Share

Tweet

U.S. Gets Back to Winning Ways in Big Way

by Matt DaSilva | Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff | Game Blog

MANCHESTER, England -- The U.S. national team got back to its winning ways Sunday against Germany with a convincing, 22-4 victory in the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Championships at the University of Manchester.
 
Attackman Brendan Mundorf scored five goals and added three assists to pace 10 different scorers in the balanced offensive effort. Ryan Powell, Drew Westervelt and Paul Rabil added three goals apiece. Faceoff specialist Alex Smith was 12-of-18.
 
Eight different players scored Team USA’s first eight goals, as it seized an 8-1 lead and never looked back. Germany closed within 8-3 in the second quarter on back-to-back goals by brothers Frederic du Bois-Reymond and Hendrix du Bois-Reymond.

But the U.S. defense blanked the Germans for the next 49-plus minutes and amassed a 14-0 run that put the game well out of reach.
 
Germany was playing in place of the Iroquois Nationals, whose absence from these world championships due to a passport dispute in the U.S. created an opening in the Blue Division, the FIL’s top flight.
 
Team USA was coming off a 10-9 loss to reigning world champion Canada.
 
“For us, it’s more just to get on the field, play and shake that off,” said defenseman Ryan McClay. “If you have to sit and stew on that, it eats you up. Fact is, you learn from it and move on. That was our focus, to get back out there and play hard, clean and as efficiently as possible.”
 
The U.S. improved to 2-1 and resumes pool play Monday against England.

FIL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS — BLUE DIVISION PRELIMINARIES

Team USA 22, Germany 4

USA... 8-3-8-3... 22
GER... 1-2-0-1... 4

Goals: USA – Mundorf 5, Powell 3, Rabil 3, Westervelt 3, Boyle 2, Crotty 2, Dixon, Seibald, Sweeney, Zash; GER – Althauser, F. du Bois-Reymond, West-Pratt.

Assists: USA – Mundorf 3, Powell 3, Rabil 2, Crotty 2, Boyle, Smith, Striebel, Sweeney, Zash; GER – Lazarus 2, F. du Bois Reymond.

Saves: USA – Dougherty 0, Fullerton 4; GER – Friedheim 5, Maas 4.

Faceoffs: USA – 16-of-28 (Smith 12-of-18), GER – 12-of-28.