Federation of International Lacrosse shared US Lacrosse's post.

2 months ago

US Lacrosse battles rival Canadian Lacrosse Association tomorrow at 10:00 AM LT in the Gold Medal Game at the 2018 FIL Men's World Championship. Can Canada defend their title? Or will USA reign once again? This will be a battle for the ages.REDEMPTION 🇺🇸

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Federation of International Lacrosse shared Australian Lacrosse Network's post.

2 months ago

Stats from today's Bronze Medal game between Australia and Iroquois Nationals. Congrats two both teams for an outstanding game and tournament! Iroquois Nationals end up with the Bronze Medal and Australia finishes in 4th.The Australian Men's Lacrosse Team 2018 have scored 5 of the last 6 goals in a pulsating finish to the Bronze Medal game but couldn't overcome a slow start to fall to the Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse 14 - 12 on Friday night in Netanya.

In a tight opening, both defenses were tested early but weren't giving an inch as Warren Hill and Sean Aaron were looking good. The Iroquois would be the ones to draw first blood though when Ty Thompson managed to get around Thomas Graham to open the Iroquois' account. The Iroquois then doubled down when the Australian defence suffered a miscommunication which saw Hiana Thompson bury the Iroquois' second from a Frankie Brown feed. Australia were looking for a spark and it came in the form of Chris Robertson when he blew past his defender to get the Aussies on the board. Australia kept pressing to tie the game but Warren Hill was having a great first quarter finishing with 5 saves, while at the other end it became the Austin Staats show when Staats finished a bullet pass from Lyle Thompson before going beastmode on the corner for his second to spot the Iroquois a 4 - 1 lead at the first change.

The first quarter intermission didn't seem to do much to cool off the hot start from the Iroquois with Jeremy Thompson continuing to dominate the X feeding the Iroquois machine. Callum Robinson's early slash certainly didn't help the cause either and Frankie Brown made Australia pay when he ripped a goal from the outside. Brendan Bomberry then made it 6-1 a couple of minutes later when he buried a diving shot around Aaron. Australia managed to push the ball into attack for the first time in the quarter after 5 minutes but despite the Iroquois having to switch goalkeepers due to a Warren Hill injury, Australia couldn't get off a good shot. The Iroquois then pushed forward again and in a strong move, Randy Staats got Robinson to overcommit before stepping in and putting the ball past Aaron unchallenged making it 7 - 1. Things then got a little chippy and Australia were perhaps a little unlucky to find themselves in the box when Brendon Bomberry took exception to a Caleb Hall bodycheck and gave Aaron a whack behind play which saw Bomberry and Fuss sit for an unsportsmanlike conduct and Thompson sit for the crease violation. Despite the initial man up Australia failed to convert, largely in part to a tremendous 1 on 1 save by Hill on Chris Robertson, who had returned to the field, but Australia eventually were able to make a dent when Will Pickett buried an outside shot to cut the margin to 5. Pickett was cross checked by Jimerson late and Australia were immediately given the ball again but couldn't do anything with it and the game was quickly back on level terms. Austin Staats would make sure that the Iroquois wouldn't be silenced though finishing a diving goal to make it 8 - 2 as things continued to get chippy with Caleb Hall taking exception to treatment that Aaron received on the play. At the other end Mitchell Kennedy was doing his best to keep Australia in the game when he finished a powerful dodge from X by putting the ball over Hill to cut the margin to 5 again but the Iroquois had time for one more and Randy Staats made it count when he was on the end of a series of crisp passes putting in a bomb from the outside with 20 seconds left to ensure the Iroquois reestablished their 6 goal lead at the half, leading 9-3. Warren Hill had been the difference in the first half with 9 saves while the Iroquois had managed to put an incredible 14 of the 21 shots on cage, with a bunch of in close shots putting the Australian defence under a stack of pressure.

After falling in the faceoffs throughout the first half, the second half started in promising fashion with Tim Graham winning the first few draws. Nigel Morton gave Australia the perfect start when he unleashed a laser from the outside and Lachlan Walker finished another great Australian dodge from X to cut the margin to 4 very quickly. Austin Staats though was making a habit of popping up in places Australia didn't want him and he did it again when he snuck to goal line extended unmanned and Tehoka Nanticoke found him for a steadier for the Iroquois to make it 10 - 5. Kyle Jackson then pushed it back out to 6 with a gorgeous around the back finish off of a Brendan Bomberry feed and it was certainly looking like the Iroquois' night. Lachlan Walker did his best to keep Australia close when he finished a great Robertson feed on the crease, but it was becoming a case of one step forward, one step back as the Iroquois seemed to have an answer for everything. This time it was Frankie Brown who took a pass from Jackson on the cut and he put it past Aaron to make it 12 - 6. Will Pickett then finished on a great cut with the feed from Jim Lawerson to make it 12 - 7 as Australia simply wouldn't go away. Both sides had chances to add another in the dying moments of the third quarter as Robinson's long range bomb went wide and then the Iroquois went from end to end in under 10 seconds only for Randy Staats to be denied by the post as time expired, with the Iroquois taking a 12 - 7 lead into the final change.

Australia couldn't afford to give up the first goal in the last quarter but that is exactly what happened when Kyle Jackson added his second goal to start the last and the Iroquois were out by 6 again. Jeffrey Melsopp then seemed to light a fire under Australia when he went on a bullocking run which saw a #polegoal and after Bomberry gave him the business after the goal, Australia went straight back into a man up. Australia had their tails up and Morton absolutely stuck the shot from the outside and Australia had back to back goals to cut the Iroquois lead to 4 with 10.28 in the game. Australia kept pressing but it was Hill who had something to say making a great save on Nigel Morton but Australia got the ball back and Morton sliced through 4 Iroquois defenders to finish Australia's third in a row and the Aussies were starting to find their voice as the Iroquois lead was cut to 13-10 with a shade over 9 minutes to play. Tim Graham was coming up huge in the face, winning almost every faceoff in the quarter to that point, but after another great Hill save, Alex Brown's feed to Walker sailed high and the Iroquois were out. The Iroquois were keen to hold onto the ball for a bit but a defensive substitution gave the Iroquois an opportunity and the Staats combined to give the Iroquois' a much needed goal. Australia would not be perturbed though as Tom Graham answered right back for Australia to make it 14 - 11. The Iroquois won a timely faceoff to press forward and in an attempt get fresh legs, Ryan Spark had been substituted in for Aaron and Australia went into a full press with Spark leaving the cage to double team the Iroquois. Despite lacking approval from Quint Kessnich, the strategy would pay off as Australia forced the turnover and after the Iroquois copped a tripping foul and an offside, the Aussies were 2 men up with 3 to play. Robertson couldn't bury the initial shot but Morton could on the next go around and Australia were well and truly alive cutting the margin to 2 with 2.30 left. Tim Graham then won another draw and got the shot off on the break but the Iroquois backed up and got the ball. The Australian pressure was starting to take a toll on the Iroquois and they gifted the ball back to Australia with 2 to play. It had been the Nigel Morton show in the last quarter but Warren Hill would be the hero making 2 huge saves in the dying minute to win the ball back for the Iroquois and the Iroquois would hold on despite Australia's best efforts to claim the bronze 14 - 12.

Despite the heartbreakig finish, it was a hell of an effort from the Sharks. Nigel Morton was simply sensational in the second half for Australia with 4 huge goals but Australia's best had to be Tim Graham. After going 3 for 7 in the first half, the young stud from Malvern put in a memorable second half going 12 for 12 to dominate NLL and MLL star Jeremy Thompson, ensuring Australia could get back into the match. Will Pickett was particularly active again and credit to Jeff Melsopp for lighting the spark Australia needed. Credit where credit is due though and Warren Hill was simply outstanding for the Iroquois. Despite Australia winning the shot count 43 - 32, the difference was Hill who had an incredible 16 saves, including 4 in the last quarter.

For Australia, they finish the 2018 World Championships in 4th spot in a Championship which Australia can take alot of heart out of. After their 19 - 1 loss to the US on Day 2, things were looking shady, but the Sharks responded in incredible fashion, closing the gap on Canada whilst seeing off the England and Israel threat. Australia were then very competitive against the USA before reminding the World that we are not a forgotten power, with tonight's thrilling comeback. Congratualations to Glenn Meredith and his staff on a great championship and we congratulate each and every member of the 2018 Sharks on an incredible effort. You did us proud.

Iroquois 14 (A. Staats 4-1, R. Staats 3, Brown 2-2, Jackson 2-1, Bomberry 1-1, T. Thompson 1, H. Thompson 1, L. Thompson 0-2, Nanticoke 0-1) def Australia 12 (Morton 4, Walker 2, Pickett 2, Robertson 1-2, Kennedy 1, Melsopp 1, Graham 1, Lawerson 0-2, Muxlow 0-1. Plumb 0-1)

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