TOWSON, Maryland, USA – The penultimate day of action at the 2022 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship saw 20 teams determine their final placement and two teams in the championship consolation bracket advance to the fifth-place game.
Day ten featured some of the most competitive games at the tournament, with six games being decided by two goals or less, three games going to overtime and two of those games finishing in double overtime.
Only four out of 110 total games remain at the championship for the 11th and final day of competition on Saturday. Japan and Israel will both compete for fifth place and a best-ever finish in their history after wins against the Haudenosaunee and the Czech Republic, who will contest the seventh-place match tomorrow.
England will take on Australia in the bronze medal match, a rematch of the same game in 2017 at 9:30 a.m. on ESPNU. Then the United States will take on Canada in the gold medal game on ESPN2 in a similar rematch of the 2017 finale. The United States is looking for a fourth consecutive world championship and first on home soil.
Three headlines
Japan improved to 6-1 overall by besting the Haudenosaunee for the second time in Towson, 12-6. Japan will have to chance to tie its best finish at a women’s championship, a fifth-place result in 2005. Maaya Taga, Maya Fuji and Kanako Mizuno all scored twice for Japan, while Taga and Fuji both added two assists.
Israel held on for a thrilling 11-10 win over Czech Republic to advance to the fifth-place game. Israel’s previous best finish was sixth place in 2017. Lindsey McKone turned in another inspired effort with four goals, three assists, three ground balls and a draw control. She is tied for third in points in the tournament with 33.
The Netherlands defeated Italy, 9-7, to win their third game in a row and claim the platinum bracket, good for 17th place. Dieke Spitzen was responsible for four points with two goals and two assists, and Janneke Bokkes added two goals.
Three more stars
Isabel Szejk scored six goals to finish her time in Towson at second place on the goals leaderboard with 26. Mexico defeated Hong Kong, China, 15-11, in the 15th-place match.
Shannon Brazier finished her outstanding tournament with four goals, an assist, and 12 draw controls in a 11-6 win for China over Latvia. She ranks first in draw controls, third in points, and in the top ten in goals and assists.
Katrina Dowd provided the heroics yet again for Ireland with a sudden victory goal in double overtime, her second walk-off winner of the tournament, to defeat Germany 8-7. It completed her hat trick to go along with an assist, capping off another memorable championship where she finished with 36 points, the second-most among all athletes.
A full recap of the day can be found below.
Platinum Bracket
The Netherlands defeated Italy, 9-7, to win their third game in a row and claim the platinum bracket.
Dieke Spitzen was responsible for four points with two goals and two assists. Janneke Bokkes added two goals.
The Netherlands’ defense limited Italy’s top ten scoring offense despite the best efforts of Colleen Owen and Stephanie Colson. The duo both scored three goals and finished their campaign with 24 goals each, tied for the fourth-best mark in the tournament.
Championship Bracket Consolation
Japan improved to 6-1 overall by besting the Haudenosaunee for the second time in Towson, 12-6. Japan advances to the fifth place game on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. on Tiger Field.
Japan will have to chance to tie its best finish at a women’s championship, a fifth-place result in 2005. A sixth-place finish would be the second-best result in Japan’s eight appearances.
Maaya Taga, Maya Fuji and Kanako Mizuno all scored twice for Japan, while Taga and Fuji both added two assists. Japan picked up 18 ground balls to 11 for their opponents, led by three each for Risa Suzuki and Mizuno.
Israel held on for a thrilling 11-10 win over Czech Republic to advance to the fifth place game against Japan. Israel’s previous best finish was sixth place in 2017.
Lindsey McKone turned in another inspired effort with four goals, three assists, three ground balls and a draw control. She is tied for third in points in the tournament with 33.
Michaela Srchová scored five goals for the Czech Republic, and Isabelle Martire scored three, giving her a hat trick or better in all seven of her games. Martire extended her stay atop the points and goals leaderboard with 41 points and 35 goals.
The Czech Republic will face the Haudenosaunee in the seventh place game tomorrow at 9 a.m. on Lower Field. The Czech Republic’s best finish in the championship is eighth place, achieved in 2005 and 1993, while the Haudenosaunee’s best finish is seventh in 2013.
Wales got the better of its neighbor Scotland in a 9-3 win to claim ninth place.
Sophy Coombes-Roberts, Ros Lloyd Rout and Loulou Rowlands all scored two goals.
Puerto Rico staved off a furious comeback from New Zealand to win 7-6 and claim 11th place in its first-ever women’s championship.
Brianna Carrasquillo registered three goals and an assist while Skylar Carrasquillo added two goals and assist to go with eight draw controls. Skylar finished with 39 draw controls in eight games, the fourth most in Towson.
New Zealand finished in 12th place in its fifth appearance at the championship. The team finished with the fourth best scoring defense in the competition and the fifth-best save percentage, thanks to the duo of Erin Jagger and Sally Rutherford.
Ireland won the second double-overtime game of the day over Germany, 8-7, to finish in 13th place.
Katrina Dowd provided the heroics yet again with the sudden victory goal, her second walk-off winner of the tournament. It completed her hat trick to go along with an assist, capping off another memorable women’s championship where she finished with 36 points, the second-most among all athletes.
Mexico finished in 15th place with a 15-11 win over Hong Kong, China. Mexico improved by five spots in the final placement from its first appearance in 2017.
Isabel Szejk scored six goals to finish her time in Towson at second place on the goals leaderboard with 26. Daniela Eppler Lobato, Nicole Ortiz and Ashleigh Rothe each contributed a hat trick. Eppler-Lobato added five ground balls and five draw controls, and she finished her tournament ranked in the top ten in both.
Isabella McCullough and Zoe Ochoa combined for 12 saves, and as a team, Mexico ranks second in saves. McCullough’s save percentage of 54.9% ranks first among all goalkeepers.
Hong Kong, China concluded their third appearance in the event with a best-ever 16th place finish.
Platinum Bracket Consolation
China finished in 19th place with an 11-6 win over Latvia, an improvement from a 22nd-place finish in its only other appearance in 2017.
Shannon Brazier finished her outstanding stint in Towson with another four goals, an assist, and 12 draw controls. After ranked first in draw controls, second in points, and top-ten in goals and assists, although some athletes near the top of those leaderboards will play another game.
Latvia finished in 20th place in its third appearance at the event.
Korea won its second game of the tournament, 12-7, over Norway to finish in 21st place.
Esprit Cha erupted for six goals and an assist for her fifth game with three or more goals and her first seven-point effort. Her prolific outing meant she finished with 25 goals, the third most in the event. Anna Kim added one goal and three assists.
Norway finished in 22nd place in its first-ever women’s championship. Goalkeeper Kine Ødegård made 57 saves total, the fifth-most by any goalkeeper.
Sweden outlasted Spain, 9-8, in the first double overtime game of the tournament to finish in 23rd place. Elizabeth Fearnhead scored the game-winning goal after five minutes and 23 seconds of sudden-victory deadlock.
Sara Björk, Emma McCrea and Victoria Fearnhead all scored two goals. Goalkeeper Amanda Eriksson made 10 saves on 18 shots and after eight games, she finished third in saves with 60.
Spain finished in 24th place in its second appearance at the women’s championship.
Austria defeated Argentina in overtime, 7-6, to claim 25th place.
Daniela Zloebl scored three of Austria’s seven goals, including the sudden victory winner. Bianca Blei made another 11 saves on 17 shots faced, and finished her time in Towson with 58 saves, the fourth most in the tournament.
Argentina finished in 26th place in its first ever women’s championship, but acquitted itself well with two wins and another four games that were decided by a combined five goals.
Switzerland finished in 27th place at the championship with a 8-5 win over Jamaica. Kristina Grovom scored three goals for the Swiss, and finished with a team-high 12 goals in seven games.
Jamaica finished in 28th place in its first ever women’s championship.
Schedule for Saturday, July, 9
The bronze medal match will be carried on ESPNU and the gold medal match will be carried on ESPN2. The other two matches will be on ESPN+.
7th Place
9 a.m. – Haudenosaunee vs. Czech Republic, Lower Field
5th place
9:30 a.m. – Japan vs. Israel, Tiger Field
Bronze Medal Match
9:30 a.m. – England vs. Australia, Unitas Stadium
Gold Medal Match
12 p.m. – United States vs. Canada, Unitas Stadium
