The powerful Haudenosaunee opened the Under-19 World Lacrosse World Championship in Peterborough, Ontario, Thursday, by handily defeating Belgium, 19-1. While it was a resounding statement by the Haudenosaunee announcing, they are one of the teams to beat; for Belgium, it was their first goal scored in a women’s Under-19 World Championship and a step in the progress of the program.
“I’m really happy for them! They’re the future of Belgian lacrosse, they are going to go back home and take their experiences to make themselves better players,” said Marijke Thys, the coach of Team Belgium. “Playing against a team as skilled as the Haudenosaunee is a fantastic learning opportunity. The game gets tougher as you get better, and I think this tournament will help prime Belgium lacrosse for future success.”
Thys knows a lot about the international opportunity her team faces over the next 10 days of the tournament. Thys is on the Belgium women’s elite national team and still plays for her country. She has seen the growth of the sport in Belgium and other areas of Western Europe and fully realizes games like Thursday are a cathartic passage for the upstart youth program in Belgium.
“They all play for different clubs back home,” added Thys. “When I went to their high-schools, I was there to see them picking up their sticks for the first time, scoring their first goals, making their first passes; so, this is also very special for me.”
When Belgium finally scored late in the game (see photo above), it was one of the older players on the squad, Nina Verreth, who rang up the tally. She was overwhelmed with emotion and dropped her stick and celebrated with her teammates.
“We spoke as a team beforehand about what would happen if we scored, and we all decided it may result in tears,” said Verreth. “The feeling was better than we imagined. It is such a special moment for me and for my team, and to do it in the first game of the tournament helps us. It was really memorable to receive congratulations from the Haudenosaunee players, and to have the MVP from their team give me a T-shirt was amazing.”
The Haudenosaunee team displayed fantastic sportsmanship throughout the match and even came over and congratulated Verreth after she scored.
Player of the game honors were bestowed on Jacelyn Lazore of the Haudenosaunee team, who scored multiple times.
Haudenosaunee’s Lois Garlow talked about the opening of the tournament and playing Belgium: “It’s a pretty big opportunity for our team and nation because I know the last time we weren’t able to go. I think it’s just really big opportunity for our girls to come out and show what we have to the world. It’s pretty cool to see all the other countries here, and to learn all little a bit about other’s culture and what they believe in, and why they play the sport. Especially seeing Belgium scoring their first goal against us just now; and I think that was one of the best moments in my life, because to the see the emotion that they played, even though the score wasn’t in their favor, but they were still so happy. It was just an amazing opportunity to play against one another.”
Player of the game honors were bestowed on Jacelyn Lazore of the Haudenosaunee team, who scored multiple times.
2019 World Lacrosse Women’s U19 World Championship
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, August 1-10
Trent University
AUGUST 1 | RESULTS:
Haudenosaunee def. Belgium, 19-1
China def. Jamaica, 18-5
Czech Republic def. Mexico, 15-5
Hong Kong def. Israel, 11-7
Germany def. Korea, 16-8
Japan def. Scotland, 20-1
New Zealand def. Wales, 17-3
Pool Standings (after Day 1):
Pool A:
Canada (0-0)
United States (0-0)
England (0-0)
Australia (0-0)
Pool B:
New Zealand (1-0)
Japan (1-0)
Wales (0-1)
Scotland (0-1)
Pool C:
Germany (1-0)
Jamaica (0-1)
Republic of Korea (0-1)
China (1-0)
Kenya (0-0)
Pool D:
Czech Republic (1-0)
Ireland (0-0)
Mexico (0-1)
Chinese Taipei (0-0)
Pool E:
Israel (0-1)
Haudenosaunee (1-0)
Hong Kong (1-0)
Belgium (0-1)
Puerto Rico (0-0)
