Canadian Lacrosse Association – OTTAWA, ON (July 10, 2016) – A much improved Team Canada dominated both sides of the field to secure their first win of the 2016 FIL U19 Men’s Lacrosse World Championship, 24-2 over England.

The offense was running on all cylinders for the Canadians, who utilized two-man style offensive sets, a technique often used in box lacrosse. They were also much tougher off the ball, pressuring their opponents to force turnovers and scooping up the majority of loose balls. A steady improvement in their game is something the coaching staff has preached, and the message seems to have caught on with the players.

“An important goal for us was to improve and get better each day and I think we did that,” said incoming Cornell freshman Jeff Teat (Brampton, Ont.), whose team leading seven points (3 G, 4 A) helped pace the offense. “We’re better today than we were two days ago, so we’re making progress.”

Along with Teat, three other Canadians netted hat-tricks in the game, including Riley Curtis (4 G, 1 A), Ryan Lanchbury (4 G), and Tre Leclaire (4 G, 1 A). While Thomas Semple, who hails from the host city of Coquitlam, B.C., and Victoria, B.C., native Marshal King each added a pair of goals.

On the opposing side, big man Joseph Cara scored his team leading third of the tournament, and fellow attack man Austin Hudson added the other. Zach Peng also found the score sheet, assisting on both goals.

Canada’s long poles were much more involved in the game plan compared to the team’s last outing. They pushed the pace in transition, forcing defenders to chase them, and also managed to sneak into the offensive zone to score a few goals, with Ryland Rees (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) netting a pair and Jackson Suboch (Mimico, Ont.) getting one as well.

Justin Inacio (Oakville, Ont.) was almost unbeatable on face-offs, winning 19 of 21, but his contributions didn’t stop there. At the end of the second quarter, his speed off the draw allowed him to break into the offensive zone, which seemed to catch the England defenders off guard, and rifle a shot past the keeper for a well deserved goal.   

The action continues tomorrow for Canada (1-1), who will challenge the Iroquois Nationals (1-0) at 7:30pm PST in what is sure to be a tough test. 

Schedule

All game times below are listed in Pacific Standard Time (PST), the local time zone in Coquitlam, BC.

• Thursday, July 7 at 7:30PM vs USA (12-5 Loss)
• Saturday, July 9 at 7:30PM vs England (24-2 Win)
• Sunday, July 10 at 7:30PM vs Iroquois
• Monday, July 11 at 4:00PM vs Australia

Information

Follow Team Canada’s journey online and join the conversation on social media.

• Webcast:             http://bit.ly/U19LaxWebcast
• Live Stats:           http://bit.ly/U19LaxStats
• Facebook:           @CanadianLacrosseAssociation and @2016FILU19Lax
• Twitter:                @CanadaLacrosse and @U19Lax2016
• Hashtags:            #TeamCanada and #U19Lax2016.

About the Canadian Lacrosse Association           

Founded in 1867, the Canadian Lacrosse Association (CLA) is the governing body responsible for all aspects of lacrosse in Canada. Our organization is comprised of 10 Member Associations representing nearly 80,000 individual participants, including coaches, officials, and athletes of all ages and abilities. The CLA’s mission is to honour the sport of lacrosse and its unique nation-building heritage, by engaging our members, leading our partners, and providing opportunities for all Canadians to participate. We strive to accomplish this while adhering to our core values of health, excellence, accountability, respect and teamwork. The CLA oversees the delivery of numerous national championships and the participation of Team Canada at all international events sanctioned by the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL). The CLA is proud to be affiliated with partners that share the same vision and values, including our corporate partners – Warrior Sports, New Balance Athletics, Westjet, and Baron Rings – as well as our funding partners the Government of Canada, the Coaching Association of Canada, and the Canadian Lacrosse Foundation. For more information on Canadian Lacrosse Association and the sport of lacrosse, visit our website at www.lacrosse.ca and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

 

For more information, please contact:
 

Alain Brouillette

Communications and Marketing Coordinator
Canadian Lacrosse Association
Phone: 613-260-2028 ext. 302
Email: alain@lacrosse.ca