CALGARY, AB — With the Calgary Roughnecks’ lone selection in the fourth round (35th overall) of the NLL Draft, they took Jacob Ruest out of Robert Morris University.
It was a dream come true for the Cornwall, ON. native.
“It was really a dream come true,” said Ruest excitedly. “Being drafted by a Roughnecks organization that is one of the best organizations in the league, they’ve been around for a long time and have always had success. It’s amazing to be drafted to a team of that caliber. It really makes you feel great.”
In four seasons with the Colonials, Ruest compiled 27 goals and 21 assists, while scooping 66 ground balls.
Moving up into the senior lacrosse ranks in 2014 with the Oakville Rock, he scored 31 points (10g, 21a). In 2015, he moved out west to play with the Langley Thunder of the WLA.
There he had another successful season, posting eight goals and 24 assists in 18 games.
“It was a really good experience for me,” Ruest said. “Playing out East was the same caliber, but I had a great team and organization in Langley. There were veteran leaders out there that I was able to learn from. Playing out there was really instrumental to my game and I hope it prepared me for the next step.”
The next step is training camp in Calgary.
Ruest will bring a style that play that resembles a current Roughneck in Shawn Evans.
“I’m an offensive guy,” Ruest said. “I’m kind of a feed first mentality. I have quick feet. I like to use my vision to my advantage, get the step on my defender, and be as versatile as possible. I like to be slippery inside.”
His 5’9” stature resembles Evans, too.
Ruest is hoping to learn from the reigning MVP and take in as much as he can from the star players on the Roughnecks so that he will be able to improve and make the jump.
“That was the first thing I thought about when I got drafted,” said Ruest of playing alongside Evans and Curtis Dickson. “I said first, what a great organization to go to and second, what a great group of players to learn from.
“[Dickson and Evans] being two of the best players in the league, they’ve been in the league so long and they have so much talent, it would be great to learn from them and hear any advice they have to say. I’m going to be open and willing to learn from them.”
