Stingy Defense, Ferrah Blackbird’s 5 goals and 3 assists lead Haudenosaunee to 17-3 win over Hong Kong at 2024 World Lacrosse Women’s Box Championship

Ferrah Blackbird finished with 5 goals and 3 assists in the 17-3 win over Hong Kong

Photo by David Tiger-Cortes

UTICA – The Haudenosaunee Nationals defeated Hong Kong 17-3 in pool play at the Utica University Nexus Center. The Nationals offense got goals from eight different players, led by Ferrah Blackbird with five goals and three assists. Ava Gabriel added three goals and two assists. Trysten Burns, Kendall Tabobandung, and Carey-Leigh Vyse each added two goals. The Haudenosaunee defense was smothering once again as they did not allow a goal in the second half. Chelsea Doolittle got the start in net and finished with 19 saves for her first win of the tournament.  

Ava Gabriel got the scoring started as she drove the middle and finished top corner two minutes into the game. The defense was stingy on both sides until a long pass to Stacy Smith in transition led to her breakaway goal at 5:46 for her first of the tournament and the 2-0 lead. A couple of Haudenosaunee penalties on Kenley Jacobs and Tallis Tarbell for cross checking led to a 5-on-3 for Hong Kong. Haudenosaunee killed the first penalty but Hong Kong scored on a Sally Tang snipe from the top to cut the lead to 2-1 with 2:33 to play. Hong Kong followed two minutes later as Cherry Hon took a pass from Joyce Tong on the two woman game and scored from the middle of the floor to tie the game at 2-2 headed to the second.

Ava Gabriel added a hat trick and two assists

Photo by David Tiger-Cortes

Tallis Tarbell scored her lone goal of the game from the left side to regain the lead for Haudenosaunee at 3-2 with 12:49 left to play. An illegal substitution call put Haudenosaunee a woman down but Ferrah Blackbird drove middle and sent a shot low for the shorthanded goal and her first of the night at 9:11. A couple of  Hong Kong penalties 7-minutes into the quarter led to a Ferrah Blackbird power play goal as she finished a swing pass from Ava Gabriel to make it 5-2. Sally Tang responded for Hong Kong as she worked off a screen and went five hole to cut the lead to 5-3 with 2:22 to play in the second quarter. Ferrah Blackbird struck again at 1:39 as she checked a Hong Kong player in the defensive zone to jar the ball loose, scooped the ground ball on her own, and went in to score on the breakaway for her hat trick to extend the lead to 6-3 headed to halftime.

Mekwan Tulpin

Photo by David Tiger-Cortes

An early Hong Kong penalty led to an Ava Gabriel power play goal to start the third as Gabriel took  a skip pass across the crease from Trysten Burns and scored to make it 7-3 less than a minute into the third quarter. Blackbird scored again a minute later as she streaked off the bench in transition and finished top right corner at 13:10. Carey-Leigh Vyse followed as Trisha John stole the ball at midfield and passed it ahead for Vyse to score the breakaway goal, her first of the day. Haudenosaunee killed an illegal substitution penalty and Trysten Burns scored five hole from the left side to make it 11-3 with 7-seconds to play and headed to the final frame.

Goalie Chelsea Gibson had 22 saves for her first win of the tournament

Photo by David Tiger-Cortes

The defense kept Hong Kong at bay and an early Haudenosaunee penalty on Joni Squire-Hill for cross checking was killed early the fourth before Kendall Tabobandung scored a bouncer streaking off the bench at 12:29, her first goal of the tournament. Another Ferrah Blackbird assist found Trysten Burns cutting in the middle to score at 9:26 and extend the lead 13-3. Blackbird scored her fifth goal of the game going five hole 90-seconds later. Kendall Tabobandung scored her second of the night on a beautiful wraparound dunk with the backhand at 3:40 to make it 15-3 Haudenosaunee. A minute later Ferrah Blackbird spun behind the net and found Ava Gabriel in front for Gabriel’s hat trick with 2:33 to play. The final goal came from Carey-Leigh Vyse at 2:08 on a Timmia Bomberry to secure the Haudenosaunee 17-3 win.

Carey-Leigh Vyse added two goals

Photo by David Tiger-Cortes

The Haudenosaunee defense kept Hong Kong scoreless for the entire second half. The win moves Haudenosaunee to 2-1 in pool play.

Up Next: Haudenosaunee faces Netherlands at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, September 24 in the Mary C. Winder Community Center on the Oneida Nation.