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Though he’s still relatively early in his lacrosse career, Levi Verch has found out what truly makes him happiest and most effective on the floor.
That’s providing smothering defence and laying the body on a crushing hit.
“That’s 10 times better than a goal for me,” said Verch. “Everyone is scoring goals every game, but it’s not every game that you get to lay somebody out. That’s my version of a goal.”
Saskatchewan Rush fans are likely going to get used to seeing a touch of physicality from Verch in the years ahead, as the 23-year-old defender is set to make his National Lacrosse League debut after cracking the team’s opening week roster out of training camp.
Drafted 13th overall by Saskatchewan in the fall after a standout career at St. Joseph’s University in the NCAA ranks, he believes the work has been done to make the jump to the professional level as a rookie in the NLL.
“Seeing that I got drafted to [Saskatchewan] here was great,” said Verch. “They’re such a good team, they had such a good run last year and I happen to know a few of the teammates already from other teams. It’s a great spot to be in and I’m super excited for the season.”
Some of those teammates include second-year Rush forwards Brock Haley and Josh Zawada, as well as a former mentor from the west coast.
Growing up in Victoria, B.C., where many of the NLL’s top players call home, he will be reunited in Saskatchewan with star forward Zach Manns, who also hails from the ‘Garden City.’
Their first interactions didn’t come on the lacrosse floor, however, as it was the basketball court where Manns coached Verch to middle school glory.
“Levi [Verch] is a year older than my youngest brother,” said Manns. “They played lacrosse together growing up as well, but they played basketball growing up. My mom was the coach and I was the assistant coach of their team in Grade 6/7 middle school ball. We won the city championship, so it was great.”
When asked about Verch’s skills on the hardwood however, Manns was quick to pivot.
“He is… next question,” said Manns.
Since those days driving the basket, Verch has been able to become one of the most physical lacrosse players in the NCAA with a tantalizing combination of a six-foot-two-inch, 220-pound frame and over 200 collected loose balls over his collegiate career.
It’s a commitment to the nastier part of the game which Rush co-head coach and general manager Derek Keenan has seen off the hop throughout training camp.
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“Big, physical, aggressive,” said Keenan. “I like it, we need a bit of that. We’re not the biggest team on the back end, we kind of targeted him as our guy.
“We were really fortunate to get him as late as we did in the first round, we didn’t think he’d be there.”
While Saskatchewan had no shortage of hitting from players like Mike Messenger and Holden Garlent over their run to Game 3 of NLL Finals last season, Verch is expected to add a punishing element to the floor for the Rush which Manns said will allow the team to move the ball up the floor.
“He brings the jam, he brings the juice,” said Manns. “He’s not afraid to muck it up and be a physical player, that’s just the type of player he is. I think it’s the type of guy that we need.”
A turnover savant at the NCAA level with his long reach and ability to dislodge opposing forwards from the ball, Verch believes his game will complement veterans like Matt Hossack, Bobby Kidd III and Jake Boudreau, who are no strangers to rushing the ball up the floor.
They’re skills which Verch certainly has at his disposal, but would allow him to focus on the steep transition from college to the pro levels and simplify his game.
“I think that’s where I can really shine,” said Verch. “With all the other [defencemen], a lot more transition-based and have some skills that probably would be more dominant than I am with scoring goals.
“For me, I feel like I’m one of the bigger guys and I can showcase my skills that way with my physicality and my volume.”
Lotta love for the Levis
Verch isn’t the only St. Joseph’s grad, or the only Levi, to be making waves at Rush camp this year with power forward Levi Anderson entering his second season in the NLL.
Now, he’s been reunited with his former teammate from the Hawks.
“It’s good seeing a familiar face,” said Anderson. “I went to school with [Verch] for a while, he and I have been roommates and close friends for quite some time. He’s a guy that can lean on me, as well as I can lean on him. We’re learning together and it’s been a lot of fun.”
Even though both Anderson and Verch are on opposite sides of the floor, their connection and chemistry has been apparent leading up to the NLL season which Verch attributes to their ability to turn on the intensity at the drop of the ball.
“I played three years with him at St. Joes,” said Verch. “I think me and him both were very under-recruited to the NCAA level. For that reason, I think we both have that work ethic that can get you going places.
“He’s just such a nice guy and such a friendly guy off the floor, and then when he puts his helmet on he becomes a different animal.”
A first-round pick of the Rush in 2023, Anderson was in and out of the lineup in his rookie season through 2024-25 appearing in six regular season games but recorded five goals and 13 points over that span.
According to the Calgary product, it was a process which wasn’t easy but allowed him to adjust to the NLL lifestyle and earn his minutes as a reliable option at forward for one of the deepest teams in the league offensively.
“Coming in there’s a lot of growing pains,” said Anderson. “At the same time, I’m excited to it the ground running being more of an offensive threat, being more of a threat on both sides of the ball as well and be more reliable. I’d like to be a guy my coaches can rely on to put the ball on my stick.”
A true power-forward at six-foot-four-inches tall and 200 pounds, Anderson will likely see more of the floor in 2025-26 with the Rush moving on from Mike Triolo who was dealt to the Buffalo Bandits in the off-season.
In Manns’ eyes, early results are proving Anderson has leveled up his game, seeing increased focus from the former 12th overall selection.
“He’s elevated his IQ a ton,” said Manns. “He knows what’s going on and he is just a lethal athlete, one of the best I’ve ever seen in lacrosse. Anything that we can do to get him the ball and get him in space we’re going to do it, because he’s a great player and he’s going to be important for us this year.”
Verch and Anderson both made physicality major aspects of their game at the collegiate level, and with the NLL season looming, translating that will be key to unlocking their full potential this year according to co-head coach Jimmy Quinlan.
“We’ll never trade speed and skill for size,” said Quinlan. “To be able to get guys like Levi Verch and Levi Anderson into our lineup who are athletic and skilled, but also big and strong, that just means matchup issues for other teams.”
The Rush (0-0) will open the 2025-26 NLL season at home on Saturday night at SaskTel Centre, as they’ll take on their biggest rivals in the Calgary Roughnecks (0-0) with a 7 p.m. opening face-off.
