Jake Withers

Completed his third season in the NLL and third with the franchise… In 2020 lead the team in loose balls with 147, second overall in the NLL… lead the NLL in Faceoff percentage with .781.. scored the first ever goal in Halifax Thunderbirds history…Went 242-310 from X during the 2020 season… In 2019 he was third on the team’s all-time faceoff wins list (554)… Named the 2018-19 winner of the Knighthawks’ Wolf Pack Award, which recognizes heart and dedication to the team… Led the NLL in faceoff winning percentage (.749) and was second in wins (275)… Fourth in the league in loose balls (166)… Posted the first two-goal game of his career on 3/31/19… Named a road alternate captain on March 11, 2019… Won a franchise-record 29 faceoffs on 3/15/19… Named the 2017-18 NLL Rookie of the Year and an NLL All-Rookie Team selection… Set the team playoff records with 56 loose balls and 88 faceoff wins… Collected a team NLL Finals record 20 loose balls on 6/9/18 in Game Three… Won 15 faceoffs and chipped in two assists in his NLL playoff debut on 5/4/18… Knighthawks’ 2017-18 Rookie of the Year… His 279 faceoff wins were an NLL rookie faceoff record and a team single-season mark… In 2017-18, he led the NLL in faceoff wins and faceoff winning percentage (.670) to become the first rookie in league history to have the best faceoff percentage (minimum of 200 faceoffs won) since Geoff Snider in 2007… Second on the team with 148 loose balls… On 4/13, he set the NLL rookie faceoff record, and the team single-season faceoff wins mark… Won a career-high 25 faceoffs on 3/31/18 to set a team rookie record… Played his collegiate lacrosse at Ohio State University… Served as a team captain in 2017… Was named a 2017 Second Team All-American as a faceoff specialist… Four-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and a 2017 USILA Scholar All-American… Big Ten Specialist of the Year in back-to-back seasons (2016-17)… Became only the second Buckeye in program history to pick up 200 ground balls… In 2017, he ranked fourth in the NCAA and first in the Big Ten in faceoff winning percentage (.647) and was seventh nationally with 7.6 ground balls per game… He has won 275 of 425 faceoffs, including 17 games with double-digit victories, with a league-high 159 ground balls… The two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection had a .595 faceoff winning percentage (614-of-1032)… Collected 351 ground balls in 64 games… 2017 Big Ten Preseason Honoree… In 2016, he led the Big Ten in faceoff winning percentage (.607) and ground balls per game (7.27), ranking in the Top 12 in the NCAA in both categories… Received team’s Bice Unsung Hero Award… Named to 2014 ECAC All-Rookie Team… Played five seasons with the Junior “A” Peterborough Lakers, posting 29 goals and 78 points in 90 games… Also, played parts of three seasons with the Senior “A” Lakers and won the 2017 Mann Cup… Won a silver medal with Team Canada at the 2018 FIL World Lacrosse Championship.