USA Holds Off Canada in World Lacrosse Men's U20 Championship Opener

Box Score

The United States survived a penalty-riddled fourth quarter thanks to a last-second save by goalie Patrick Jameison, holding on to defeat rival Canada 7-6 in the opening game for both teams at the World Lacrosse Men’s U20 Championship in Seoguipo, South Korea on Jeju Island.

Seeking its 10th gold medal, the U.S. improved to 55-2 since the inception of junior-level international play in 1988. Owen Duffy led the Americans with three goals but also played a role in a near-undoing in the game’s final moments.

With the U.S. clinging to a one-goal lead, Duffy appeared to put the game away with an empty-net goal at the 1:10 mark. But officials determined that he stepped in the crease, waiving the goal and then levying a two-minute penalty for his role in an altercation with Canada’s Logan Fletcher after the whistle.

That made it 5-on-5 for a minute, with Canada going a man up for the last 10 seconds of the game. David Peterkin dodged down the left alley, but short-stick defensive midfielder Kyle Bergen closed out just enough to alter Peterkin’s angle and Jameison held his ground to seal the win.

“It wasn’t a clean game. I don’t think any of these games are going to be,” U.S. head coach Shawn Nadelen said. “It gave us a taste of what to expect moving forward. The guys are excited to be able to finish that one out. They’re never pretty.”

The U.S. got off to a hot start, scoring on its first three possessions. Duffy had a first-half hat trick, depositing a pair of man-up goals nine seconds apart in the second quarter. Defenseman Quintan Kilrain added a pole goal in transition to put the Americans ahead 6-3 at halftime.

Jack Speidell gave the U.S. its biggest cushion of the game, finishing off a nice interior feed from Brendan Millon on yet another extra-man possession to make it 7-3 with 4:52 left in the third quarter.

Canada chipped away at the lead after that, taking advantage of a sloppy fourth quarter in which the U.S. committed six penalties. The defense bent but did not break, allowing just two man-down goals and getting timely stops. Minutes before Jameison’s save, Kilrain made an interception on a pass when the goal was vacant to thwart a long Canadian possession.

Anderson Moore started in goal for the U.S., making three saves in the first half before giving way to Jameison, who finished with four. Brady Wambach took all 15 faceoffs, finishing 8-for-15 (53 percent) against Canada’s Jack Oldman.

The Canadians got two goals apiece from Jared Maznik and Max Frattaroli. Goalie Grayson Manning made a game-high seven saves.

Millon, whose parents both starred for U.S. senior teams in the 1990s and early 2000s, had a goal and two assists in his international debut. The top recruit in the Class of 2025, he’s one of four rising college freshmen on the U20 team.

The United States returns to action Sunday at Gongcheonpo Training Center, taking on the Haudenosaunee Nationals at 11 a.m. local time (Saturday 10 p.m. U.S. Eastern time).