The 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships are set for September 20-29 in Utica, New York with 28 teams competing in the men’s box championship, split into seven pools. Eight teams advance directly to the playoffs after pool play and teams seeded 9-16 will compete in a play-in round.
The full schedule for the championship can be found here.
Pool E: Netherlands, Austria, Italy, U.S. Virgin Islands
Pool E pits the Netherlands, a top-10 finisher from the last men’s box championship, up against Austria, Italy and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The Netherlands finished eighth in 2019 while Austria finished 14th, and both teams have experienced rosters.
Italy finished in the top ten of the last men’s field lacrosse championship in 2023, while the U.S. Virgin Islands is appearing in its first World Lacrosse championship of any discipline.
Tickets for all games of the box championships are available here.
The U.S. Virgin Islands became a member of World Lacrosse in 2020 and have quickly developed a lacrosse program to compete in international events.
The team competed in field lacrosse qualification against other PALA teams ahead of the 2023 men’s championship in Medellin, Colombia, and at the PALA Sixes Cup in Jamaica in December of 2023.
The U.S. Virgin Islands also had a team compete in box lacrosse at the 2023 LAXNAI event in the fall.
Ten players from the squad at the PALA Sixes Cup will suit up in Utica, as well as 11 players from the LAXNAI squad with some overlap.
Gavin Jones should be a key goalscorer and Ryan Cochran will be a a key playmaker. Kev Reder and Patrick Crosby will be in net.
Nick McEvoy played field lacrosse at Penn State from 2017 to 2020 and will be an important forward. Tyler Peworchik and Blake Runkle will be experienced defenders.
Italy is bringing a strong mix of players to compete in the nation’s first ever men’s box championship.
Just four players return from the field lacrosse team that placed in the top ten in San Diego in 2023, but more importantly, 13 players are suiting up from the squad that competed in Italy’s first ever appearance at the E-Box Invitational in Prague in 2024.
Steven Pelliccione was a productive forward in Prague as well Paolo Scaccabarozzi. Con Cirillo was the team’s lone goalkeeper and Italy is also rostering Samuel Crispo in net, who played in the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League in 2019 and 2018.
Forward Lucas Dudemaine will be a star for Italy as a current junior in field lacrosse at Georgetown University with an accomplished record in box lacrosse for the Mimico Mountaineers in the OJLL. Dudemaine posted back to back 100-point seasons including a 154-point campaign in 33 games in 2024.
Austria brings another veteran box lacrosse group to Utica, with 11 players returning from the 2019 squad that competed in Langley.
The group also has significant field lacrosse experience, with 13 players having played in a men’s championship, eight players with multiple championships under their belt and an impressive group of four players with five championships of experience across men’s field and box.
Adrian Balasch, Klaus Hauer, Felix Hollmann and Jakisch Rainer make up the most seasoned component of the team.
Austria has a longstanding box program, and finished eighth at the European Box Championships in 2022 in Hannover, with wins over the Netherlands, Belgium, Serbia and Poland.
Austria performed well at the 2024 E-Box with comfortable wins over Norway, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong. Fifteen players from that squad will compete in Utica.
Eleven players for Austria regularly play together in box for the Vienna Monarchs and recently completed another edition of the Frank Menschner Cup in late August.
Gerhard Probst and Balasch will play key roles forward line in Utica, with contributions expected from Hauer and Marvin Lerch.
Patrick Falb should be the lead goalkeeper with Stephan Lorenz also on the roster.
Josh Dawick will also be an X-factor for Austria who currently plays in the NLL for the Toronto Rock, and has an accomplished record in the OJLL with the Toronto Beaches.
The Netherlands has its eyes set on another top-ten finish in the men’s box championship in Utica and has assembled a talented roster.
Eleven players from the 2019 team are returning to action, with four players bringing caps from World Lacrosse championships as far back as 2014 to this year’s team as well.
The Netherlands finished in ninth in Hannover in 2022 and are long-time participants in the E-Box invitational, with ten players from the 2024 squad in Prague playing in Utica.
Timon Weitkamp and Hidde Wesseler were key attackers in Prague, and a core group in defense should be led by Leroy Spiekerman van Weezelenburg, Tim van der Heiden, Sting Daniels and Lars de Graaff.
Goalkeeper Sam Haines is rostered by the Toronto Rock in the NLL and has posted strong seasons in the OJLL, including a 2022 campaign with the Oakville Buzz with an 81% save percentage.
Joshua Toguri in transition also was rostered by the Rochester Knighthawks of the NLL and has experience in Major Series Lacrosse, OJLL and the Arena Lacrosse League.
Forward Logan Schmidt is the Netherlands’ only player under the age of 21, but could be part of the attacking mix after his experience with the Nanaimo Timbermen in the British Columbia Junior A Lacrosse League this year.
Games to Watch
Friday, September 20: Netherlands vs. U.S. Virgin Islands, 10 a.m., Adirondack Bank Center
The USVI will play its first ever game in international box lacrosse against the Netherlands early on the opening day of the championship. It will be a strong test for the USVI against a top-ten finisher from 2019.
Saturday: Austria vs. Italy, 11:30 a.m., Utica University Nexus Center 2
Italy squares off against Austria in both team’s first game of the championship. Italy is a good candidate to surprise out of the teams making their first appearance at the box championship, but Austria’s proven experience in the event will make for an intense battle.
Monday, September 23: Netherlands vs. Austria, 10:45 a.m., Utica University Nexus Center 2
The two most experienced box lacrosse teams in the pool will meet on the final day of pool play. With the two other teams in the pool starting action 45 minutes later, the double-barreled Pool E action should make for a dramatic race for the playoffs.
