Extra Weekend Together the Highlight for U.S. Youth National Team Athletes

SPARKS, Md. — For the first time in the history of USA Lacrosse’s National Team Development Program, selected players at the U17 and U19 levels competed more than once in the fall.

In previous years, players went through tryouts, the NTDP Combine and then Brogden Cup before going their separate ways — some for good, and some just until the next competition cycle.

But with the addition of the Rivalry Challenge to the competition calendar between the Combine and Brogden Cup in 2025, players returned to USA Lacrosse headquarters this weekend grateful for an extra weekend with their teammates.

“Once we went home, I was so sad,” said U.S. U17 defender Bridget Hunt, a Notre Dame commit. “I think we really set into stone this time how we knew how to play with each other. Last time, we were figuring things out. I’m really sad we don’t get to have this group again, but I know we’ll find each other and there’ll be a fourth time that we see each other.”

Hunt’s sentiments echoed throughout everyone on the U.S. Youth National Teams. Not only did an extra weekend mean more time with teammates. It also meant more time with top-level coaches to prepare them both for international competition and their upcoming college careers.

The U.S. dominated the Brogden Cup, winning the event while posting an undefeated mark of 16-0, which made the celebrations and photo sessions even sweeter.

The bonds forged were on display as players celebrated the accomplishments of others. Perhaps no cheer was louder than when Shea Shoulberg’s U17 teammates celebrated her tournament MVP award.

“We already played with each other, and we were ready to like morph together as a whole,” said Shoulberg, a 5-10 lefty attacker committed to Notre Dame. “And I think that’s why I was able to play so well, because we all got so used to each other.”

Isabel Insley, the MVP of the U19 girls’ tournament, was stunned to earn MVP honors. The 5-2, high-IQ attacker headed to Princeton called it a “teammate award.” Any goal she scored, she said, is not for her, but for the U.S.

After receiving her MVP certificate, Insley made her way to the center of the team’s photo lineup at the insistence of her teammates.

“I think it was so much team bonding, being able to have a month to regroup

and come back and spend even more time together,” Insley said about her team’s growth since the Rivalry Challenge in September. “I think that’s reflected on the field, how much chemistry we have together and how much fun and joy that we’re having right now all together.”

The month to regroup proved pivotal for the U.S. U17 boys’ team that experienced its share of ups and downs during the Rivalry Challenge. Upset with its play against Canada East in September, the players used the time between events to learn more about each other.

Evan March, who is committed to Maryland, said the defense played great from a 1-v-1 perspective but needed to gel better as a unit. They needed to learn more about each other in order to better anticipate how players slide and communicate. Their efforts paid off.

“I think one of the big things in lacrosse is understanding who you’re playing with, and I think that leads to having that connection, chemistry,” March said.

Like the U17 boys’ team, the U19 boys’ team learned from the Rivalry Challenge. The team dropped its first game of that event and made sure a loss wouldn’t happen again.

Co-captain Danny Kuriger, a defenseman headed to Loyola, said his team leaned into that experience when it trailed the Haudenosaunee Nationals 3-1 in the first quarter on Sunday. The U.S. came back to win 7-3.

“When we’re down 3-1, it’s easy to pack it up, especially in the first quarter, but I think we came together really well as a team,” he said.

It all came down to representing the United States to the best of their ability.

“Most importantly, those three letters on your chest, those are the biggest letters you’re going to wear in your lifetime,” he said.

2025 BROGDEN CUP

Featuring U17 and U19 boys’ and girls’ teams from the Haudenosaunee Nationals, Team Ontario and the United States, the Brogden Cup uses a Ryder Cup-style scoring system to determine the tournament champion. Each win nets one point for participating programs.

Sunday Scores

U19 Girls: USA def. Haudenosaunee 12-3
U19 Boys: Haudenosaunee U19 def. Ontario 7-2
U17 Girls: USA def. Ontario 18-0
U17 Boys: Ontario def. Haudenosaunee 9-1
U19 Girls: Haudenosaunee def. Ontario 11-3
U17 Boys: USA def. Haudenosaunee 12-1
U19 Boys: USA def. Haudenosaunee 7-3

FINAL STANDINGS

Points (Record)

USA 16 (16-0) 
Haudenosaunee 6 (6-11) 
Ontario 3 (3-14)