Highlights, Box Score Notes and Galleries: JPN-CZE | ISR-PHI
Japan and Israel won convincingly on the opening day of the Nissin Foods 2026 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship at Oi Stadium in Tokyo.
Japan smothered Czechia from the opening draw and enjoyed a comprehensive 21-5 win in front of home support.
Israel found its footing in a 12-6 win behind impressive performances on both sides of the ball.
The remaining 12 teams open their campaigns at the women’s championship on Saturday with games at 9 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. local time.
Japan
Czechia
Japan came out of the gates hot with six goals in the first quarter, and never let its foot off the gas. Japan enjoyed a 20-8 advantage on draw controls, keyed by 14 from Kaho Inoue, who was named the player of the match.
Kokoro Nakazawa laid down an early candidate for best single-game attacking line in the championship with five goals and two assists, while Chisa Kobayashi poured in five herself.
Japan’s amassed 31 shots on the night and allowed just 12.
Gallery
Israel
Philippines
Israel’s strong second and third quarter, with four goals each, provided the padding in its opening night win over the Philippines. Jordyn Lipkin led the attack with four goals and an assist for Israel and was named the player of the match.
Hanna Hilcoff added two goals, and Racheli Levy-Smith contributed 11 draw controls. Julie Krupnick made five saves on seven shots on goal, and the Israel defense as a whole allowed just 14 shots.
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