THUNDERBIRDS
In their senior year at Ohio State — buoyed by Fannell’s 36 goals and team-leading 30 assists and 66 points — the Buckeyes reached the 2017 NCAA Division 1 national championship but lost 9-6 to Maryland before nearly 30,000 fans at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
Even in football-mad Columbus, fans gravitated to lacrosse.
“Football and basketball obviously dominated,” said Withers, who was team captain during his senior season. “But lacrosse had some popularity. It’s a niche sport but we had a really good fan base.”
All three entered into the 2017 NLL draft and all three were selected by the Rochester Knighthawks in the first round. Withers went second overall, Shanks at No. 5 and Fannell a pick later.
In their rookie season in Rochester, the trio shared an apartment and helped the Knighthawks reach the 2018 championship final, which they lost to the Saskatchewan Rush.
Withers was named the league’s rookie of the year while Shanks and Fannell earned NLL all-rookie team honours.
“That was a fun time,” Fannell said.
“We got drafted to Rochester together and lived there for two years,” added Shanks. “We’ve stayed pretty tight even after sharing that one bedroom with Jake. But it’s funny we have never gotten in one fight. You would think living in the same room we would have one fist fight. But we never did. We’re very similar, same personalities. We’re both organized, we love to cook and we just have the same interests.
“It’s just like hanging out with myself.”
Withers, Shanks and Fannell were among 13 Rochester players who moved with the Knighthawks when the franchise relocated from western New York to Nova Scotia to become the Halifax Thunderbirds prior to the 2019-20 season.
Just 10 seconds into their first regular-season game in Halifax on Dec. 7, 2019, Withers scored the Thunderbirds’ first-ever goal in a 12-4 rout of the New York Riptide.
Withers has arguably become the league’s premier face-off specialist. He was 242-for-310 at the X during the 2019-20 NLL season (a league-best .781 faceoff percentage) and was second overall in loose balls with 147.
Shanks and Fannell are both forwards. Fannell collected six goals and five assists in nine games during the 2019-20 abbreviated season while the high-scoring Shanks netted 16 goals and 16 assists, which included a five-goal effort in a 16-15 overtime loss to Saskatchewan on Feb. 15.
Fannell said their built-in chemistry has translated to the pro game.
“We’re unselfish players and we mesh really well even with our different personalities,” Fannell said.
“I can read Austin’s body language and he can read mine. I know where he’s going to be and what he wants to do. It comes from the hundreds of hours we spent in the gym by ourselves just shooting and passing. It’s a trust we have built between ourselves.”
By next winter, we could be talking about four former Buckeyes on the floor for the Thunderbirds.
During the 2020 NLL entry draft in September, Halifax selected another Ohio State product, defender Ryan Terefenko, 27th overall.
Terefenko, who graduated last May and is currently attending graduate school at Ohio State, is a three-time all-american. Although he has only played field lacrosse, Withers said his former college teammate has the tools necessary to be a standout in the indoor game.
“I told coach Accursi (Thunderbirds head coach Mike Accursi) do whatever you can to select him because
he’ll be one of the steals of the draft,” Withers said of the Reading, Pa., midfielder. “He has an engine like you’ve never seen.”
“He was there during my senior year and he was a freshman. He was kind of the unsung hero during that run to the title game. He was a stud, even at 18.
“He’s one of the most boxready American-born players to strap them up. I’m super excited to see what he’ll be able to do in the pros.”
While lacrosse is a tie that binds Withers, Shanks and Fannell athletically, the three are each pursuing careers in firefighting.
Shanks is a fully-certified firefighter after completing courses in Texas in October. Withers will head to the same academy in February.
Fannell is looking to attend the Ontario Fire Academy in Orangeville.
“We each want to be firefighters,” Fannell said. “Wouldn’t it be amazing if we ended up in the same firehouse?”
They still are close to their alma mater and are involved in virtual group chats with their graduating class.
And they were glued to their TV set when Ohio State’s football team defeated Clemson 49-28 to win the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day to advance to the college football national championship. The Buckeyes lost 52-24 to Alabama in the title game on Jan. 11.
“It’s one of those cultures where once you’re a Buckeye, you’re one for life,” Shanks said.