At the entrance to William G. Tierney Field at the USA Lacrosse headquarters stood a photograph backdrop of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The upcoming 2028 Olympic Games was at the front of the minds of not only the fans attending the inaugural Atlas Cup but with the players participating as well.
“That’s what everybody is looking forward to,” said Canada’s Thomas McConvey. “Everyone’s goal is to be there in 2028 and win a gold medal at the Olympics.”
The sixes discipline was introduced by World Lacrosse in 2021, making it a relatively new discipline in the sport. While more organized competitions using the sixes format have been created in the past few years, some of the players at the Atlas Cup were experiencing the discipline for the first time, and they were still learning the intricacies of sixes.
Even Connor Shellenberger, the reigning Premier Lacrosse League MVP, said playing in the Atlas Cup taught him he still had so much to improve.
“I need to incorporate a lot more of that Canadian style into my own game,” he admitted. “A lot of the field stuff I do doesn’t translate as well. Figuring out how to incorporate that stuff while adding a lot more to my game.”
Several players said the Atlas Cup was beneficial because it allowed them more opportunities to play together as a team and build towards the Olympics, there was an extra sense of urgency from players about how important an event such as the Atlas Cup were to even their hopes of getting a chance to compete in Olympic qualification.
“When you get an invite from Team USA to play against Canada and Haudenosaunee, you do not pass up that opportunity,” said Puerto Rico’s Josh Balcarcel. “We’re fortunate enough to have an organization that really is top tier and works really hard to put us in places to succeed. Coming here, it’s a tone setter to get ready for the qualifiers and hopefully place to where we can compete in the Olympics.”
Aside from having a chance to compete for and to win a championship, players used the Atlas Cup as an opportunity to get more reps in the sixes format and develop better chemistry with their team.
“Seeing how fun it is to watch, how fun it is to play, and how tactics can evolve; You saw the crowds here today. You saw how awesome it was the people back home could watch these games, said the United States’ Charlotte North. “Everyone is learning more and more about the discipline of sixes. there’s different types of styles of play, there’s different game styles, and we’re just looking to be the best US team we could possibly be.”
Win or lose, however, players came off the field and shared how much fun they had playing the sixes format, and they believed the energy and excitement they felt while playing translated to the fans in the stadium and at home watching, which they hope continues on the grand stage at the Olympics.
“For the fans, it’s amazing, especially if you haven’t watched lacrosse before,” said Canada’s Dylana Williams. “It’s very exciting for everyone to watch, even if you don’t know the game as much.”
