Brennan O’Neill’s breakout game didn’t come until the quarterfinals.
The Duke superstar wasn’t pressing, but knew he could do more. His five goals and three assists against Puerto Rico lit a fire for the U.S., which scored a tournament-high 21 goals that night. After the game, he took no credit.
“If the team needs me to score and I have an open shot, I’m going to take it,” he said. “Sometimes I’m at the end of the rainbow and I score the most goals, and sometimes, it’s someone else’s day.”
Polished athletes always deflect praise. It’s postgame 101. Around the U21 team, though, the altruism felt genuine. The “we before me” mantra bred unselfish play — sometimes too unselfish — and fostered team lacrosse.
O’Neill, the team’s top scorer with 25 points (18 goals), was No. 12 on the tournament leaderboard. Alex Slusher (22 points), CJ Kirst (21 points) and Bundy (16 points) weren’t far behind. In four pool-play games, four different players — Pat Kavanagh, Bundy, O’Neill and Cole Kirst — led the team in scoring. They’ll suit up as college rivals, in some cases, in just a few months, but maybe two weeks in Ireland will take the edge off.
“That’s my biggest takeaway from all these training camps and moments,” Cole Kirst said. “Playing lacrosse, it’s so special. You’re competing with the best in the world. But it’s even better sharing a meal and getting to live with each other in the village.”
The athlete village was a melting pot. A hub of sport and culture. Players from the U.S., Japan and Puerto Rico stayed in the cottages of Kilmurry Village and shared the courtyard where the U.S. played wall ball with Japan and Jake Naso offered faceoff specialist Yusuke Takeda one of his backup heads after Takeda broke his in a game.
Life in Kilmurry Village, at least for the U.S. team, was built around an open-door policy. Front doors, literally, were always open. Need something? Just try the next cottage over. Or the next one. They played cards, scarfed down PB&J sandwiches and even tried hurling, the traditional stick and ball game of Ireland.
Kilmurry Village was the starting point for every U.S. endeavor. Two lines, each pin straight. The U.S. did everything together.
“I’ll hold onto these moments in the village the last two weeks forever,” Nick Myers said. “This is a forever game.”
After the players cut down nets, got their “World Champs 2022” hats and posed for pictures with the trophy, Myers gathered them for one last huddle. “This is a brotherhood,” he told them again.
Myers finished with a request. After walking to practice, meals and meetings together for the entire time in Ireland, he asked that they walk off the field together in two lines. Finish it how it started.
Ryan Schriber hoisted the flag over his left shoulder. “We Are the Champions” played on Danny Parker’s iPhone, the only light coming from the dim lampposts on campus that lined the road back to Kilmurry Village. The flag waved in the now-gentle wind.
“It’s been a three-year process. I’m just grateful for our guys,” Bundy said. “We won with love. We won with courage.”
Big shoes filled.