The 2025 World Lacrosse Men’s U20 Championship is set for August 15-24 on Jeju Island in South Korea. 20 teams will compete, split in five groups for pool play, followed by playoffs that will include quarterfinals, semifinals and medal games.
The full schedule for the event can be found here.
Pool E includes four teams that debuted at the Men’s U20 Championship in 2016, headlined by Ireland and Israel, who have both earned first-place finishes at recent men’s international events. Mexico makes its return to the Men’s U20 Championship after not appearing at the 2022 edition. China looks to rebound after a 17th place finish in 2022.
Jump to: Games to Watch
England vs Israel
Poland v China
China
China will make its third appearance at the Men’s U20 Championship in 2025. The team’s best finish came in its debut in 2016, placing ninth. China finished 17th in 2022.
The squad is led by head coach Brendan Mullin, a former Hamilton College player. Mullin has been instrumental in lacrosse’s growth across China.
China’s team enters with built-in chemistry. Five players on China are teammates at Chengdu University: Mao Haiyang, Tan Junlei, Guo Shi, Luo Tao, and Lu Xingyu
On the offense, Princeton University attackman Cody Lam was a first-team all-state selection and USA All-American at Westfield High School in Westfield, New Jersey, in 2024. During his high school career, he scored 173 career goals.
Walter Zhao is a faceoff specialist at the University of Vermont. In two seasons with the Catamounts, he has recorded 93 faceoff wins with a 59.6% faceoff percentage, along with 57 ground balls and three points.
Goalkeeper Jameson Wong plays at Ithaca College. In his two-year career, he has played in five games, making six saves with a 75.0% save percentage.
Ireland
Ireland returns for a third Men’s U20 Championship appearance, having finished seventh in both 2016 and 2022. The squad is fresh off a first‑place finish at the 2024 U20 European Lacrosse Championship.
Ireland will be led by longtime coach Tom Prior. Prior has served as a coach with the Ireland program for over a decade, leading the team to multiple world championships. He currently serves as the head lacrosse coach at Fordham Preparatory School in Bronx, New York.
Ireland returns nine players from the gold medal team at 2024 U20 European Lacrosse Championship: Michael Songer, Dara Corr, Ethan Holmes, Euan McKeever, Jack Halleron, Jack Murphy, John “Boomer” Staunton, Lochlann Geraghty, and Sean Horkan.
Additionally, Songer represented Ireland at the 2022 World Lacrosse Men’s U21 Championship.
At the 2024 U20 European Lacrosse Championship, Horkan was an important contributor on offense, finishing with the third-most goals, 11, along with two assists.
Staunton recorded five goals and four assists in 2024 and is coming off his freshman season at NCAA Division II Assumption University, where he tallied 19 points, including 17 goals.
McKeever, an incoming freshman goalkeeper at Colgate, represented Ireland at the 2024 U20 European Lacrosse Championship, making 30 saves with a 58% save percentage in six games. He was an All-League honoree at St. Joseph Regional High School in 2025.
Israel
Israel will make its third appearance at the Men’s U20 Championship in 2025. The team’s best finish came in its debut in 2016, placing sixth. Israel finished 10th in 2022. Israel will attempt to follow in the footsteps of the Israel Men’s National Team, which recently won its first European Men’s Lacrosse Championship in July.
Israel will be led by head coach Jacob “Yakov” Silberlicht. Silberlicht has been a member of Israel Lacrosse since 2013. He has served as team captain for the Men’s National Team, including at the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championship, and also serves as Vice President of External Affairs.
Israel returns five players from the 2022 World U21 Championship and 13 from the 2024 European U20 Championship, including top offensive performers: Gary Felsher, Ofir Stern, Shalev Tal and Evyatar Bar‑Noy. At the 2024 U20 European Lacrosse Championship, Bar-Noy had three goals and two assists. Felsher finished with a team-high 11 goals and two assists. Stern and Tal each tallied nine goals, tied for the second-highest on the team.
Defenseman Ethan Dicturel is another returner from the U20 European Lacrosse Championship, adding three goals. Dicturel is arriving from a breakout sophomore campaign at NCAA Division III Skidmore College, picking up 18 caused turnovers and 26 ground balls
Mexico
Mexico will make its second appearance at the Men’s U20 Championship in 2025. The team finished 13th in its debut in 2016. The team returns to the junior men’s field stage after not appearing at the 2022 edition.
Mexico will be led by head coach Jake Padilla. Padilla is an experienced coach with coaching stints at the University of Detroit Mercy, Colorado Mesa University, Rutgers University, Oberlin College, and Wabash College, and has previously suited up for the senior men’s Mexico team.
Aaron Escobedo represented Mexico at the 2023 World Lacrosse Championship in San Diego, California. The defender finished with 10 ground balls, four caused turnovers and one goal. Escobedo plays collegiately for Southwestern University. Over his first two seasons with the Pirates, he has appeared in 11 games, starting six, and recorded 26 ground balls, six caused turnovers and one goal.
In three seasons with NCAA Division III Manhattanville University, defender Francisco Rosas has been phenomenal. Rosas has played in 51 career games with 33 starts, tallying 140 ground balls and 72 caused turnovers.
Games to Watch
China vs. Mexico // Friday, Aug. 15, 9 a.m.
The first game of the tournament features China, with five players sharing chemistry from Chengdu University, facing Mexico in its return to the Men’s U20 stage for the first time since 2016.
Ireland vs. Israel // Friday, Aug. 15, 12 p.m.
Two recent champions clash on opening day. Ireland enters with momentum as the 2024 Men’s U20 European champion, while Israel comes in fresh off a 2025 Men’s Senior European Championship title.
Israel vs. China // Tuesday, Aug. 19, 1 p.m.
The finale of the group stage in Pool D features a crucial matchup to potentially determine the final seeding.
