The World Lacrosse Men’s Championship is the international men’s field lacrosse championship and occurs every four years. Team USA is the defending champion and leads the series with 10 World Championships.
Many of the players in the game emerged from the Professional Lacrosse League (PLL). However, it was Duke’s junior Tewaaraton Award winner, Brennan O’Neill, who was the star of the game with three goals and an assist in the opening night win.
The teams played a relatively even first half. Team Canada held one-goal lead with time running out but a rifle shot from O’Neill from distance tied the game, 4-4, going into halftime.
USA ran off three-straight goals in the third quarter and, without a shot clock and Baptiste and Ierlan taking faceoffs, all but ended the game. The third goal of the run came from O’Neill again, giving Team USA a comfortable lead at 7-4. Canada scored the final goal of the game with 20 seconds remaining but it was too late, 7-5 USA. USA’s combo of Trevor Baptiste and TD Ierlan won 13-of-16 face-offs to pace the win.
The top two teams in the world, Team USA and Team Canada, are likely to meet again in the finals of the tournament. The 2023 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship runs through July 1 in San Diego. All games will be carried on ESPN platforms in the U.S.
Top photo courtesy of World Lacrosse
Last nights game was a sleeper due on to no shot clock and our PIO fogos dominance
We’re still a long time from getting a shot clock in international lacrosse, IMHO. They are expensive to buy and require a skilled operator to be effective, and a number of developing countries can’t afford to buy them right now.