It was highly contested battle that came down to perseverance and clutch performances by Team USA, who came away with the big 10-7 victory. This truly was a heated matchup between Team USA and Team Canada in the World Lacrosse Women’s Box Championship. Let’s break down the game step by step.
The first quarter was a real defensive battle with both sides struggling to break through each other’s defenses. The only goal of the quarter came just 53 seconds in when Ally Kennedy put USA on the board. Though both teams continued to get chances throughout, the remainder of the quarter saw no further scoring, leaving USA ahead 1-0 after the first 15 minutes.
Early in the second quarter, USA expanded their lead to 2-0 as Ally Mastroianni scored with 13:41 left on the clock. Later in the second quarter, though, Canada began to find its footing. It wasn’t until Brooklyn Walker-Welch finally broke through for Canada, scoring with just 1:13 remaining in the second half, for a 2-1 USA lead at halftime.
That carried over into the third quarter, as Canada came out with a quick game-tying goal from Dana Dobbie with 12:07 left to make it 2-2. Goals began to flow more freely from there. Katy de Snoo gave Canada its first lead with 8:06 left in the third quarter off Erica Evans. Erin Bakes pulled the game back level once again for Team USA in the third quarter to tie it all at 3-3.
Megan Kinna then gave Canada the lead to close out the third, but Livy Rosenzweig responded to open the fourth for the USA and tied it at 4-4. The game then became an offensive shootout: Harlowe Steele scored with to put Canada up 5-4. But Livy Rosenzweig wasn’t done-just 12 seconds later she scored again and it was 5-5 with 11:48 on the clock.
Then, the switch came for Team USA. Erica Evans scored with 8:29 left to give Canada the 6-5 lead, but USA went the other way of spectacular fashion. A flurry of goals saw USA go on a game-changing 5-goal run in the final stretch, starting with Livy Rosenzweig completing her hat trick with 7:55 left to tie the game again at 6-6. Riley Ewing gave USA the lead with 5:42 left, Erin Bakes extended it to 8-6 just 3 minutes later, Charlotte North added insurance with 4:17 remaining while Ally Kennedy sealed the win with another at 59:05, completing the massive 10-7 comeback victory for USA.
The final scoreline shows a determined Team USA down on an even late deficit and turning it into an emphatic victory. Further stats reflect the close nature of the game, with both teams almost neck and neck in shots-Canada taking 48 shots to USA’s 45-but the manner in which USA managed to capitalize on crucial opportunities down the stretch made all the difference.
In this match, the goalkeeping played a very important role. While Canada’s Kayla Kondo dropped 35 saves with a save percentage of 78%, it was USA’s Ingrid Boyum who stole the limelight, coming up with 41 saves with a save percentage of 85% and constantly keeping the Canadian attack at bay during much-needed times.
Livy Rosenzweig, of USA, led all with 3 goals and 2 assists, while Erica Evans had a high point total for Canada at 1 goal and 4 assists. It was USA’s determination and strong finish that ultimately enabled them to hold off the push from Canada.
This was a huge win for USA Women’s Box Lacrosse starting their development into being the premier team in the rising sport. And then, of course, there was that 5-goal run from Team USA in the final minutes of the game-a composure seen in few to see out the pressure and capitalize when it mattered most. For Canada, it was a tough loss, having had the lead on multiples occasions, but proof the game was highly contested between two teams and a sign of the growing talent in the women’s game.
