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 blends experience and potential with an intriguing battle brewing between Germany and Puerto Rico for the top spot.
Germany makes its sixth men’s U20 championship appearance as one of the tournament’s longest‑tenured nations. Kenya returns as the sport continues to grow rapidly in the country.
Puerto Rico, which finished eighth in 2022, is bringing more collegiate talent to build on its impressive debut. Chinese Taipei makes its third U20 appearance, led by a staff of former national team players.
National anthems and ceremonies before China v Chinese Taipei
Kenya vs Poland, 13th August 2022.
Jump to: Games to Watch
Germany
Germany will make its sixth appearance at the Men’s U20 Championship in 2025. Germany is one of the longest-tenured nations to be featured at the tournament. The team’s best finish came in 2008, placing sixth. Germany finished 12th in 2022.
The Germany roster features strong ties to many of Germany’s lacrosse clubs. Seven players are teammates on the Berliner Hockey Club, four players play for HTHC Hamburg, and six players play for SC Frankfurt 1880, including standout Zenonas Schmidt.
Schmidt is a key returner who emerged as a leader on Germany’s offense at the 2024 ELF Men’s U20 Lacrosse Championship. Schmidt led the team with nine goals and tied for the team lead in points with 10. Germany finished fourth in the final standings.
Kenya
Kenya will make its second appearance at the Men’s U20 Championship in 2025 after finishing 20th in its debut in 2022. The sport has continued to grow in Kenya with the launch of the Kenya Premier Lacrosse League (KPLL) in 2024.
Head Coach Isaac Kirinya has previous international experience with Kenya and is one of the foremost coaches in eastern Africa.
10 players on the squad come from Mumias, the initial growth epicenter of lacrosse in Kenya.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico will make its second appearance at the Men’s U20 Championship in 2025 after a strong debut in 2022, when it finished eighth. The team went 3‑1 in group play before defeating Germany 17‑5 in the play‑in round. Puerto Rico’s tournament run ended in the quarterfinals with a loss to eventual gold medalist the United States.
Head coach Sean Mowry has led the U20 program since 2019. Mowry was a former collegiate player, competing at Binghamton University and Saint Joseph’s University
Brothers Dominic and Nicolas Bucello will represent Puerto Rico together. Dominic completed his freshman season at NCAA Division II Florida Southern College, while Nicolas is committed to Lenoir‑Rhyne University.
Midfielder Gabe Roman recorded six goals and six assists for 12 points during his sophomore season at NCAA Division II Post University, scoring on 38.3% of his shots on goal. Roman progressed through Puerto Rico’s development program, competing at the U13, U15 and U19 levels before earning a spot on the U‑20 national team.
Faceoff specialist Wilfredo Crispin finished his freshman season at NCAA Division III Kean University with 106 faceoff wins at a 45.7% clip and 39 ground balls.
Lorenzo Varona, a sophomore at Hofstra University, contributed five points this season on three goals and two assists, along with four ground balls. Long‑stick midfielder Marcus Acevedo, a freshman at Queens University of Charlotte, added five ground balls and two caused turnovers.
Goalie Jourdain Algarin has compiled 370 saves over two seasons at Messiah University, posting a 50.9% save percentage and a 17‑13 record while collecting 79 ground balls.
Chinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei will make its third appearance at the Men’s U20 Championship in 2025. The team finished 14th in 2016 and 23rd in 2022.
Chinese Taipei competed at the 2024 World Lacrosse Men’s Box Championship, finishing in 20th out of 28 teams and at the 2024 World Lacrosse Women’s U20 Championship, finishing in 14th out of 20 teams.
Seven players from the team are from New Taipei City with another two from Taipei, while another eight players hail from Taitung including Chin-Yi Hsu and Chun-Hsiang Wang, who are enrolled at the National Taiwan University of Sport.
The team will be coached by Chien-Sheng (Jason) Wang, Shu-Cheng (John) Lin, and Zong-Yi (Leo) Shen. Each has played for the Chinese Taipei men’s national team in various disciplines.
Games to Watch
Germany vs. Puerto Rico // Saturday, Aug. 16, 11 a.m.
The Pool E opener is a rematch of the 2022 play‑in round, when Puerto Rico defeated Germany 17‑5 to advance to the quarterfinals. Germany will look to even the score against a rising Puerto Rican squad.
Germany vs. Kenya // Tuesday, Aug. 19, 10 a.m.
This matchup pits an established European program against Kenya’s first team to compete at this level. It’s a showcase of the sport’s global growth and a chance for Kenya to measure itself against a veteran opponent.
Puerto Rico vs. Chinese Taipei // Tuesday, Aug. 19, 4 p.m.
The final Pool E contest and the last pool play game overall in the tournament features two emerging programs. Both sides will aim to close out pool play with momentum and potentially shake up the playoff picture.
