It’s easy to know when Germany’s men’s and women’s box lacrosse teams are playing. Their fans carry wooden matracas to every game, drape the flag over the stands and always cheer.
It’s a piece of home that’s traveled across the Atlantic to watch the German men compete. Some of them are parents, siblings or significant others, but also the women’s team. Vice versa happens when the women take the field.
Germany wears an eagle on their uniforms called the Bundesadler. For many of the athletes, wearing the Bundesadler on their uniforms means that lacrosse has made it — that they’ve made it — to an elite level.
“I showed it all around,” Germany’s Leon Bohm said. “Mom and dad were proud. But it’s a whole different level with a more professional feeling.”
The Bundesadler symbolizes a bond the German team has with each other and with the fans who made the trip to Utica with them. They wanted to play as long as they could, and keep showing off the Bundesadler on their uniforms.
Germany’s men’s team was in a win-and-in game against China for a spot in the play-in round starting Tuesday afternoon. The Germans have an experienced roster, with most of the athletes playing in an international box tournament within the last five years.
With their fans watching above the field, Germany secured its playoff round berth with a 19-11 win.
“They’ve shown that they belong here and are very comfortable,” head coach Brian Tyacke said. “We’re getting progressively better every single game, and it’s great to see the lack of nerves and progressions in development.”
The Germans have 15 players who are playing on this national team for the first time. The squad’s average age is almost five years younger than it was during the 2022 European Championships. Tyacke said most of the players have all grown up in Germany, allowing for most of the team to practice together in Germany leading up to the trip to Utica.
“To have that continuity and to get those repetitions together and practice different situations, I think that makes us stronger,” Tyacke said. “I’d say that’s our biggest strength.”
The players had a chance to bond off the field, too, including creating a scavenger hunt across the city after a team practice. It’s how Germany has grown close and built on-field chemistry despite a younger roster than in years past.
“I think they had to find the heaviest object and bring it back,” Tyacke said. “They had to go to Utica tower, and I think they had to trade a banana and lacrosse ball for something, too.”
With a playoff berth in hand, Germany’s men’s team is trying to soak in every element of the World Lacrosse Box Championships. They don’t want to take anything for granted. From the games played, to the facilities available and the pride of that Bundsadler, everything the tournament has brought Germany has been special.
“Now you feel like a real pro,” Bohm said. “That stuff separates the smaller stuff from the bigger sports, and it’s pretty cool to see.”
They’re ready to make themselves known once again, both on the field and with their fanbase cheering them on.
