Canada Too Fast, Too Efficient for U.S. in Super Sixes Final

OSHAWA, Ontario — Canada used a trio of three-goal runs to defeat the United States 16-12 in the gold medal game of the World Lacrosse Super Sixes event in Oshawa, Ontario.

Jake Stevens and Dyson Williams each netted a hat trick for Canada, while Owen Hiltz helped the home side pull away with three fourth-quarter assists. Jon Donville added two goals and two assists.

The U.S. was led by CJ Kirst, who finished with three goals and an assist. Goalie Liam Entemann recorded 11 saves.

The first quarter was not the start that the U.S. was hoping for. The Americans were unable to make passes nor hit the net on shots, and Canada was outrunning them for the first eight minutes of the game.

Canada had seven goals from six different scorers. The U.S. only had four — all of them from the inside, which was a positive as it demonstrated efficient ball movement.

After an eye-opening first quarter, the U.S. had to quickly change gears and increase its speed, physicality and shot selection.  The Americans did just that, operating more from behind the goal to open up shooting lanes, keeping their feet in motion and finding the matchups.

Canada wasn’t going away quietly. It too increased its speed and physicality, winning more loose-ball battles for secondary offensive possessions.

With more physicality came more infractions, and the U.S. ran into penalty trouble by committing three straight major penalties. Canada was able to score on one of those power plays to widen its lead. Both teams each tallied just one goal in the second quarter to see Canada take an 8-5 lead at the half.

Unsurprisingly, Canada capitalized on the two-man game — the tactic deployed when  team swings the ball to the side with two players of the same shot and lets them run a pick-and-roll to get one of the players open and shoot. Canada excels in this due to the prevalence of box lacrosse north of the border, a discipline that’s much closer to sixes than the full-field game preferred in the U.S.

The Americans went back to their roots by swinging the ball through X. dodging down the alley and shooting on the run. Both Kirst brothers — CJ and Connor — were able to dodge and score. They helped spark some offense for the U.S., but not enough.

Coulter Mackesy started to score in the third quarter from the outside and ripped shots past Canadian goalie Grayson Manning. But despite Mackesy getting going, Challen Rogers and Williams scored on back-to-back shots for Canada to go up 12-8 heading into the fourth quarter.

In the fourth, it was a quick goal from Adam Poitras that made it a five-goal advantage for Canada, but Mackesy and Connor Kirst countered quickly to make it 13-10.

Not long after, Rogers fired an outside shot on the power play that saw many American fans hang their heads and get worried that they couldn’t mount a comeback. It didn’t help when Poitras and Jake Stevens scored 34 seconds apart to put the game out of reach at 16-10.

Trailing by six with less than two minutes remaining, the U.S. rallied with a pair of goals from Pat Kavanagh and Connor Kirst. But Manning stopped CJ Kirst in the final minutes to seal the win.

Pat Kavanagh praised Canada for its ball movement and the speed at which it operated.

“Obviously, they move the ball really well on offense,” he said. “We got caught with a few lapses. You have to keep your head on a swivel against these guys with their snappy ball movement and how fast they run up and down the field.”

His brother, Chris, agreed. This was his first time playing sixes and his national team debut.

“So very special, representing our country,” he said. “Sixes is all about being quick and ball movement, and if you’re able to do that, you win. Canada won in that category. It’s always good and bad when you play Canada because of the rivalry we have with them, so it’s good to play them, but not fun losing to them on their soil.”

The Super Sixes event saw a total of 11 countries from across the world compete in the discipline that will be played at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. The Haudenosaunee defeated Australia 14-13 in the bronze medal game. Jake Piseno continued to show his might in 6v6 with four goals and two assists.