Haudenosaunee drops a tough 7-9 loss to Team USA at World Lacrosse Men’s Championship

SAN DIEGO – The Haudenosaunee Nationals were defeated 9-7 by Team USA in a hard fought battle in their second game of pool play at the 2023 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship. Lyle Thompson led the offense for Haudenosaunee with his second straight game with a hat trick and an assist. Austin Staats continued his hot start with a hat trick and assist of his own. Brendan Bomberry added a goal and Randy Staats contributed two assists on the night for the Nationals. Team USA was led by Kieran McArdle with three goals and one assist and Michael Sowers with two goals and one assist. The Saturday night marquee matchup was played before a raucous crowd of 5,623 fans at Torero Stadium on the University of San Diego campus.

“I thought we’ve actually been playing really well. I think that this is a team probably unlike many others that we’ve had in the past,” Kyle Jackson said postgame about his team’s effort. “It’s an unselfish team. I think that we’re starting to gel and get more cohesive as a unit, which is all you can ask for in pool play. This (game) was a true testament to exactly where we’re capable of being right now.”

Coming into the game Haudenosaunee emphasized the importance of ball possession as they controlled the ball early in the game. Team USA had only two possessions in the first half of the opening quarter. Austin Staats sniped one from up top on a feed from Lyle Thompson to give Haudenosaunee the early 1-0 lead. After some defensive stops and missed shots from both teams, Team USA responded with an unassisted goal by Michael Sowers on a beautiful stutter step then split dodge to create space and bury the ball top shelf and tie the game with just over six minutes remaining in the quarter. Haudenosaunee killed a one minute slashing penalty and Austin Staats hit the post just before the buzzer to keep the game 1-1 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter was much of the same as each team continued to value ball possession. Team USA’s Matt Rambo was called for a cross check at six minutes into the quarter and Haudenosaunee took advantage. The Nationals won a ground ball scramble and found Austin Staats who sent a cross field pass to Lyle Thompson on the backside who buried it low for his forst goal of the game. Team USA responded with just under three minutes remaining on a Charlie Bertrand snipe from a Matt Rambo assist behind the net. Michael Sowers then rushed the dead ball from behind the net and wrapped one around the right side to give Team USA the 3-2 lead heading to halftime.

Haudenosaunee responded early in the third quarter on Lyle Thompson’s second goal of the night, as Randy Staats worked from behind the net and found Thompson cutting in front to tie the game 3-3. Three minutes later Randy Staats was again working from behind the net and this time found Brendan Bomberry cutting who went low to regain the lead 4-3 on his first goal of the evening. However, Team USA would battle back with a 4-0 run to end the third quarter. Kieran McArdle dished to Matt Rambo who finished on the left side to tie it 4-4. A minute and a half later Ryan Conrad buried his lone goal of the game from the top right side to give Team USA the lead for good at 5-4. A pole goal from Michael Ehrhardt on another assist by McArdle made it 6-4. McArdle joined the scoring column as he buried one low coming off a pick to give Team USA the 7-4 lead heading into the final frame.

Haudenosaunee hung tough as Zach Miller spun free to find Kyle Jackson who sent it to Lyle Thompson to complete his hat trick on a low shot driving right to the net. Four minutes later, Austin Staats bulldozed his way to create space and sniped one top corner from the deep right side to cut the lead to 7-6. But, two straight goals from Keiran McArdle extended the lead again for Team USA, the first driving down the right side and the second a bouncer going left to make it 9-6. Austin Staats completed his own hat trick as he finished over top of the defense on a post-up on the right door step to cut the lead to its final margin, 9-7 Team USA.

“We shot well early in the game where we weren’t hitting the net but we were backing up shots which extends our possession time,” said Head Coach Lars Tiffany after the game. “Where we struggled as the game went on was what happened at the face off circle. TD Ierlan (USA) was amazing today. Jeremy Thompson, I would go to battle, I would go to war, I would go to any type of lacrosse game with that man – but TD Ierlan had his number tonight. And those extra possessions that Team USA were able to get – probably ten – you feel that as the game goes on. We held up there and I thought our defense did a fairly solid job. We were stalwart at times. Just too many possessions for a talented offense (like team USA).”

With the loss Haudenosaunee falls to 1-1 in pool play. Next up is another primetime matchup versus Team Canada on Sunday at 7 p.m. PST/10 p.m. The game can be streamed on ESPN+.

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