U.S. Enters Quarterfinals After Finishing Pool Play with Room to Grow

TOKYO — The United States finished pool play with a plus-51 goal differential. It cruised to a 3-0 mark in the World Lacrosse Women’s Championship after a thorough 23-2 win on Tuesday against Chinese Taipei, winning 11 of 15 ground balls and 27 of 29 draw controls.

The U.S. assisted 16 of its 23 goals, and this was the third straight game 12 different scorers deposited at least one goal. The defense, equally as impressive, held Chinese Taipei to just four total shots, all on goal.

Somehow, head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein and midfielder Ally Mastroianni both think there’s still more in the tank. They aren’t necessarily striving for perfect — but both believe there is still plenty of room left to grow.

The goal is to play a full 60-minute game in which the energy and urgency are at maximum capacity the entire time, no matter the score. That didn’t happen Tuesday, in Walker-Weinstein’s eyes, but the U.S. isn’t too far off.

“I thought it was closer,” Walker-Weinstein said. “I thought it was definitely closer.”

There’s no layoff before the U.S. has another chance at reaching its peak form. With the quarterfinals set, the U.S. draws Puerto Rico on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. local time (5:30 a.m. Eastern). Puerto Rico went 2-1 in Pool C, losing 15-8 to England before beating Argentina 11-7 and Scotland 14-13.

“They’ve got a couple really talented players,” Walker-Weinstein said. “But I think we're going to keep the focus on our improvement to figure out what we did wrong here, attack those issues the way that we have throughout pool play and continue to improve.”

Walker-Weinstein has made it clear to her team that she expects nothing less than near perfection. She witnessed what she called maybe the best half of lacrosse she’s ever seen in her life when the U.S. jumped ahead 13-0 against Haudenosaunee and now hopes her team can double that effort over a full game.

“This team is capable of so much, and we keep proving that every single game — and I don't even think we've played our best lacrosse yet,” said Ally Mastroianni, who controlled a USA single-game record 13 draws. “We're still trying to get there.”

Mastroianni was named the player of the match for dominating the center circle. With her performance, she passed Taylor Cummings for the most draw controls in U.S. team history. She has 65 — and counting.

She said getting more consistent reps during games has allowed her to get into a rhythm, and the players on the circle box out so well that she feels confident drawing the ball into space.

She wasn’t the only player who finished with a big stat line. Chloe Humphrey, who unleashed an effortless behind-the-back goal off a feed from Marie McCool in the second quarter, finished with five goals and three assists. Brigid Duffy and Ally Kennedy each had five points, while Madison Taylor had four goals.

So, what’s left to improve? Communication, for one. Though there are few, eliminating sloppy turnovers is a must. Understanding the gameplan and executing by winning matchups is another area of focus.

“If you're competing at a high level, you're communicating. The second you stop communicating, you're telling me that you're not really competing,” Walker-Weinstein said. “I think it's about consistent communication throughout the possession, throughout the quarters. When you're up, when you're tied, when it's the beginning of the half, all of it. But I do think that it got a little bit better tonight.”

When it all clicks, the U.S. could be a runaway train. Mastroianni said the goal is “relentless, beautiful lacrosse.” If they achieve that, then a 10th gold medal will be well within reach.

They’ll take those lessons learned and put a plan into action for Puerto Rico. It’s officially win-or-go-home time.

“I think pool play taught us a lot. Now it's time to buckle down,” Walker-Weinstein said. “This is their destiny — and I'm so excited for it.”