The Netherlands evaded Germany with a fourth-quarter surge to win the 11th place game, 12-9, on Saturday afternoon at the 2025 World Lacrosse Men’s U20 Championship on Jeju Island in Korea.
The two teams traded runs in a captivating contest, with the Netherlands leading 5-3 after one quarter and Germany roaring back to lead 7-6 at half time.
The Netherlands rallied next to lead 9-8 before Germany tied it back up with three minutes left in the third quarter. But the fourth was one-way traffic, as the Netherlands took over with a 3-0 frame keyed by its stars Cameron Crew and Ryker Babcock.
The Netherlands finished in 11th, a two spot improvement on its debut on 2022, while Germany’s 12th place finish matched its final ranking in 2022.
Crew finished with four goals and an assist, doing his damage late with two goals in the fourth quarter and an assist to Babcock on another. Babock had four goals himself. Tristan Phelps chipped in with two goals.
The shots on goal were nearly dead even, and the save percentages were close, making Crew and Babcock’s fourth quarter strikes the razor-thin margin of the game. The two both stepped up in the absence of Callum Witter, who had previously been the leading Dutch attacker in the last four games.
Gus von Metzsch did his part with 11 saves for the Netherlands in another rock-solid showing in net.
Von Metzch made 71 saves in just five games, the highest total in the tournament at the conclusion of his last game with an average of 14 per game.
Germany won 19 of 22 face-offs thanks to Erik Mischel. Aaron Trapp and Julius Busch had three points each as did Lokesh Weyandt.
Witter led the Netherlands, even with four games played, with 22 points on 13 goals and nine assists. Babcock finished with 19 points and Crew had 16.
Trapp and Busch led Germany’s attack with 15 and 11 points total through six games.
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