Shawn and Turner Evans have dedicated their lives to teaching the game of lacrosse. The cousins have brought their passion for the game to over 25,000 kids throughout the United States and Canada.
The weekend of Aug. 2-4 will be no different for the Rochester Knighthawks’ forwards. That weekend, the Evans boys will attend the USBOXLA Nationals for the first time as they coach the Huntington Beach Box Lacrosse Club.
Box lacrosse’s ultimate showcase will feature over 100 teams and over 1,700 players at The Rinks in both Huntington Beach and Irvine, Calif. The USBOXLA Nationals also includes the NCBS National Championship, the pre-tournament USBOXLA Academy clinic and Team USBOXLA versus Canadian ALL-STAR games.
“It’s going to be great having Shawn out to Nationals,” said USBOXLA President and Co-Founder Shaydon Santos. “He joins a long list of NLL players who are coaching at this event. With Shawn, we were able to attract a number of upstate and New England players to this event. Shawn is passionate about teaching the game, and it’s great that one of the NLL’s very best is a part of this event.”
In 14 seasons in the NLL, Evans has established himself as one of the best to ever play the game. Not only does he rank in the Top 10 in league history in assists and points, but he is a two-time NLL MVP and a 2007 NLL champion.
A native of Peterborough, Ontario, Evans has amassed 1,187 points on 430 goals and 757 assists in 229 career games with Buffalo, New England, Calgary and Rochester. In addition to earning four straight All-Pro First Team selections (2013-16), Evans was named to the NLL All-Rookie Team in 2006 and was named the 2011 All-Star Game MVP.
Shawn and Turner Evans are among an elite group of current/former National Lacrosse League players who will step behind the bench and coach at the country’s premier youth box lacrosse event.
“We need more guys (like Shawn and Turner Evans) who want to give back to box involved with USBOXLA to keep pushing it forward,” said Santos.
NLL stars who will be serve as bench bosses this weekend include Tom Schreiber, Colin Doyle, Matt Brown, Roy Colsey, John Gallant, Athan Iannucci, Oliver Marti, Eric Martin, Ben Prepchuk, Jamie Shewchuk, Shaydon Santos, Dan Stroup, legendary goaltender Dallas Eliuk and projected first-round pick Rylan Rees, a former two-time USBOXLA national champion. A line-up of NLL MVPs, NLL Champions, NLL Hall of Famers, all dedicated to producing the next lacrosse superstar.
“I’m super excited to coach at the USBOXLA Nationals,” said Turner Evans. “Watching USBOXLA develop its system, and players in the right way is great. Seeing the sport flourish across the U.S. is remarkable for the game and will have a positive impact on the future of the sport. This is my first time at Nationals, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Evans, who will enter his fourth season in the NLL, recently completed his finest year as a pro, scoring a career-high 19 goals and adding 26 assists for 45 points while appearing in all 18 games for the San Diego Seals. A product of Ohio State University (OSU), the 25-year-old forward was a four-time OSU Scholar-Athlete and three-time Academic All-Big Ten choice. At the Senior “A” level he plays for the hometown Peterborough Lakers and is a two-time Mann Cup champ.
Like his younger cousin, Shawn has experienced tremendous success in box lacrosse. The 33-year-year is a six-time winner of the Mann Cup and a three-time Mann Cup MVP. He is the all-time assist leader in Mann Cup history. Shawn also won a pair of Minto Cups with the Junior “A” Peterborough Lakers.
“I’ve worked with USBOXLA before, and I love helping out when I can,” said Shawn. “They run first-class programs. It’s gaining the interest of the American field players to make them better lacrosse players. You see it all over the states with a lot of talented American players coming up, and I'm excited to be a part of this event."
