Izzy Scane, Belle Smith and Caitlyn Wurzburger combined for 14 goals to lead the US Women’s U19 Team past Australia 21-6 in the semifinal round of the World Lacrosse Women’s U19 World Championship at Trent University.
The U.S. advances to Saturday’s championship game against the winner of tonight’s Canada-England semifinal. The championship game is set for 3 p.m. (Eastern) and will be streamed live on Lax Sports Network and the Olympic Channel.
As it has done all tournament, the U.S. got off to a fast start. Maddie Jenner won the first three draws of the game, helping lead to a goal by Megan Carney just 33 seconds into the game and a pair of goals by Scane.
Australia’s Madison Copeland then scored on a free position shot with 7:10 remaining the quarter, ending a string of more than 133 minutes of shutout defense by the United States that dated back to Sunday’s pool play win over Canada. The U.S. blanked Hong Kong and Wales in its first two playoff games.
Scane and Wurzburger responded with goals for the U.S., but Australia’s Indyah Williams scored with just 11 seconds left in the first quarter to cut the margin to 5-2.
The second quarter saw the skies open up and was played in a heavy rain for much of the 15-minute period. The teams went back and forth before a late goal by Wurzburger gave the U.S. a 9-4 lead heading into halftime. The U.S. then took control of the game by scoring the first four goals of the second half.
Australia is a tough team. They really battled and they challenged us. We needed that. I thought we played better in the second half. Our pace of play was much better. I’m excited with the momentum we gained in the second half.
– U.S. head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller
Scane, a second team All-Amercian as a freshman at Northwestern this spring, was held to a single goal in the pool play meeting between these two teams, a 12-4 U.S. win. Tonight, she poured in six goals, the most for any U.S. player in a game at this tournament.
Smith and Wurzburger each added four goals and two assists and Wurzburger, the team’s leading scorer with 37 points through six games, was named the Player of the Match. Michaela McMahon and Emma Schettig each added two goals and Carney had a goal and three assists.
The U.S. won 23 of 30 draws in the match, led by Jenner with 14 and Bri Gross with seven. Goalies Madison Doucette and Rachel Hall each made four saves while splitting halves with Hall getting the start and Doucette closing things out.
