Haudenosaunee Nationals drop opening game 16-9 to Team USA at 2024 World Lacrosse Men’s Box Championship
Tehoka Nanticoke
Photo by David Tiger-Cortes
UTICA – The Haudenosaunee Nationals suffered a 16-9 defeat to Team USA in their opening game of pool play at the 2024 World Lacrosse Men’s Box Championship at the Adirondack Bank Center. Randy Staats paced the offense with four goals and two assists and Zed Williams added two goals and an assist. Warren Hill got the start in net and finished with 29 saves. The story of the game was penalties as Haudenosaunee spent 20 minutes in the box to USA’s six minutes. That discrepancy put pressure on the Haudenosaunee defense all night and forced the offense to play from behind for major parts of the game. USA used three separate runs of 5-0, 4-0, and 4-0 to keep Haudenosaunee chasing the game all night.
Team USA won the opening draw on a face off violation and Jack Hannah strolled into a step down shot from the left side to make it 1-0 just 14-seconds into the game. Randy Staats answered two minutes later as he worked off a Tehoka Nanticoke screen and sniped an underhand shot to tie the game at 1-1. A minute later, Randy Staats scooped a ground ball in the corner and sent a no-look skip pass to Eli McLaughlin who went top shelf from the short right side to give Haudenosaunee their first lead of the game with 12-minutes left to play in the first quarter. McLaughlin then had a bouncer go down from the top but the goal was called off for a crease violation. USA answered with a 5-0 run spanning the first two quarters as Charlie Bertrand scored his first goal of the game driving middle to bounce one home at 7:28 of the first quarter. Another unassisted Bertrand goal off the rebound scramble gave USA the 3-2 lead with 5:47 left in the quarter. Jack Hannah scored his second goal of the game on a deep step down after a quick back and forth with Blaze Riorden to give USA the 4-2 lead with just over three minutes to play in the first quarter. Just six seconds later, Noonzy Thompson was issued a 5-minute major for high sticking, which left USA’s Dylan Robinson laying at center field for a few seconds.
Eli McLaughlin
Photo by David Tiger-Cortes
USA took advantage to start the second as Brandon Robinson used a face dodge to create space and finish over Warren Hill on the power play and extend the USA lead 30-seconds into the second quarter. Connor Kirst followed for USA on a back door feed from Bertrand to make it 6-2 with 10:10 left to play in the second. Haudenosaunee eventually ended the USA run as Tehoka Nanticoke got on the board with a low bouncer from the top off a Randy Staats screen. Randy Staats followed with a straight top shelf snipe to the left corner to cut the lead to 6-4 with 8:40 left in the half. Blaze Riorden answered for USA driving middle and bounced one home halfway through the quarter. Staats struck again 20-seconds later working the two man game with Lyle Thompson who flipped a behind-the-back to Staats who buried it for his hat trick. Lyle followed on the power play as this time he held on to the fake behind-the-back to Staats and sent one low through the five hole on the power play to make it 7-6 with 4:42 to play in the half. But, USA ended the half on a 2-0 run as Joey Spallina scored a step down through traffic for his first goal. Jack Hannah followed with his hat trick goal on a power play after another five minute major on Noonzy Thompson for boarding, which resulted in a 10-minute game misconduct and helped USA take the 9-6 lead into the break.
Brendan Bomberry (21) and Zed Williams (28)
Photo by David Tiger-Cortes
USA opened the third on a 5-on-3 advantage as Brendan Bomberry took a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct to end the third. USA took advantage with two straight as Blaze Riorden took an inside-out pass and buried one from the right side to make it 10-6 in the opening moments of the half. Joey Spallina added his second goal from the baseline doorstep for another power play goal and the 11-6 USA lead. Haudenosaunee went 8-minutes without a goal to open the third until Randy Staats scored his fourth leaking out off the bench as he snatched a Warren Hill outlet in transition to cut the lead to 11-7. Haudenosaunee killed a huge 5-on-3 advantage to end the quarter as Adam Bomberry and Zed Williams took simultaneous slashing penalties at 3:06 of the third.
Brooker Muir (52), Adam Bomberry (10), Zed Williams (28), and Zach Williams (6)
Photo by David Tiger-Cortes
Zed Williams scored his first of the game early in the fourth as he drove left off stagger screens and dove from the baseline for the finish. USA’s Joe Resetarits responded from deep off a flip pass from Hannah to extend the lead back to 12-8. Warren Hill stoned Riorden to start an outlet to Zed Williams who used his body strength for the spin move bouncer on the fast break to bring Haudenosaunee within 12-9 with 12-minutes to play. But, that was as close as Haudenosaunee would get as USA ended the game on a 4-0 run. Joey Spallina scored his hat trick goal with the shot clock winding down on a bouncer from behind the restraining line. Thirty seconds later CJ Kirst entered the scoring column on a high bouncer through traffic from the top of the zone. Charlie Bertrand made it 15-9 with just under 5 minutes to play and Spallina added his fourth goal of the game on the pick and pop to make the final score 16-9.
Up Next: Haudenosaunee gets the day off and returns to action on Sunday, September 22 versus Canada at 4 p.m. EST at the Adirondack Bank Center.
Lyle Thompson (4)
Photo by David Tiger-Cortes
