Rivalry Challenge Day Two: USA Boys' Teams Bounce Back
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© 2025 USA Lacrosse. All Rights Reserved.
© 2025 USA Lacrosse. All Rights Reserved.
SPARKS, Md. — Day two of the Rivalry Challenge was largely about adjustments for the U.S. boys’ teams that suffered letdowns against Canada East on Thursday.
Canada East topped the USA U19 Boys' Youth National Team 7-3 on Thursday, and it played to a thrilling 5-5 tie against the USA U17 Boys' Youth National Team, too. Both games provided plenty of lessons for the players, many of whom are experiencing the U.S.-Canada rivalry for the first time.
You can recap all the day one action here.
The Rivalry Challenge resumes Saturday with 37 games spread across three sites starting at 8 a.m. After two days of full-field competition, the event will shift to the sixes discipline for Saturday and Sunday.
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.
The highlight of the morning session (and maybe the highlight of the day) belonged to long-stick midfielder Ben Waechter, a standout on the USA U19 boys’ roster who committed to Duke University this week as one of the top poles in the Class of 2027.
With about six minutes left in the fourth quarter and the U.S. up comfortably against Canada West, Waechter dislodged the stick of an attackman and sent it helicoptering into the air. A loud “Oh!” erupted from the U.S. bench as the stick flipped end-over-end multiple times through the air.
“I saw him roll back and I saw the stick,” Waechter said, “so I had a chance to hit the back of the stick with that wraparound check. And I’ve been working on that, so it was good and felt good to get that down. … It’s one of the best feelings as a defenseman to get a turnover like that.”
It was a high moment in a game that represented a turning point for the USA U19 team. It had lost 7-3 to Canada East on day one of the Rivalry Challenge, making day two an early gut check.
The coaches led the conversation, with captains Mac Cronin, Danny Kuriger and Francisco Williams making their voices heard at breakfast on Friday.
“After last night's loss, we came together as a team,” Waechter said. “We bonded a little more last night, so I got to know the boys and our chemistry showed out on the field.”
Harrison Tyler is used to being around the best of the best at The Lawrenceville School (N.J.). One of the top boys’ lacrosse programs in the nation, Lawrenceville churns out Division I prospects with regularity.
Tyler could be one of the next. The Class of 2028 attackman has drawn rave reviews from talent evaluators, wowing during the summer circuit with his ability to be dangerous with both hands.
He flashed some of those chops in the USA U17 win over Canada West on Friday, dropping four goals in a 17-4 victory. He believes his game has elevated as a result of going through the National Team Development Program and making a USA Youth National Team for the first time.
He recalled trying out in New Jersey with turf temperatures reaching 120 degrees with water breaks every 10 minutes. He called it “brutal” but so very worth it in the end.
“It was a tough process to get on this team, a lot of great talent,” Tyler said. “But it's been an honor. It really means more playing for USA Lacrosse than any other team.”
Like the USA U19 boys’ team, Tyler’s squad didn’t celebrate on Thursday. It played to a thrilling 5-5 tie against Canada East that ended with multiple defensive stops in overtime. Exhilarating, sure. But it wasn’t a win.
“We basically saw that we just needed to play more as a team,” Tyler said. “? It came from the coaches and a lot of the guys on the team. We know we're better than that, and the coaches helped to push that, but it just comes with being more organized. We got a game under our belt, got some chemistry, and then came out here and dominated the day.”
Friday, Sept. 19 (to be updated as games go final)
U19 Girls — USA def. Canada West 19-2
U17 Girls — USA def. Canada West 21-3
U19 Boys — USA def. Canada West 10-2
U17 Boys — USA def. Canada West 17-4
U19 Boys — Canada East def. Canada West 8-5
U19 Girls — Canada East def. Canada West 11-6
U17 Boys — Canada East def. Canada West 7-5
U17 Girls — Canada East def. Canada West 11-7
U15 Girls — Canada East def. Canada West 12-7
U15 Boys — USA def. Canada West 9-1
U15 Girls — USA def. Canada West 21-0
USA U19 Boys def. USA U17 Boys 8-5
USA U17 Girls def. USA U19 Girls 11-9
Saturday, Sept. 20 at USA Lacrosse (Sparks, Md.) — Sixes Games
8 a.m.: U15 Girls – USA Blue vs Canada East Red
9 a.m.: U15 Boys – USA Blue vs Canada East Red
10 a.m.: U15 Girls – USA White vs Canada East Black
11 a.m.: U15 Boys – USA White vs Canada East Black
12 p.m.: U15 Girls – USA Blue vs. Canada West Red
1 p.m.: U15 Boys – USA Blue vs. Canada East Black
2 p.m.: U15 Girls – USA White vs. Canada West Black
3 p.m.: U15 Boys – USA White vs. Canada East Red
4 p.m.: U15 Girls – USA Blue vs. USA White
5 p.m.: U15 Boys – USA White vs. USA Blue
6 p.m.: U15 Girls – Canada East Red vs Canada West Red
7 p.m.: U15 Girls – Canada East Black vs Canada West Black
8 p.m.: U15 Boys – Canada East Red vs Canada East Black
Saturday, Sept. 20 at St. Paul’s Boys Field (Brooklandville, Md.) — Sixes Games
8 a.m.: U17 Boys – USA Blue vs Canada East Red
9 a.m.: U19 Boys – USA Blue vs Canada East Red
10 a.m.: U17 Boys – USA Blue vs Canada West Red
11 a.m.: U19 Boys – USA Blue vs Canada West Red
12 p.m.: U17 Boys – USA White vs Canada East Black
1 p.m.: U19 Boys – USA White vs Canada East Black
2 p.m.: U17 Boys – USA White vs Canada West Black
3 p.m.: U19 Boys – USA White vs Canada West Black
4 p.m.: U17 Boys – Canada East Red vs Canada West Red
5 p.m.: U19 Boys – Canada East Red vs Canada West Red
6 p.m.: U17 Boys – Canada East Black vs Canada West Black
7 p.m.: U19 Boys – Canada East Black vs Canada West Black
Saturday, Sept. 20 at St. Paul’s Girls School (Brooklandville, Md.) — Sixes Games
8 a.m.: U17 Girls – USA Blue vs Canada East Red
9 a.m.: U19 Girls – USA Blue vs Canada East Red
10 a.m.: U17 Girls – USA Blue vs Canada West Red
11 a.m.: U19 Girls – USA Blue vs Canada West Red
12 p.m.: U17 Girls – USA White vs Canada East Black
1 p.m.: U19 Girls – USA White vs Canada East Black
2 p.m.: U17 Girls – USA White vs Canada West Black
3 p.m.: U19 Girls – USA White vs Canada West Black
4 p.m.: U17 Girls – Canada East Red vs Canada West Red
5 p.m.: U19 Girls – Canada East Red vs Canada West Red
6 p.m.: U17 Girls – Canada East Black vs Canada West Black
7 p.m.: U19 Girls – Canada East Black vs Canada West Black
Kenny DeJohn has been the Digital Content Editor at USA Lacrosse since 2019. First introduced to lacrosse in 2016 as a Newsday Sports reporter on Long Island (yes, ON Long Island), DeJohn specializes in women's game coverage. His search for New York quality pizza in Baltimore is ongoing.
