Every week, World Lacrosse is highlighting a classic game from the Summer of Lacrosse.
England captured the bronze medal after defeating Australia, 8-7, in triple overtime in one of the best games of the 2022 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship in Towson, Maryland.
Olivia Hompe scored the game-winning goal, her fourth goal of the game to go along with an assist.
📅 July 9, 2022: 🇦🇺🆚🏴
At the 2022 Women’s Championship, England and Australia met in the bronze medal match.
See how the battle for bronze played out 🥉 pic.twitter.com/WoK9WAIwQd
— World Lacrosse (@WorldLacrosse) November 23, 2022
The game was knotted at 3-3 to start the second quarter and the deadlock was broken after a nearly scoreless period with two goals up a woman for England in the final 90 seconds of the half. England added another to start the third quarter to take a 6-3 lead.
Australia rallied back with a three-goal run and tied the game early in the fourth quarter with over 11 and a half minutes to play. Hompe scored to reestablish a one goal lead for England, but Australia summoned a crucial equalizer from Hannah Nielsen with just over one minute to play. Australia had a free position shot with 18 seconds left in regulation but Nielsen just missed.
England’s goalkeeper Brittany Read made three clutch saves across the three overtime periods, including a free position denial in the second overtime. Read went on to win player of the match with 13 saves on 20 shots faced.
Hompe took a free position shot with just under a minute to play and made no mistake as England stormed the field.
England finished in third place for the fifth time in 11 appearances and second tournament in a row. Australia also finished in fourth for the second tournament in a row – the two teams went to overtime in the 2017 bronze medal match.
