At the age of 35, Billy Dee Smith’s days of wearing Canada’s colors are drawing to a close, which is why he’s relishing the prospect of wearing the red and white again for the Heritage Cup game against the United States in Hamilton on Oct. 21.
“I’m really looking forward to this,” he said. “It’ll be exciting. I’m glad the USA is bringing a stacked team. Competition will be at the highest level, which is always nice. For me, I’m 35, so it’s probably one of the last times I get to put my country’s jersey on, so it’s a big deal for me. I want to have the best game I can and help the team win.”
The 6-foot-3 defenseman from St. Catharines, Ontario, has a gold medal as a 2006 world field lacrosse champion, a silver medal from the 2010 world field tournament and a gold medal as a 2015 world indoor champion. The Heritage Cup lineup will be drawn from the 2015 roster. The U.S. roster is significantly different than the lineup that won 2015 bronze.
“They’re definitely going to pose some difficulties for us,” Smith said. “They’re shifty and can shoot on the run. As a defense, it’s going to be key to keep them to the outside. They’re best asset is shooting on the run, so we can’t let them in the middle.”
As a left-handed player, Smith will try to contain Tom Schreiber, the American right-hander who won the NLL award for 2017 rookie of the year.
“I’ve faced him a lot,” Smith said. “He’s probably got the best running shot in the NLL. He’s shifty. We have to limit his shots. He likes to come over the top, and anytime a shooter comes over the top, he has all four corners of the net to shoot at. He’s a scary talent.”
The next FIL World Indoor Lacrosse Championship is in 2019 in Langley, British Columbia.
“It’d definitely be an honor to be there, but I’m not sure what the future holds for me,” Smith said. “I still think I can be a scary presence out there. I still think I do my job at the highest level. It’d definitely be a goal of mine to keep in shape and play at this level for another two years. Every time you play for your country, you appreciate the opportunity, because you never know if it’s going to happen again.”