Terefenko Ready to Transition to Box Game
Nov 4, 2021
November 9, 2021 – Austin Owens
Ryan Terefenko has cemented himself as one of the top young defenders in the game of lacrosse. He’s proven his ability in the field game over the summer, but now, he’s looking to carve out a role for himself with the Halifax Thunderbirds this year.
Terefenko had a standout collegiate career at Ohio State. He was a team captain twice, earned All-American honours on four occasions, and was nominated twice for the Tewaaraton Award. He also chipped in 34 career points as a short-stick defensive midfielder and serves as the Buckeyes’ career leader in ground balls with 139.
He had been on the radar of Halifax head coach Mike Accursi for a few years. Accursi had watched Terefenko’s games with his staff while preparing for the 2020 NLL Draft and spoken to Ohio State alumni Austin Shanks and Jake Withers to learn as much about the Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania native as possible.
“We knew that he was a freak athlete who was extremely fast, strong, and always defends the top guys,” Accursi said of Terefenko. “When you listen to coach (Nick) Myers from Ohio State speak about him, it’s impressive the respect and the confidence he has in a young man like Ryan.”
When draft day came around, Halifax didn’t wait long to take Terefenko, selecting him with the 27th overall pick in the draft.
Terefenko said he’d talked to a handful of teams during the draft process, including the Thunderbirds.
“There were some good conversations but most of them came down to putting my name out there and making sure that teams knew that I wanted to (play in the NLL),” Terefenko said. “I had talked to Curt (Styres) a lot, and I felt really strongly that I would fit in well with the Thunderbirds, their organization, and the guys they have.”
Terefenko was watching the draft back at school with fellow 2020 picks Jeff Henrick and Tre Leclaire. They were both selected in the first round, while he didn’t know where he would land. He expressed that he felt a massive relief when he heard his name called and was humbled that the Thunderbirds believed in him enough to grab him in the second round.
Since being drafted by the Thunderbirds, Terefenko’s stardom has continued to grow. After finishing his career at Ohio State, he fell to 12th overall in the 2021 PLL College Draft, leaving us with the classic snippet of Chrome head coach Tim Soudan chuckling to himself as he announced the pick.
Along with being his head coach in the PLL, Soudan also played 185 games in the MILL and NLL, splitting time with the New England Blazers, Boston Blazers, and Rochester Knighthawks. Soudan spent 11 seasons as a member of the Knighthawks.
While the jump from the field game to box could be tricky for some players, Soudan doesn’t believe that Terefenko will take long to get accustomed.
“I think guys like him translate a lot quicker to the box game. I think he just has to understand where he wants to direct people, and I can see him playing that defence and transition role,” Soudan said. “The hardest part is understanding how close everything is. But coming from a program like Ohio State, where they run picks and two-man games all the time, I think he’s a perfect fit with a very short learning curve.”
While Terefenko wasn’t the first of his position off the board, he proved to be one of the best short-stick defensive midfielders this summer, clamping up opposing attackman and midfielders to earn a nomination for the George Boiardi Hard Hat Award.
He finished the year with two goals, five assists, 24 ground balls, and six caused turnovers while taking on the best in the world.
Over the summer, Terefenko said that he was determined to improve his ability with the ball, spending time everyday hitting the wall. He added that he wants to improve his IQ through box and is excited for the challenge of learning a style that he’s not accustomed to.
During the summer, the Thunderbirds also showed their commitment to the 23-year-old, signing him to a three-year deal.
“They reassured that belief in me, and they believe I can do this at a high level,” Terefenko said of signing his new deal. “Whatever team I landed on, I wanted them to know that I am committed and can do this. It really only works if it goes both ways, and I feel like the situation I’m in now with the three-year contract and where I’m at mentally, I want to try the NLL game and play it for years.
“I think right now, it’s coming to fruition with two sides who are committed to making this work.”
When it comes to his style of play, Terefenko has often been described as a Swiss-Army Knife. He’s able to defend anyone he’s put up against, while also being able to push the ball down the floor. But during his time with the Buckeyes, Terefenko also spent some time taking face-offs.
With the condensed game day roster sizes, that skill becomes an asset to the Thunderbirds. While Withers is the workhorse at the stripe for the team, the added insurance that Terefenko’s versatility brings to the lineup can’t be discounted.
“It’s great. If Wiz gets tired, we have another guy who can take face-offs, and he’s going to be able to go back and play solid defence,” Accursi said. “He’s able to get up and push smart transition on top of that, so that’s the role we see him excelling in, and he’ll learn the offensive system so that if he does get up there, he can stay and play. He’s a big body who can move people around and open up some space for guys like Clarke Petterson, Stephen Keogh, and Austin Shanks.
“I think he will fit in quite well with the system we play, and I’m excited to see what he has to offer.”
Terefenko and Withers were going against one another this summer, but away from the field, they are very close. With the travel restrictions, Canadian players couldn’t go back and forth across the border, so Withers stayed with Terefenko at his house by the Ohio State campus for a few weeks. He even got to see what he’d look like once he donned a Thunderbirds helmet.
He was able to get his first taste of the city this past weekend, as the team made their return to the Scotiabank Centre for the annual Purple vs. Orange game.
Terefenko got his first reps in the box during the morning practices, going through the rounds and competing in two-on-two and odd-man drills alongside the likes of Graeme Hossack, Scott Campbell, and David Brock -- who he was also able to pick the brains of to help work on his understanding of defence in the box game.
In talking to Terefenko after that practice, he added that it was a bit daunting at first, but once that first slash, pick, or cross check happens, it just goes back to being lacrosse again.
Terefenko impressed during the Purple vs. Orange game, even coming up with an assist to Chris Boushy while under pressure in the offensive half -- that effort also came shorthanded. He was able to work within the defence and play well, helping Purple even up the series with a 15-11 victory on Saturday night.
That performance showed a lot, but there’s still a long camp ahead of him before the start of the season on Dec. 4. Halifax is poised to be one of the most competitive teams in the league in 2021-22, and as such, roster spots will not be easy to come by for anyone. But with his raw athleticism and talent, Terefenko is going to make a very good case for himself to be in that opening night lineup against the Saskatchewan Rush.
“I think for me, I understand I have a lot of work to do and nothing is given in this league. Just because I signed a three-year deal doesn’t necessarily mean anything,” Terefenko said. “At the end of the day, I have to go and earn a spot on this team that’s extremely talented. I’m going to make sure that I’m networking with the right guys and getting with the right guys to help me out.
“When the ball hits the ground, it’s lacrosse. There are a lot of aspects that are similar from field to box. Ground balls are just as important, and one-on-one defence is the same. So I’m excited, I really am.”