U.S. Men Wrap Training Camp, Eye World Championship Repeat

DURHAM, N.C. — John Danowski stood nonchalantly in front of the Duke soccer meeting room, addressing the 23 men making up the U.S. men’s national team for the first time since December.

He wanted to set the tone for a three-day training camp at Duke — the final time for the U.S. men to build chemistry ahead of the World Lacrosse Men’s Championship in San Diego beginning June 21. The message was simple yet practical.

“We want to be playing our best lacrosse on the final day,” Danowski said.

Danowski then turned the page to his returning players, the six 2018 gold medalists who watched as Tom Schreiber scored the game-winning goal against Canada in Netanya, Israel.

The squeak of the dry-erase board on the left side of the meeting room accompanied each player’s description of what made that team special. After 10 minutes, Danowski had written a number of words on the board — trust, accountability, sacrifice. Those were the pillars of the 2018 team that took home gold, and Danowski hopes to develop the same ethos in San Diego.

Then he walked to the right side of the room and started a new list, this time of the distractions that could run counter to the team’s goals, things like social media, egos, injuries and outside noise.

As he kicked off the three-day camp, Danowski wanted his team to be as transparent as possible before heading out west. On the field, he and the U.S. coaching staff drilled home schemes and adjustments to the international game. Off the field, the players attempted to find the same ethos that previous iterations of the U.S. team had established.

“All this stuff off the field counts,” Danowski said. “We’re trying to give you this extraordinary experience that you’re going to remember for the rest of your lives. [In 2018], you win by a goal with a goal with a second to go. Did any of what we’re talking about have something to do with that? In my heart, I believe so.”

“Everyone understands what’s on the line,” short-stick defensive midfielder Jake Richard said. “We’re putting ourselves in that mindset. We’re trying to replicate the real thing, because it’s coming quick.”

The process of building a cohesive 23-man unit ready to compete against the likes of Canada, Haudenosaunee and Australia — among other up-and-coming challengers — isn’t without its challenges.

With the exception of 2023 Tewaaraton Award winner Brennan O’Neill, the entirety of the U.S. men’s roster arrived at training camp fresh off a Premier Lacrosse League weekend in Charlotte, N.C. Danowski communicated with the leaders of his team to adjust practice plans to accommodate for the wear and tear of the PLL season.

In addition, assistant coaches Seth Tierney (offensive coordinator) and Joe Amplo (defensive coordinator) spent most of the U.S. practice time helping their respective units adjust to the differences between professional and international lacrosse. Tierney stressed the importance of winning and retaining possession in a discipline that features no shot clock. Amplo made sure the defensive unit had its slide packages correct and that they could pressure out on opponents as a collective.

“Teams can hold the ball for two, three, four minutes on offense,” Danowski said. “We have to make great decisions. You can really cut the game from a 60-minute game to a 40-minute game.”

Tierney said that with recent innovations to the game like Sixes and the PLL’s smaller field dimensions, the international game could look different than in 2018.

“I’m hopeful that the stall warning is adjudicated differently because of that. With the way our game is going, you see the Sixes scenario and the way the PLL is played,” Tierney said. “The international game is a little different.”

Off the field, Danowski and his coaching staff gave the 23 players plenty of opportunities to create the bond that could lead to a successful world championship run. From playing Catan in the hotel lobby to an intense Urban Axes battle won by Jesse Bernhardt and fishing lessons from Blaze Riorden and Jack Rowlett, the national team spent plenty of time building what they hope to be gold medal chemistry.

“It’s been a pretty crazy journey,” said Kieran McArdle, who made his first U.S. team at 30 years old. “I’m in the latter half of my career, so it’s a huge honor to rep the red, white and blue and get after it. From eating breakfast to throwing axes, it's been awesome to watch the coaching staff construct this camp.” 

The team concluded its final training camp in a ballroom across from the Duke Basketball Museum. In four days, the 23 players will travel to San Diego — a journey that they hope ends with a gold medal celebration on July 1. First, they’ll battle with Canada in the tournament’s opening game on June 21 at Snapdragon Stadium.

For most, the moment will be unfamiliar but exciting. The world championship has finally arrived.

“I’m going to be so grateful for everyone in my life that got me to this point,” Richard said. “When the whistle blows, it’s all game.”