Box Score Notes and Galleries: ISV-COL | PUR-MEX
Puerto Rico upended Mexico with a fourth-quarter comeback to win 9-8 to claim the last qualifying spot for the 2027 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship available at the 2026 Pan-American Men’s Lacrosse Championship on Saturday in Kingston, Jamaica.
Mexico led 8-6 with 22 minutes to go, and Puerto Rico reeled off the last three goals of the game, tying the score with just over six minutes to play and taking the lead with three minutes to go. Jayden Vega scored both the game-tying and game-winning goal to provide the heroics for Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico joins Canada, the Haudenosaunee, Jamaica and the United States as the five teams from PALA qualified for the championship. Puerto Rico, which finished 10th at the last edition of the men’s championship in 2023, will make its third appearance in the event.
The 16-team field is now set for the event in June of 2027. The four teams qualified from the Asia-Pacific Lacrosse Union are Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the Philippines while the seven teams from the European Lacrosse Federation are Czechia, England, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Israel and Latvia.
The seventh place game also featured a late three-goal comeback, with Colombia stunning the U.S. Virgin Islands with three goals in the fourth quarter to win 12-11. For the second consecutive edition of the PALA qualifier for the men’s championship, Colombia eked out a one-goal win over the U.S. Virgin Islands, after winning 6-5 in overtime in 2022 on home soil in Medellin.
On Sunday, the Pan-American Men’s Lacrosse Championship wraps up with the medal round, featuring four top-ten ranked teams in the world. The Haudenosaunee take on Jamaica at 11 a.m. EST (UTC-5) before the United States battles Canada at 2 p.m.
While the United States got the best of its rival Canada to close the 2023 Men’s Championship in San Diego, Canada won the last matchup between the two teams in overtime in October of 2023. Many of the players will be different on Sunday, but the rivalry always brings out the best in both teams.
Sunday
Bronze Medal – 11 a.m.
Haudenosaunee vs. Jamaica
Gold Medal – 2 p.m.
United States vs. Canada
U.S. Virgin Islands
11
Colombia
12
Colombia’s epic late comeback capped off a rollercoaster of a game, with the U.S. Virgin Islands leading 8-6, 10-7, and finally 11-9 in the fourth quarter.
Nick Sheedy cut the lead to one on an assist from Jonny French, and after an equalizing goal from Henry Kurtzman with just over 10 minutes to play, Sheedy and French linked up again to secure the lead with just over three minutes to play. Sheedy put in one of the most heroic performances of the tournament with six goals on six shots taken.
Kurtzman tallied two goals and two assists while French added three points.
Colombia split time in net between two goalkeepers, and Oscar Cifuentes came up clutch with four saves all in the fourth quarter. Jacob Haas-Lland was instrumental to Colombia’s win with a 22 of 26 night on the X.
Dante Poli scored six goals on 10 shots for the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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Puerto Rico
9
Mexico
8
Puerto Rico’s incredible comeback sealed another classic in World Lacrosse direct qualification battles for its senior championships. Puerto Rico led 6-2 after an opening 18-minute flurry before Mexico improbably rattled six goals in a row in 20 minutes.
But Puerto Rico had the last laugh thanks to Jayden Vega, who scored two goals, his seventh and eighth goals of the championship.
Mexico slightly outshot Puerto Rico on the evening and had a slight edge on face-offs thanks to Ricky Tinoco. Mexico’s two goalkeepers both performed admirably, with Matt Murakami and Weston Guerra combining for 17 saves on 26 shots faced.
But Jourdain Algarin stepped up for Puerto Rico with 12 saves on the night, finishing his run in the championship with a 57% save percentage.
Chase Jackson scored three goals for Puerto Rico in the win. Ezekiel Peraza led Mexico with three scores.
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