Rivalry Challenge Day One: OT Thriller, Comeback Story and Three Stars

SPARKS, Md. — Day one of the Rivalry Challenge did not disappoint.

The USA Lacrosse event featuring youth national teams from Canada and the United States commenced with seven games and opening ceremonies Thursday at Tierney Field.

The USA U15, U17 and U19 girls’ teams posted an undefeated 3-0 mark. The USA U17 boys played Canada East to a 5-5 tie in a thriller that ended with multiple defensive stops in overtime.

Canada’s two wins came in U19 and U15 boys’ action, as Canada East defeated the USA U19 team 7-3 and the Annapolis Hawks U15 team 5-3.

The USA U15 boys’ team also prevailed against the Hawks by the same 5-3 score.

The Rivalry Challenge resumes Friday with 13 games starting at 8 a.m. and culminating in a pair of intrasquad exhibitions in which the U.S. Youth National U17 and U19 teams will square off against each other.

Eighty-three games total will be played over the course of four days here at USA Lacrosse and at the nearby St. Paul’s Schools. After two days of full-field competition, the event will shift to the sixes discipline Saturday and Sunday.

Maria Anaya’s Comeback Tour

Last year, Maria Anaya suffered an ACL injury, which ended her 2024 season at Coronado (Calif.) High School after just three games.

Following reconstructive surgery, she spent the rest of the year in rehab in order to return to the sport she has been playing since third grade.

“I did rehab every day,” said Anaya, 17. “I was fully committed to it.”

To put an exclamation point on her comeback story, on Thursday she scored the first goal of the game, then added two draw controls and four ground balls to help lead the U.S. U19 Youth National Team to a 15-4 victory over Canada on day one of the Rivalry Challenge in Sparks, Md.

“It’s so amazing to be here and be surrounded by all these great players,” Anaya said.

Although she admits to being a bit apprehensive in her initial return to the field this past February, joining a strong Coronado lineup helped ease her concerns. The midfielder quickly found her game.

“Having so many good players on my high school team helped me to step it up and play at a high level,” she said.

The Islanders were the top-ranked high school team in California this past spring and finished No. 24 in the final USA Lacrosse High School Girls' National Top 25, the only team from the West Region to crack the ranking. CHS’s stellar campaign included wins over Virginia powerhouse St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes, as well as the top-ranked team in Illinois, Loyola Academy.

Coronado capped a perfect 19-0 season by winning the CIF-San Diego Section championship for the first time. Proving that she was fully recovered, Anaya earned USA Lacrosse All-American and All-Academic honors.

At her mom’s urging, Anaya registered for USA Lacrosse’s National Team Development Program tryout at San Diego State University in late April. To her own surprise, she made a strong enough impression to earn an invitation to the national combine at USA Lacrosse headquarters in late July. She then emerged from the three-day combine as one of 24 players on the U19 national team.

“I’m learning so much by being around these girls and seeing them play,” Anaya said. “It helps me to elevate my game when I’m around so many talented players. It’s such a great environment.”

Anaya’s whirlwind comeback campaign also yielded another unexpected gift. She opened enough eyes through her play this past summer to catch the attention of several college coaches. In between tryouts, the combine and some club tournaments, she made several college visits and accepted an offer from coach Erica Bamford — a former U.S. Women’s National Team player — to join the 2026 recruiting class at Yale.

“Yale is amazing, and I really can’t ask for anything better,” said Anaya, a San Diego native with family roots in Mexico. “I’m looking forward to experiencing life on the East Coast. It looks so different from where I live. I’m so excited.”

— Paul Ohanian

OT THRILLER ENDS IN TIE

The U.S. U17 Boys' Youth National Team staged a late fourth-quarter rally to force overtime, but Canada East goalie Lucas Ward denied the Americans twice in overtime, including a last-second save on George Caldroney to preserve a 5-5 tie.

Canada East continued to get stellar goalie play in the U19 contest that followed, as Cole Downey blanked the U.S. in the first half and kept the Americans scoreless for nearly 17 minutes to close out a 7-3 victory.

Rivalry Challenge Scoreboard

Thursday, Sept. 18

U15 Girls — USA 23, Canada East 3
U17 Girls — USA 9, Canada East 6
U19 Girls — USA 15, Canada East 4
U17 Boys — USA 5, Canada East 5 (OT)
U19 Boys — Canada East 7, USA 3
U15 Boys — USA 5, Annapolis Hawks 3
U15 Boys —Canada East 5, Annapolis Hawks 3

Three Stars

Lanie Friedman, USA U15 Girls — Scored six goals in a 23-3 victory over Canada East.

Ayden Brady, Canada East U17 Girls — Made 13 saves in a 9-6 loss to USA.

Kaleb Tatarek, Canada East U19 Boys — Scored four goals, including two in the fourth quarter to ice a 7-3 win over USA.

Rivalry Challenge Schedule

Friday, Sept. 19 at USA Lacrosse (Sparks, Md.)

8 a.m.: U19 Girls — Canada West vs USA
9 a.m.: U17 Girls — Canada West vs USA
10 a.m.: U19 Boys — Canada West vs USA
11 a.m.: U17 Boys — Canada West vs USA
12 p.m.: U19 Boys — Canada East vs Canada West
1 p.m.: U19 Girls — Canada East vs Canada West
2 p.m.: U17 Boys — Canada East vs Canada West
3 p.m.: U17 Girls — Canada East vs Canada West
4 p.m.: U15 Girls — Canada East vs Canada West
5 p.m.: U15 Boys — Canada vs USA
6 p.m.: U15 Girls — Canada West vs USA
7 p.m.: USA U17 Boys vs USA U19 Boys
8 p.m.: USA U17 Girls vs. USA U19 Girls