get 4 or 5 goals when you need them. Dwight Maetche- He was a great team guy. He would do whatever was needed. He just wanted to be on a winning team. He didn't care if he was the third string goalie or the starter. Jim Veltman- His confidence. He would come in and say stuff and it was like having another coach on the bench. He is so smart about the game. |
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You were the 49th pick overall in last year's draft. And, by season's end, you were on the All-Rookie team. What changed during the season for you? |
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I always scored a lot of points. Calgary took three of us who were still at school that year and I ended up not going back to school. I had a good summer and was ready to play when I came to camp.
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What happened on the Roughnecks that you were able to take your game to the next level? |
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It definitely helped me being in good shape. I am a lot stronger and faster than I was before. That and playing a whole season with just 15 runners. You get to play a lot more and you get to learn from your mistakes. I don't know if there is one thing. Just getting to play with guys like Kaleb (Toth) and Tracey (Kelusky) and Kyle Goundrey. Last year guys didn't really worry about me and I could just slip in and out. It helps that I know what makes me play well. I have always been confident that I could be a good player in this league. |
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What is your "job" on the Roughnecks? |
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Score goals. I think everybody on the offensive end has the same roll. But, I think, for me to be successful I have to be scoring goals.
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This is the only team I have seen do a post-game autograph session for the fans, win or lose, how do you leave your game in the dressing room? |
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The kids don't really care. They've come out to see you. Even after we lose, the kids will say things like "you played great". They just want to see the game and have fun. And if you come out there grumpy then they are not going to enjoy themselves. You owe it to them. And once you see the kids it's not hard to put your game aside for a few minutes.
I think that is one of the best things about this league.
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| PLPA Correspondent Christine Kurt, a.k.a. The Goddess of Lacrosse, writes a fan column for www.thelacrossejournal.com and The Lacrosse Journal. She is an unapologetic homer when it comes to her beloved Toronto Rock and her "boys of summer", the Brampton Excelsiors. But, first and foremost, she is a true fan of "the creator's game" and can be found all year around watching whatever lacrosse game is going, when she is not working at her real job, as a labour & deliver nurse. You can write to David via his website: www.topcatsports.org. |
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