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The announcement of the World Team selections was made at the closing banquet of the FIL 2011 World U19 Championship in Hannover, Germany on Saturday, August 13. Twelve players were selected by position: 3 Attack, 5 Midfield, 3 Defense, 1 Goalkeeper. Congratulations to our 3 Canadian World Team members! Katie Donohoe (far left) – Goalkeeper
On Friday we played the most important game of our lacrosse careers and probably the most emotional. The game against the Aussies started out with a quick 4 goal lead. This brought thunder and lightning causing yet another delay. I have to admit that I was pretty down as we walked from the field to the dressing rooms because I knew my chances at a silver were slowly slipping away and I felt like I couldn’t do anything to stop it. However like it has been for the last two years my teammates pumped me up and got me ready to bring it when we returned to the field. No matter how bad things may be going I know that I have 17 girls that have my back and i can’t thank them enough for that. The thunderstorm brought lots of rain causing flooding on the field which pushed the game back. When the second half began the aussies continued to score and increase thier lead. During the second half however we finally came to life and managed to come within 4 goals at the end of the game. Although this loss meant that the dream of making it to the gold medal game was over I have never been so proud of all my teammates for the character and heart they displayed during that game. Saturday we played England in hopes of bringing home a bronze medal. This was the best game i think we played because each member of the team played with heart, determination, and intensity. From our first goal we never looked back! There really isn’t much to say about the game other than the fact that it was an amazing feeling when the final buzzer sounded and we all knew we had just won the bronze medal. For me it didn’t matter that it wasn’t a gold medal and it was a great way to end our world cup journey. I have to say that it was the best feeling in the world when they put the medal around my neck! It is hard to believe that it is all over now! The last two years have been amazing and im so glad that I decided to be part of the team canada programme. I had some great times and made some friendships I know will last a life time. It was not an easy journey but I wouldn’t trade my experience with anything and I think all the sacrafices that I made in order to take part in this were completly worth it. This was truly the greatest experience of my life! On Friday we took on the Aussies in the semi finals. It was the longest game of all time. Our game began at 3:30, and we came out terribly. Within the first 5 min. of the game we were down 0-4. Then we had to clear the field for the weather as there was another storm. We spent the next hour and a half refocusing, staying pumped up and staying loose, only to be told that our game will be delayed until 8:30. We went back to the hotel, ate dinner and then boarded the shuttles back to the field. Although the rain was still coming down, we were able to play. We got off to another slow start, and went down 2-9. After an amazing second half, we were unable to come back and lost the game 10-14. This loss was extremely disappointing as our dream of playing in the gold medal game had been taken away. The coaches gave us the rest of the night to have our own pitty parties, but when the morning came it was time to get focused again. We would play England on Saturday in the bronze medal game. On Saturday everyone was ready to go. Although we were still disappointed with the loss we were ready to compete for our last shot at a medal. This game was the strongest 60 min. of lacrosse we have played as a team – what a great way to end the World Championship! The bronze medal belongs to Canada!!! WEEEEOOOO! Following the gold medal game, which USA won, was the closing ceremonies where we received our medals. The feeling I got when they put the medal around my neck can not be put into words. Working with these girls for two years, making sacrifices, running sprints, and having 3-a-days payed off and we were able to leave everything we had on the field. After closing ceremonies was the banquet. It was neat to see all the teams dressed up. Japan looked amazing in their traditional outfits! With the world championship coming to an end, we had one night to go out and celebrate as a team. After a long day of traveling, I am home, still unable to believe that my experience is already over. Playing in the world championship was the most amazing opportunity. The relationships we have developed, as well as the memories will last a life time. GO CANADA GO! HANNOVER, Germany- Mercyhurst College women’s lacrosse player Samantha Cock participated in the Under-19 (U19) Women’s Lacrosse World Championship for Team Canada. Cock helped Canada to a bronze medal at the event, as she played in each match. The Canadian team beat England 14-5 in the bronze medal game, while Team USA defeated Australia in the gold medal contest. Cock, coming off her freshman season at Mercyhurst, blogged about the event and her stay in Hannover, Germany. August 13 August 12 The game started back up in the evening but the score started the same as we left off, so we were down huge to start. We came out slow again and couldn’t seem to win any of the draws, so the Aussies always had possession. We were down 11-3 at the end of the first half. We woke up and made a huge charge back in the second and outscored them 7-3, but it was too late and the goals from earlier in the day came back to haunt us and we lost 14-10. If we could only play a full 60 like we played the second half… It was devastating to have our chance at gold slip away and I am not sure I will get over it soon. We play England tomorrow for a chance at a bronze medal, so we can only look ahead to that. Look forward to a bronze and some Harry Potter, British style! August 10 Source: For the complete blog, visit Mercyhurst Athletics Website
The highlight of the game was not just getting the win, but that on lucky number 13 of August, it was how they did it. Canada put together the complete game. Friday had been a long day. First waiting out the rain and delay to finish the semi-final with Australia 6 hours after it started and then ending it with a disappointing outcome. But the team regrouped with a new focus – to finish these Championships with a bang! And that they did! Canada was in their red jerseys and came out of the gate red hot. Taylor Landry (3), Tawnie Johnson (2) Casey Lyons (1) and Julie Cryderman (1) got things started in the attacking end giving Canada a comfortable 7 goal cushion. Back on defense, Canada’s netminder, Katie Donohoe, was making save after save sending the fans into a cheering frenzy. Defensively, we seemed to be seeing the ball right out of England’s sticks and kept any possession England had to a minimum. In fact, it took almost 20 minutes before they were finally able to get one past Katie, and she shut them down for the remainder of the half closing it out at 8-1. In the second half, although England managed to get 4 back, it was Canada who added a couple exclamation marks to their story by finishing with the last 5 goals of the game off the sticks of Cryderman (2), Johnson (1), Morissette (1), Landry (1), and line defender, Karli MacKendrick (1). With the defensive unit running the ball so well through transition, they were given the green light to go to goal and created some good scoring opportunities with MacKendrick putting one away and Ashley Bull setting up another. From front to back, inside and out, it was just good ‘ole Canadian lacrosse.
Congratulations Canada!!
Filed by Joanne Stanga Well, what can you do. Yesterday’s game is one that ended in a loss but honestly it was much more than that. Unfortunately it crushed the dreams of 18 girls and a number of coaches to be the first team in history to reach the gold medal game. Nothing about yesterday can be sugar coated. We trailed early in the game and we were unable to come back. Although everything seemed like hell and just plain awful, there’s always a bright side. I for one and so proud of everyone on this team. We took a big hit at the end of the first half where we were down 11-3. Ouch. But then in the 2nd half, holy hell did we ever dominate. The final score was 14-10. We scored 7, 5 of which were consecutive goals I believe, and they only scored 3. You could see in all of our eyes that we weren’t going to put up with anymore Australian play and we showed it… unfortunately, a little too late. But hey, give us 10 more minutes in that game and we would of come out on top. Today is a new day with a new opportunity. We’re the same 18 girls, just with a slightly different goal: the Bronze medal. Coach Teeter said something today that I feel reasured my emotions and pain and I’m sure for others as well. He said that no matter what, we have an opportunity to get a medal. How many teams here don’t have that chance? We are one of the 4 teams who are competing for a medal… and 8 teams arn’t even in reach of a medal. That in itself is a huge accomplishment. The last medal won by a Canadian team was in 2003. That’s going to change. We are going to dominate today because 60 minutes is all that we have left. Not only in this tournament but as a team. After being with eachother for 18 months, it doesn’t seem real that I won’t be flying to Ontario for a practice session or tournament. It’s all over once that final whistle blows. Honestly, these girls deserve it. We all do. No questions asked. I’m so ready to go, like you have no idea. HOLYYYY LET’S GO CANADAAA! The second semi-final match at the 2011 FIL World U19 Championship today between Canada and Australia was ‘eventful’ to say the least. In the first semi, USA defeated England by a score of 19-5. With the full compliment of Canadian fans now in place (well over 120), the dads and brothers had prepared a special surprise for the players for the anthem. Even the fans in the stands were so surprised there was a delay before they could regroup to start singing. With formalities behind them, the game was set to go — Canada in red, Australia in gold. About 4 and a half minutes into the first half, thunder and lightening struck, which is an automatic 30 minute delay. The teams came off the field, and about 20 minutes into the delay, it struck again, pushing it out another 30 minutes. Around 4:30 pm came word that the game would be postponed until 8:30 pm as the fields were now unplayable after all the rain that had fallen over the last hour. But within those first few minutes, the Aussies had managed to pile in 4 goals to take a 4-0 lead before play was suspended. The break was long enough for both teams to head back to their hotel, have dinner, regroup, and then return to the fields. At 8:30 pm, when play resumed, Canada got 3 on the board before the end of the first half, 2 from Jordan Lyons with feeds from Jacqueline Boissonneault and one from Cian Dabrowski. The Aussies still had the hot hand though, putting 7 others away, ending the first half at 11-3. The Canadian girls dug in for the second half and kept chipping away. Jordan Lyons added another pair, while Boissonneault, Dabrowski, Kaylin Morissette, Taylor Landry and Casey Lyons added singles. The second half score was 7-3 Canada, but in the end, the Aussies were moving on to the Gold medal game with a win of 14-10. Last week, during the Canada - England game, when lightening pulled the teams off the field, the result benefitted the Canadians, but in today’s game, possibly the longest game on record at a U19 event, starting at 3:30 pm and finishing around 9:30 pm, the same result was not to be. Tomorrow, Canada will regroup for the Bronze medal final with England — the fifth in a row — two wins for England and two wins for Canada. The game is scheduled for 12:30 pm (local time), providing the weather co-operates for one more day. What athlete does not dream about the kind of day Team Canada is going to have tomorrow. It’s semi-final day at the 2011 FIL World U19 Championship in Hannover, Germany, and Canada has a much-anticipated rematch with the Aussies. The winner will move on to the gold medal game on Saturday against the winner of USA and England, and the loser will play in the bronze medal game. Canada has faced Australia in the semi-finals in the last two world events. In 2007, while our U19s defeated them in round-robin play 11-8, the semi-final ended with an Aussie 21-9 win. In 2009, Canada’s World Cup Team was within 1 goal (11-10) right up until the final minute of play when Australia scored the game breaker to end at 12-10.
Tonight, players and coaches headed out for a pre-game dinner. There were lots of smiles and spirits are high. Tomorrow, it will be all business. We know all the cliches … The bottom line? The players have been well prepared and know what they have to do. The coaches will simply ask that they go out and execute. They’ll ask for 100% from every player; the players will expect 100% from each other; and each one individually will demand it of themselves. It’s going to be a great game. For everyone in Canada, the game is at 3:30 pm (local time). That’s 9:30 am EDT, 7:30 am MDT; and 6:30 am PDT. Follow along with us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/LacrosseCanada
On Wednesday we played Haudenosaunee in the quarter finals. Although we were fired up for playoffs it was difficult to play our game against a weaker team. This was obvious in the first half when we were only up 8-3. The game wasn’t our best but we were still able to win 20-5. Our second half was much stronger. This win allows us to play in the semi final game on friday. Today we had a day off, however this was a much different free day then the last. We had an early breakfast and then a practice. We had no free time throughout the day, but we went out for a team dinner rather then eating in the hotel again. Once dinner was over we had some film, and a mini pump up session for our game tomorrow. This day gave us a lot to time to prepare physically and mentally for our biggest game of the tournament. As a team we are not looking ahead one bit, and going into tomorrows game like its our gold medal game. The other players, coaching staff and fans have high expectations for tomorrows game, and we don’t plan to disappoint. GO CANADA GO! |
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Copyright © 2012 Team Canada Women's Lacrosse - All Rights Reserved |
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Canada captured Bronze today at the 2011 FIL World U19 Championship in Hannover, Germany defeating England by a score of 14-5. The win today, brings bronze to Canada for the 3rd time in 5 meetings with England at the World U19 Championships.
