Cuocco Stars as USA Women Surge Past Canada to Win Atlas Cup

SPARKS, Md. – If you were a producer for Disney, you couldn’t dream up a better fairytale than Jenika Cuocco has lived the past few months. 

In May, she helped Northwestern to the NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship and was named to the all-tournament team. Less than three months later she hoisted another championship trophy, helping lead the Maryland Charm to the inaugural Women’s Lacrosse League championship, sharing goaltending duties with one of her idols – Caylee Waters.

Two days after winning a pro championship, she was at USA Lacrosse headquarters for a sixes training camp with the U.S. Women’s National Team, once again playing with one of her idols – Taylor Moreno.

This weekend it was no longer a training camp, Cuocco got to wear the red, white and blue in game action, leading the U.S. to the championship at the Atlas Cup in a 12-6 victory over rival Canada on Sunday.

“Ten out of ten – words can’t even describe how grateful I am to be here,” Cuocco said. 

U.S. head coach Lindsey Munday was grateful Cuocco was there this weekend, especially when Shea Dolce went down with an injury early in the first game on Friday night against the Haudenosaunee Nationals. JJ Suriano, who has also trained with the team and is currently playing at the University of Maryland, answered the call as an emergency backup, but Cuocco went the rest of the way in the tournament.

The U.S. needed Cuocco at her best on Sunday and she certainly was. Cuocco made 14 saves in the victory to earn Capelli Sport Player of the Game honors and she finished the tournament with a 69.2 save percentage to earn the Titan Award as the outstanding player at this year’s Atlas Cup.

The U.S. beat Canada 15-14 on a last-minute goal in the championship game of the Pan-American Lacrosse Championship earlier this month and Sunday’s game, matching two undefeated teams at the tournament looked like it was going to do down to the wire as well.

Canada led 3-2 after the opening quarter and it was tied 6-6 early in the third quarter, but Cuocco’s stellar play kept the U.S. in the game until the offense finally broke through.

“I feel like in my career in the past year I’ve been in some tight games, and I feel like that’s prepared me really well,” Cuocco said. “Shea was so supportive every step of the way and my defense did awesome to have my back.” 

After Canada’s Erica Evans tied the game at 6-6, the USA’s Kate Levy scored just 19 seconds later and that gave the U.S. the lead for good, igniting a six-goal run. Levy closed the scoring as well, completing a fantastic tournament in which she led the U.S. with 15 points, tying Madison Taylor for the team lead with seven assists.

Sydni Black, Anna Brandt, Ally Mastroianni and Levy all had two goals and Taylor had three assists.

Canada had six different goal scorers with Hanna Bodner and Annabel Child each registering a goal and an assist. Goalie Alecia Nicholas made nine saves.

This was the second straight year the U.S. beat Canada in the championship of the Atlas Cup and it provided a memorable moment for Cuocco.

“I’ve dreamed of putting the uniform on,” Cuocco said. “I’ve watched for years my idols playing for this team. It’s kind of a surreal feeling to put on the same USA jersey that they’ve been wearing.”

In Sunday’s earlier game, the Haudenosaunee Nationals found themselves in a 10-3 hole late in the first half against Ireland, but completely turned the game around to post an 18-14 victory.

Ireland took its last lead at 13-12 on a Brenna Campbell goal late in the third quarter, but the Haudenosaunee’s Sierra Cockerille scored with 27 seconds left in the quarter to tie things up and set the stage for a dramatic fourth quarter.

Jalyn Jimerson scored the first two goals of the fourth quarter to give the Haudenosaunee the lead and that’s all they would need. Jimerson finished the game with five goals on just six shots to earn Capelli Sport Player of the Game honors.

Cockerille had a team-high seven points on four goals and three assists and Paisley Cook also scored four goals. Paige Crandall made 11 saves in the game, including five in the fourth quarter when Ireland was limited to a single goal.

Livy Rosenzweig led Ireland with five goals and Orla Howlett added three goals and two assists.

Women's All-Tournament Team
Sydni Black, United States
Sierra Cockerille, Haudenosaunee
Jenika Cuocco, United States
Erica Evans, Canada
Ally Kennedy,  United States
Nicole Perroni, Canada

Titan Award (MVP): Jenika Cuocco, United States

Men's All-Tournament Team
Zach Currier, Canada
Brett Dobson, Canada
Thomas McConvey, Canada
Joey Spallina, United States
Matt Traynor, United States
Zed Williams, Haudenosaunee

Titan Award (MVP): Zach Currier, Canada