A little over a month ago, Meg Bown of Australia, Dacia Cordingley, Morgan White and Dylana Williams of Canada, and Tallis Tarbell of the Haudenosaunee competed in the World Lacrosse Women’s U20 Championship in Hong Kong, China.
Now just a few weeks later, they’re back representing their countries once again at the inaugural World Lacrosse Women’s Box Championship.
“It’s been a really tough transition since box is so much more physical than field,” Tarbell said. “I’m having to adjust everything.”
Meg Bown made her international debut as team captain for Australia in Hong Kong. She led the team to the bronze medal match against Japan. Australia suffered a 14-3 loss, which ended with Japan’s first-ever medal at a World Lacrosse championship.
“It was a really tough loss,” said Bown. “All the Aussie supporters were behind us and that just made it so much easier knowing that we all did them proud. Someone has to lose, so as long as we were able to keep our heads high, we could get through it.”
Canada met the United States in final game with two undefeated, titanic powers of the sport at it. The United States came out with a 23-6 victory, earning its sixth gold medal at this event.
“Most of us are motivated by that loss,” Cordingley said. “I know I’m angry at the outcome so I’m using that as motivation here.”
Despite the outcome for Canada, the players had to shift their mindset quickly to an entirely different discipline.
“It’s a lot,” White said. “We played for so long in Hong Kong, then had three weeks to rest our body and get back into it. It is nice that we’ve had our sticks in our hands and been working, so it’s easy to carry that over to here.”
The first ever women’s box championship is a long time coming. For Cordingley, White and Williams, they all grew up playing boys’ box lacrosse in Canada, with the dream of one day being able to compete on the big stage.
“There was never an opportunity for me,” Cordingley said. “I always got told I couldn’t play box lacrosse, and that I couldn’t last with the boys. There was not a girls’ box center near me, so I had to switch to field lacrosse.”
Williams’ father, Shawn Williams, is a National Lacrosse League and Canadian lacrosse legend. He was inducted into the NLL Hall of Fame in 2021 after playing for 16 seasons in the league. She is grateful she now gets the opportunity to compete just like he did.
“Watching my dad play in the NLL for a long time made me look up to all the guys in the league,” Williams said. “I always pictured myself playing alongside them, but I knew it was never achievable. Box really was my first love.”
These five athletes are some of the youngest competitors in the women’s box championship.
“It’s pretty cool and pretty surreal,” Bown said. “Seeing so many people that I’ve looked up to and now playing against them and with them is pretty insane.”
As they fall on the younger side of their respective teams, they fill in different roles than during their time in Hong Kong.
“Canada has someone in high school, and we also have legends like Dana Dobbie,” said Williams. “I’m able to be a leader to the younger people but also able to learn from the best of the best, who have come before me and I’ve looked up to my whole life. Seeing how all of us mesh and become one has been the coolest.”
Going from one high level international competition to another in such a short period of time takes great motivation.
“I think we’re lucky that the three of us [Cordingley, White, and Williams] are at the perfect age where you can be playing in a world championship and this is the first one,” White said. “Some of the older girls on our team have not had this opportunity, and it’s easy to overlook how cool this is.”
It’s also incredibly special for the for the women to be part of the inaugural women’s box championship.
“I always love representing my people and being able to play for more than just myself,” said Tarbell.
All ten of the women’s teams can celebrate this monumental event for women’s lacrosse together.
“I love seeing how box lacrosse is such a tight knit community,” said Cordingley. “Everyone is cheering on everyone, everyone is excited for everything, every goal gets celebrated, and everyone is so motivated by each other’s success.”
