Team Canada U19 2011
Team Canada 2009
Medal winning
performances...
Team Canada
)
WORLD RANKING (as of 2009)| Country | World Cup | U19 | |
 |
USA | 1 | 1 |
 |
Australia | 2 | 2 |
|
|
CANADA | 3 | 4 |
 |
England | 4 | 3 |
 |
Ireland | *5 | -- |
 |
Wales | 6 | 8 |
 |
Japan | 7 | 5 |
 |
Scotland | 8 | 7 |
 |
Czech Republic | 9 | 9 |
 |
Germany | 10 | 11 |
 |
Haudenosaunee | *11 | 6 |
 |
New Zealand | 12 | 10 |
 |
Netherlands | *13 | -- |
 |
Austria | *14 | -- |
 |
Denmark | *15 | -- |
 |
South Korea | *16 | -- |
| * 2009 - first World Cup appearance | |||
| -- Did not compete | |||
| WORLD CUP BLOG | |
| Joanne Stanga | [Results Summary] |
Farewell Prague
----------------------------------------------------------------------
After a rousing send off party Saturday evening, Sunday was moving day as 90% of the lacrosse contingent moved out of the host hotels. For some, it was off to begin the second leg of travels to other European countries, and for others, back home to recover and get back to everyday life.
The end of a world event can be bitter sweet. Finishing the competition on a high and achieving what you set out to do is sweet. Finally giving your body time to heal is sweet. Celebrating with friends new and old is sweet. But there are other emotions too. When Wayne Gretzky retired in '99, one of the things he said he thought he'd miss the most was the daily routine of being part of the team. The every day pre-game, post-game, travelling, meals, etc. The team environment is hard to replicate anywhere else. The bonds of camaraderie grow strong through the everyday routines with teammates who become your best friends; the ones who understand you completely and know what you're going through; with whom you help guide through the highs and lows; joke and laugh with at things that only you get and will never forget. The two weeks of tournament are intense, but when it's over, these things are hard to replace and what you miss most.
My lasting memories...
• The calibre of play amongst the top four teams. The speed and power of the players, the ball, the play was beyond my expectation, and fantastic to witness.
• The "presence" of the Canadians in every game and their groundbreaking performances. A winning record of 4-3; the first victory over England, an extremely close semi-final against the Aussies, and the bronze victory.
• The grinders in Canada's midfield: Abbey and Mandy Friend, Alana Chan, and Lindsey Hart and Katie Brooks. They were exciting to watch in action: out-hustling, weaving their magic with incredible footwork, putting it all out there and always seeming to have more to give.
• Every day I found myself bumping into people I see every 2 or 4 years, catching up and renewing friendships. Unbelievably, I saw Peter and Helen Carroll from Melbourne who I met in '89 and have seen at almost every world event since. It's a great two weeks, and would highly recommend anyone who loves the game to think about making a vacation out of it in two years in Germany or four years out.
• The views of Prague where it's like being in a panoramic postcard, where everywhere you look is magnificent. The view of Prague Castle from the Charles Bridge; the city below from high atop Petrin Hill; the coloured buildings and churches in the old town hall square; the tiny cobblestone streets.
• Fun times on the transit doing my best to pronounce the street names.
• The international feel of these championships, where we didn't always understand each other, but we got by because lacrosse is our bond.
• The coexistence of sun and rain in the same sky. Nature is one of the most important factors in the aboriginal life of Native Americans - the creators of our game. The earth nourished them, the air gave them breath, and the sun and rain encouraged life. Maybe we needed both to bring out the best in the teams.
• The folks in Prague have done a great job in hosting the world. For those involved in Peterborough in 2007, you know what a monumental effort it is to bring this kind of event together and make it happen. In a small country like the Czech Republic, where players, let alone volunteers are few and far between, it's tough. We've seen players jump in and contribute even during their own game days. They made a commitment to deliver and by all accounts, they did exactly that.
Děkuju Praha a ahoj! (Thank you Prague and goodbye)
Saturday, June 27, 2009
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ohhhhhh Canada!!!
Bronze Medal Result
Canada 14 vs England 9
This morning when I walked out of my room, there was a note at the doorstep, and one on every other Canada doorstep down the hall.
Think it ... see it ... believe it ... achieve it. I think the notes say it all!
The medal games today were held at the Synot Tip Arena, the home stadium for the SK Slavia Praha football club. Less than a year old, it's a great venue, and with it's red seats in the background, perfect for the bronze medal game with red and white on both sides of the stadium.
England was at the stadium early and took their seats on the far side of the stadium opposite to the players' benches. The white England flags with the red St. Georges cross were hung in usual fashion. The showdown was on, as the Canadian contingent took the other side to face their foes head on. The maple leaf was out in full force. Support for Team Canada has been great the entire tournament.
Canada got to goal early and often, up 6-0 halfway through the first half. Mandy Friend came out of the gate raring to go, in the mix off the draw, transitioning with the ball on attack and driving to goal. She had already put away the hat trick before England managed their first. Mandy was Canada's top point-getter on the game with 5 goals and an assist. If you get a chance to watch the game footage, take a look at goal number 6 by Brooke McKenzie with the assist from Mandy. What a beaut! From the draw, the ball moved between 8 players before finding the back of the net 47 seconds later.
Within the first 10 minutes of the game, we were seeing evidence that it might not be England's day. They had managed only two shots, the first one off a post, and the second shot at point blank, seen all the way by Canada netminder, Kalley Greer. Kalley's play today was second to none, with many other key saves preventing any kind of momentum for England.
England closed out the half with three straight goals, leaving Canada up 9-4.
The second half was closer with both sides scoring 5, but Canada's first half lead proved insurmountable. On their feet for the last few minutes, Canadian fans enjoyed a loud and proud final countdown as the girls brought it home.
Once again Dana Dobbie was near perfect on the draw, and earned player of the match in the bronze final.
Congratulations to the Team Canada staff who have done a great job preparing and guiding the players to a best ever World Cup performance. (l-r: Jay Hart, Doctor; Patty Kloidt, Assistant Coach; Lisa Miller, Head Coach; Amy Bokker, Assistant Coach).
[Game sheet]
This and that...
Gold Medal Result
USA 8 vs Australia 7
• The USA vs Australia gold medal final was a barn-burner. The half time score was 3-3, indicative of extremely strong defense from both teams. In the second half time, the USA came out with renewed energy, and added 4 quick goals. The Australians were not without opportunities having a significant number of scoring chances. Always in the battle, with 4.18 to go the Aussies had reduced the lead to 2, and by the 2 minute mark, the margin was 1, with the crowd encouraging the Aussies to score again. But in the end, US held on to capture their 6th World title.
• With the strategy of having all neutral officials on the medal games, Canada and UK officials got the call for the gold medal game, and the US for the bronze. Three officials from Ontario (Cheryl MacNeill, Carolyn Toll, and Stephen Taylor) were all selected for the gold medal game. Cheryl and Stephen on the field, Carolyn on the bench.
• At the closing ceremonies, Team Canada marched out very distinguished looking in their red panama hats. JB, Jonzy, and Kylee, three of the teams veterans, performed the traditional flag run just before things got kicked off. Canada lined up for the medal presentation from FIL Women's Director, Shelley Maher, and FIL Board Member, Stan Cockerton, and standing on the field as a country representative, I had a fantastic vantage point to watch. As Tami Rayner (Jones) and Kylee White (Reade)received their medals, I thought back to our first world event in Haverford, PA with the U19s 14 years ago. Kylee had been a box player and just taken up the field game (but already showing that now familiar feistiness), and Tami hadn't had much lacrosse experience at all, but was a great athlete and competitor. We lost that first bronze medal final to England in double overtime, a game that still resonates with me for the sheer will and determination of our girls in coming back time after time. Since then, they've had a couple more bronze medal finals with England coming up just short. For both girls, this could very well be their last Worlds as players, so this was one was extra special. At the party later in the evening, six of us from the '95 team got together for a reunion photo. Tami, Kylee, Jen Johnson playing for Ireland, Naomi Walser playing for the Haudenosaunee, Cheryl MacNeill who was officiating, and myself.
•
The Heart
of Lacrosse Awards were presented at the closing party. Fitting at such a
great celebration where each team honours one person in recognition of unselfish
dedication and outstanding contribution to "an individual who has: made an
outstanding individual contribution to their team ... made an excellent
professional contribution to the event ... made a difference to someone
individually or the group as a whole, significantly enhancing their ability to
participate in the event." Team Canada awarded theirs to their own 'Hart',
Lindsey Hart.• The final awards presented were the 2009 World Team.
Attack:
Jen Adams (Australia)
Lindsey Munday (USA)
Hannah Nielsen (Australia)
Midfield:
Sarah Albrecht (USA)
Dana Dobbie (Canada)
Kristen Kjelmann (USA)
Stacey Morlang (Ausralia)
Laura Warren (Wales)
Defense:
Amber Falcone (USA)
Sarah Forbes (Australia)
Regina Oliver (USA)
Goalkeeper:
Sue McSolvin (Australia)
Friday, June 26, 2009
----------------------------------------------------------------------
15th-16th Game: Denmark 17 vs South Korea 3
13th-14th Game: Netherlands 14 vs Austria 3
11th-12th Game: Haudenosaunee 18 vs New Zealand 6
9th-10th Game: Czech Republic 15 vs Germany 5
7th-8th Game: Japan 11 vs Scotland 7
5th-6th Game: Ireland 12 vs Wales 7
Today, all the finals other than medal games were played, and the rain was still wreaking havoc. I watched Ireland play Wales in the 5th-6th game. Jen Johnson, former Canadian Team player, has been a key player for Ireland.
Once again, with about a quarter of the game left to be played, those dark clouds rolled in. The rained started, lightly at first, but that was my cue to hit the road back to the hotel. About half way back it picked up and so did I, and just as I made it to the hotel entrance at full tilt, the skies opened and boy did it come down. The game was delayed by 45 minutes, and in the end, Ireland defeated Wales 12-7. As a new competing nation, with some help from several quality US players (and 1 Canadian), they played out of the unranked C Pool into the top 5.
The Haudenosaunee finished off their tournament in the 11-12th game defeating New Zealand 18-6. Again a good start for their first World Cup.
This and that...
• Tonight, the IFWLA had it's final reception to wrap up the 37 year old organization, as the men's and women's joint Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) now takes over. The evening honoured current life members Liz Blaydes and Jackie Pitts, and 5 new life members. Susie Ganzenmuller, Marge Garinger, Feffie Barnhill, Sue Redfern and Fiona Clark, all who have made significant contributions in bringing the international organization to where it is today.
• Jackie Pitts came to Ontario in 1987 to assist us in running our first high school clinic. We had gotten a grant to help offset our costs to purchase 4 dozen new sticks and balls, etc. (We were lucky that so many sticks survived after a bunch of them flew off Barb Boyes' truck on the 401). There were 150 players from 14 schools in the Durham area - all but 4 were new to the game. That event kicked off the high school program in Ontario, and to this day, the annual High School Jamboree is still held every year. Jackie made several other visits to Canada over the years, including Saskatchewan and BC, and in speaking with her that evening, had great memories of her time here.
(View All)