There were four seconds left on the clock. The Haudenosaunee bench was itching to rush the field to celebrate. They had done it – they were going to wear their bronze medals soon.
Only 23 women can say they won the first-ever medal for a Haudenosaunee women’s lacrosse team. Those women stood tall on the field after the game, grinning ear to ear with tears of joy in their eyes. Around them, the Haudenosaunee flag waved.
The Haudenosaunee women had just won the bronze medal in a 21-4 win over Australia.
“It means so much and it’s such a big deal for this organization,” captain Fawn Porter said. “And just to show all the young girls of future generations, if you work hard, you can get here and all your dreams are accomplishable.”
Head coach Jason Johnson said he wears his heart on his sleeve, and he couldn’t contain his emotions when the final horn sounded. The euphoria, the relief, and the pride went through him all at once.
“Just to see the smiles and the light in their eyes,” head coach Jason Johnson said. “I told them nobody can take that away from them, and they could see it in my eyes.”
The Haudenosaunee women’s teams, across all disciplines, have never claimed a medal. They were eliminated in the quarterfinals round in the 2022 women’s championship, and had come as close as seventh in the 2013, but had not cracked the top three.
Until Saturday afternoon, when the moment really resonated.
“Just to look up and to see everyone with purple all throughout the crowd,” Porter said, “It just makes us feel more at home.”
Porter has played box lacrosse her entire life. She’s played in different lacrosse tournaments, but has spent much of her life focused on the box game. The Haudenosaunee had spent a year working toward the goal of a medal, and Porter’s experience helped guide the way.
Now, the taste of victory is sweet, but the impact of a medal lingers far longer than for how long Haudenosaunee will remember the final score.
A bronze medal means the team all has a story that they can tell for years down the line.
“They can go back to their territories and tell their grandkids, and their grandkids,” Johnson said. “That’s memories. Nobody can steal that from them. That’s something they’ve created here.”
Being the first leaves their mark on the history books. Being the first is forever. Being first means the kids watching in the stands above have a chance to one day do the same.
The Haudenosaunee women’s team will walk away with the pride of knowing they were the first in many ways, and that this is the first step in ensuring the team’s success in the future.
“We got to show the world who we are as the Haudenosaunee Nationals and as Haudenosaunee women,” Porter said. “The program can only go up from here, and I’m so excited to see where it goes in the future.”
