Bring out the confetti and let “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang play, there’s a birthday at the 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships.
At least that’s what Ireland men’s lacrosse did after defeating Australia.
It was head coach Jeff Dowling’s birthday Wednesday, and the Irish mustered through a shootout that ended in Brendan O’Sullivan going airborne to score the game-winner, 12-11.
“My heart rate is going to go down for a while,” Dowling said. “It was quite the game.”
Ireland had more to celebrate to — a quarterfinals match coming on Thursday afternoon. The team has already surpassed its 2019 tournament appearance, where they finished 11th, and now they’re in the top eight. There wasn’t much else for Ireland to do but to celebrate.
“To do that on Coach’s birthday is another bonus,” Luke Moloney said. “A huge morale boost, and I know he’s excited.”
Dowling’s birthday win wasn’t all on his shoulders as he relied on players like Patrick Corbett and Sean “Gibby” Gibson to help guide newer players like Moloney and Conor Foley. The two are making their world box championship debut and have been surrounded by teammates with multiple championships under their belt.
Dowling described it as a balancing act. Corbett helps coach Moloney and Foley through the game, and the younger duo bring the flair and athleticism from their field lacrosse experience.
“It’s basically having extra coaches on the floor,” Dowling said. “It’s really beneficial to have those types of leaders out there for us.”
Corbett is playing in his first world box championship with Ireland, but joined the team with a plethora of experience. He said he has never been in a role that allowed him to act as an additional coach, but has taken the new challenge with excitement.
“It’s a fun position to be in,” Corbett said. “It’s fun to coach them through it, and it’s rewarding to watch them succeed too.”
He continued: “I’ve been on a lot of teams where I haven’t been that guy, the go-to guy everyone comes up to. It brings me back to my younger days, and I really appreciate it when the guys look up to me.”
Dowling might’ve been the coach on the bench, but Corbett, along with Ireland’s other veterans, used their voices to guide their team to a battle against the United States tomorrow.
But they’ll celebrate Dowling’s birthday and the win first. A little bit of confetti and singing the “Happy Birthday” song was the priority after the game, then they’ll turn the page to what waits next.
“This is the best birthday present I could get,” Dowling said.
