Fans had to wait for one of the World Lacrosse Championship’s most highly-anticipated games until the final day of pool play. That day is here.
Undefeated United States faces the Iroquois Nationals at 7 p.m. ET (5 p.m. local time) on ESPNU. The game will prove critical in seeding; there’s still a lot on the line.
At 4-0, Team USA would clinch the all-important #1 seed with a win. The top seed is especially important to avoid a potential matchup with Canada or the Iroquois in the semifinals. Australia is no slouch either, but the gap between the United States, Canada, the Iroquois and everyone else is significant.
If the Iroquois beats the U.S. on Tuesday, it is most beneficial for Canada. In this case, there would be a three-way tie for first place in the Blue Division at 4-1, with the tiebreak being goal differential. The U.S. is +49, Canada +35 and Iroquois +27. For the Iroquois to get the top seed, they would need to win by 19 goals… not going to happen. However, if Canada wins convincingly over Australia, it could realistically earn the top goal differential. Say the Canadians win 16-4, the U.S. would need to lose by no more than two. The United States is certainly in the driver’s seat, but a loss would open the door for the possibility of slipping below the #1 seed.
The U.S. is coming off a dominating 20-1 win over England on Monday. The squad was up 11-0 at the half and continued the onslaught in the second. Twelve different players scored goals, led by three apiece from Kevin Leveille and Marcus Holman. Perhaps the most impressive stat was shots, finishing with a 65-9 advantage. The combination of Chris Eck and Greg Gurenlian won 23-of-24 faceoffs which helped the U.S. dominate possession.
Meanwhile, the Iroquois are coming off a narrow 12-10 victory over Australia on Monday, one night after a thrilling game against Canada that went down to the wire. Tied at five at the half, the Nationals outscored Australia by a goal in the third and one in the fourth for the all-important victory. Lyle Thompson had four goals to lead the way while Jeremy Thompson added two. The Iroquois held a 43-35 shot advantage, but Australia goalie Tom Vickery was strong between the pipes, making 13 saves.
A lot more than seeding is on the line Tuesday night. The Iroquois will want to prove to the United States, and themselves, that they can compete with the Red, White and Blue for the championship. The Iroquois have the talent offensively, but how will they react against a strong U.S. squad? Will Team USA be able to stop arguably the most talented offensive team in these championships? U.S. vs. Canada and Canada vs. the Iroquois were great drama. Expect nothing less tonight.
