Tom Schreiber bookmarked the game with goals – including the game-winner with :01 on the clock – to lift the United States to a 9-8 win over Canada and secure the Americans’ 10th gold medal at the 2018 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship in Netanya, Israel.
The hype leading into the 2018 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship was at an all-time high. The two lacrosse powerhouses collided earlier in the week in pool play, with the United States scoring two goals in the final 3:04 to win, 11-10. The championship game marked the third World Lacrosse Men’s Championship decided by one goal, with this one surely to be considered one of the best of all-time.
“There were so many plays, so many great players; it was intense from beginning to end, and it is one of those things that one of the teams had to lose. The Canadian team played so well for so long,” said U.S. head coach John Danowski. “Our guys ended up making just one more play at the end of the day.”
The United States built an early 2-0 lead in the first. Canada returned with a four-goal burst over the next 7:15, and a pair of goals in the closing minutes of the second quarter, for a 6-4 lead. Curtis Dickson of Canada scored two of his three goals in this stretch.
Ryan Brown and Marcus Holman tied the game up in the third quarter with two goals for the U.S. Holman’s goal was a low screaming skipping shot finding the back of the cage. The energy in the game was increasing as the game reached its third tie.
Brown knotted the game for the fifth and final time when he hit his hat trick goal with 3:03 remaining. Canada returned on the next possession passing the ball with a strong press from the United States defense. With less than two minutes to go in regulation, Canada’s Jeff Teat fired a high shot that hit the crossbar, giving the United States another chance.
The United States controlled the ball in the last 10 seconds with the first two shots sailing wide of the crease. With 4 seconds left, USA’s Rob Pannell hit Schreiber powering in for the winning goal with 1 second left to play.
“I just think we just had a little opening, Rob had his head up and I cut a little and hoped for the best and a good thing happened,” said Schreiber. “I know I had the stick in my wrong hand, and gotten yelled at a few times for that but it paid off today. The fact that this game had to literally go to the last second speaks to the quality of the two teams. I have a ton of respect for the guys on the other side. In some ways, it’s a shame the game had to end that way and didn’t keep going. But we’ll certainly take it.”
Schreiber will also enter the lacrosse history books as the first father-son duo to win a gold medal at the World Lacrosse Men’s Championship. His father, Doug, won a gold medal for the United States in 1974.
The two teams have met each other in the men’s championship game nine times, with the United States having won six.
The United States was led in tournament scoring by Brown with 25 goals, and Holman with 17 goals. Pannell, Paul Rabil and Jordan Wolf led Team USA with 11 assists each. Goalie John Galloway finished the tournament with a 47 percent save percentage.
Canada was paced by Dickson with 19 goals. Ben McIntosh and Mark Cockerton finished with 14 and 13 goals. Teat led assists with 13 and Mark Matthews finished with 11. Dillon Ward finished with 74 saves for a 65 percent save percentage.
USA defenseman Michael Ehrhardt was name the both Most Valuable Player and Outstanding Defender of the championship. The Outstanding Attackman was Canada’s Dixon, Outstanding Midfielder was USA’s Schreiber and Outstanding Goalie was Canada’s Ward.
All-World Team
Attack – Rob Pannell, USA; Ryan Brown, USA; Curtis Dickson, Canada
Midfield – Tom Schreiber, USA; Austin Staats, Haudenosaunee; Ben McIntosh, Canada
Defense – Michael Ehrhardt, USA; Graeme Hossack, Canada; Ryland Rees, Canada
Goalie – Dillon Ward, Canada
Results
Saturday, July 21
1st– USA def. Canada, 9-8
Friday, July 20
3rd– Haudenosaunee def. Australia, 14-12
5th– England def. Japan, 11-9
7th– Israel def. Puerto Rico,12-1
9th– Germany def. Philippines, 8-5
11th– Scotland def. Ireland, 14-10
13th– Jamaica def. Wales, 10-7
15th– Finland def. Italy, 16-3
17th– Norway def. Latvia, 10-9
19th– Greece def. Switzerland, 8-6
21st– New Zealand def. Netherlands,10-6
23rd– Slovakia def. Austria,11-9
25th– Sweden def. Czech Republic, 9-7
27th– Hong Kong def. Hungary, 15-5
29th– Argentina def. Belgium, 12-8
31st– Spain def. Poland, 9-4
33rd– France def. Denmark, 13-7
35th– Korea def. Russia,12-7
37th– Bermuda def. Mexico, 9-6
39th– Peru def. Uganda,11-10
41st– Chinese Taipei def. China, 8-7
43rd– Croatia def. Turkey, 15-8
45th– Colombia def. Luxembourg, 13-10
Thursday, July 19
Chinese Taipei def. Turkey, 15-9
Belgium def. Poland, 12-11
Wales def. Italy, 15-4
Czech Republic def. Hong Kong, 9-8
Argentina def. Spain, 16-12
Jamaica def. Finland, 8-7, OT
Denmark def. Korea, 11-7
Sweden def. Hungary, 14-8
Germany def. Ireland, 14-5
New Zealand def. Slovakia, 10-9
China def. Croatia, 15-10
Philippines def. Scotland, 12-6
Bermuda def. Peru, 16-4
Netherlands def. Austria, 10-7
Norway def. Switzerland, 7-5
France def. Russia, 17-8
Japan def. Israel, 10-9
Latvia def. Greece, 14-9
Mexico def. Uganda, 19-3
England def. Puerto Rico, 11-4
Semifinals
Canada def. Haudenosaunee, 15-4
USA def. Australia, 14-5
Wednesday, July 18
China def. Colombia, 14-6
Chinese Taipei def. Luxembourg, 12-4
Bermuda def. Croatia, 10-1
Czech Republic def. Belgium, 10-8
Jamaica def. Switzerland, 12-6
Mexico def. Turkey, 14-8
Hong Kong def. Poland, 16-5
Sweden def. Argentina, 11-4
Hungary def. Spain, 9-8
Norway def. Austria, 16-5
Wales def. Latvia, 10-9
Greece def. New Zealand, 12-11
Russia def. Peru, 18-9
Korea def. Uganda, 12-4
Quarterfinals
Australia def. Israel, 9-6
Haudenosaunee def. Puerto Rico, 14-7
England def. Ireland, 11-10
Japan def. Scotland, 11-7
Tuesday, July 17
Switzerland def. New Zealand, 9-6
Czech Republic def. France, 14-7
Italy def. Philippines def. Italy, 12-11, OT
Latvia def. Norway, 9-8, OT
Spain def. Denmark, 12-7
Canada def. Australia, 13-7
Hungary def. Russia, 14-12
Bermuda def. Chinese Taipei, 10-3
Germany def. Finland, 12-7
Belgium def. Korea, 17-8
Mexico def. Colombia, 22-10
USA def. England, 19-2
Wales def. Austria, 9-5
Jamaica def. Greece, 11-4
Haudenosaunee def. Scotland, 14-7
Israel def. Ireland, 16-4
Netherlands def. Poland, 9-7
Slovakia def. Argentina, 10-9
Puerto def. Rico Japan, 14-9
Monday, July 16
Latvia def. Sweden, 13-9
Denmark def. Peru, 11-4
Ireland def. Italy, 15-7
France def. Uganda, 14-5
Bermuda def. Luxembourg, 17-2
Israel def. Philippines, 11-8
Mexico def. China, 15-14
Belgium def. Turkey, 11-8
Japan def. Finland, 15-5
New Zealand def. Hong Kong, 11-9
Hungary def. Croatia, 15-3
Australia def. England, 7-6
Wales def. Netherlands, 9-5
Jamaica def. Slovakia, 12-5
Puerto Rico def. Germany, 14-9
Canada def. Haudenosaunee, 10-5
Austria def. Poland, 12-8
Greece def. Argentina, 12-9
USA def. Scotland, 18-2
Sunday, July 15
Finland def. Norway, 11-9
Russia def. Luxembourg, 24-1
Turkey def. China, 13-12
Germany def. Hong Kong, 12-4
Puerto Rico def. New Zealand, 13-1
Korea def. Mexico, 9-6
Philippines def. Switzerland, 11-5
Jamaica def. Peru, 17-4
Italy def. Sweden, 13-11
Ireland def. Latvia, 12-7
Wales def. Uganda, 17-1
England def. Scotland, 11-8
Belgium def. Colombia, 7-6
Slovakia def. Denmark, 8-5
Argentina def. Czech Republic, 12-8
Hungary def. Bermuda, 7-6
USA def. Canada, 11-10
Haudenosaunee def. Australia, 16-9
Austria def. Spain, 12-10
Croatia def. Chinese Taipei, 7-6
Saturday, July 14
Hong Kong def. Uganda, 16-1
Japan def. Netherlands, 18-3
Finland def. Colombia, 20-4
Latvia def. Greece, 10-9, OT
Poland def. Luxembourg, 15-6
New Zealand def. Croatia, 16-2
USA def. Australia, 19-1
Germany def. France, 15-4
Sweden def. Hungary, 16-6
Ireland def. Denmark, 14-3
Philippines def. Belgium, 11-4
Switzerland def. Chinese Taipei, 17-1
Canada def. Scotland, 22-3
Puerto Rico def. Bermuda, 17-3
Italy def. Peru, 13-7
Haudenosaunee def. England, 18-7
Israel def. Russia, 19-2
Friday, July 13
Greece def. Mexico, 13-8
Austria def. Colombia, 13-7
Uganda def. Luxembourg, 7-6
Spain def. Croatia, 12-9
Japan def. Norway, 24-3
Hong Kong def. Poland, 9-7
Jamaica def. Russia, 17-7
Denmark def. China, 14-4
Australia def. Scotland, 18-6
France def. Korea, 10-6
Argentina def. Hungary, 14-6
Puerto Rico def. Wales, 16-4
Canada def. England, 12-6
Slovakia def. Chinese Taipei, 13-1
Peru def. Turkey, 18-11
Philippines def. Czech Republic, 11-6
Thursday, July 12
Germany def. Korea, 19-5
Poland def. Uganda, 16-4
Switzerland def. Slovakia, 10-6
Norway def. Netherlands, 14-6
New Zealand def. Spain, 9-5
Ireland def. China, 18-3
Latvia def. Mexico, 13-10
Italy def. Turkey, 16-8
Sweden def. Argentina, 13-5
Wales def. Bermuda, 8-4
Finland def. Austria, 11-7
Czech Republic def. Belgium, 15-8
Israel def. Jamaica, 11-3
USA def. Haudenosaunee, 17-9
Wednesday, July 11
Hong Kong def. Luxembourg, 20-1
World Lacrosse Men’s Championship History
2018 – USA def. Canada, 9-8, Netanya, Israel
2014 – Canada def. USA, 8-5, Denver, USA
2010 – USA def. Canada, 12-10, Manchester, England
2006 – Canada def. USA, 15-10, London, Canada
2002 – USA def. Canada, 18-15, Perth, Australia
1998 – USA def. Canada, 15-14 (OT), Baltimore, USA
1994 – USA def. Australia, 21-7, Manchester, England
1990 – USA def. Canada, 19-15, Perth, Australia
1986 – USA def. Canada, 18-9, Toronto, Canada
1982 – USA def. Australia, 22-14, Baltimore, USA
1978 – Canada def. USA, 17-16 (OT), Stockport, England
1974 – USA (round robin), Melbourne, Australia
1967 – USA (round robin), Toronto, Canada
