Haudenosaunee drops final game of pool play 14-6 to Team Canada at Men’s U21 World Championships

Jake Piseno leads the defense for Haudenosaunee versus Canada at 2022 Men’s U21 World Championships. Photo by Decolonize Sports

LIMERICK, Ireland – The Haudenosaunee Nationals fell to Team Canada 14-6 in the final game of pool play at the 2022 World Lacrosse Men’s Under 21 World Championships. The loss dropped Haudenosaunee to 1-3 in pool play. The Haudenosaunee offense was led for the second straight game by two goals and one assist from Koleton Marquis. Haudenosaunee also got two goals from Rowisonkies Barnes and a goal each from Gregory Elijah-Brown and Teharonhiorens. Aidan Fearn had eight faceoff wins and goalie Jack VanValkenburgh continued his stellar tournament between the pipes with 11 saves for Haudenosaunee. Team Canada was led by four goals and an assist from Thomas McConvey and two goals each from Owen Hiltz, Graydon Hogg, and Adam Poitras. Brock Haley added a goal and three assists, Bo Columbus won 15 faceoffs, and goalie Caleb Creasor finished with five saves for Team Canada.  

“We had a lot of energy today. Obviously, it was a really tough loss for us today. We thought we had a chance against them,” said Assistant Coach Jim Barnes after the game. “We made some mistakes here and there. Canada is a great team. When you make mistakes against them they’re going to put the ball on net. The boys showed a lot of heart. They played all the way through. The energy was on the top shelf for today.”

Koleton Marquis led the Haudenosaunee offense with 2 goals and 1 assist versus Canada at the Men’s U21 World Championships. Photo by Decolonize Sports

A lighting delay pushed the start time back to 10 p.m. Irish Standard Time. Canada opened the first quarter on a goal by Thomas McConvey three minutes into the game followed by Bo Columbus finding Owen Hiltz for an early 2-0 Canada lead. Haudenosaunee responded on a gorgeous effort by Rowisonkies Barnes as he carried the ball up the left sideline and cut to the net under pressure to finish flying through the crease and cut the lead to 2-1. Graydon Hogg gave Canada a 3-1 lead after he buried a shot driving down the right side. A holding penalty put Haudenosaunee a man up but they could not capitalize as a save by Creasor allowed Canada to go the other way and get a shorthanded goal from Sam English. Amos Whitcomb found Koleton Marquis who went low from the left side to make it 4-2. But, Canada responded as Sam English found Thomas McConvey in front the net to make it 5-2 Canada heading into the second quarter.

Rowisonkies Barnes takes on the double team on his way to the goal. Barnes finished with 2 goals in the 14-6 loss to Canada. Photo by Decolonize Sports

Haudenosaunee’s Teharonhiorens McComber got his first goal of the tournament 47 seconds into the second quarter on a feed from behind the net by Amos Whitcomb, his second assist of the game to cut the lead to 5-3. But the Haudenosaunee offense stalled as Canada ended the quarter on a 4-0 run resulting from multiple Haudenosaunee turnovers. Thomas McConvey finished top shelf, Scott Ross worked behind the net to find space and bury a goal, and Adam Poitras scored on a feed from Ross to extend the Canada lead to 8-3. McConvey finished in front of the net on a feed from Hogg to make it 9-3 heading to halftime.

Despite the scoreboard, it appeared that Haudenosaunee was much more active on the defensive end of the field and the overall energy was high.

“I think that the talk was a lot more. We were talking in the huddles, at timeouts, and after quarters and stuff. The talk was just there,” said long pole Jake Piseno. “I was talking loud, Stone Jacobs our other close defender was talking loud, and even the middies were getting in on the talking. So I think the communication was there and that was helping us slide and buzz around the field on the defensive end.”

The Haudenosaunee defense discusses strategy against Canada. Photo by Decolonize Sports

Canada opened the third quarter with a goal from Brock Haley on a feed by McConvey. Koleton Marquis responded with a behind the back finish on a feed from Cobie Cree after Stone Jacobs pushed the ball up field to make it 10-4. But goals from Hiltz and Andrew Dalton extended the lead to 12-4 Canada. Keelan Seneca found Rowisonkies Barnes who finished behind the back for his second goal of the game to cut the lead to 12-5 at the end of the third quarter.

Gregory Elijah-Brown buried one from the left side of the crease on a feed from Marquis to open the final quarter for Haudenosaunee. Ross found Hogg in front and Poitras scored on a feed from Haley to make the final score 14-6 Canada.

With the loss Haudenosaunee moves to 1-3 in pool play and earned the fourth seed in pool A. However, they get to turn the page and are still alive in the medal round.

“One game at a time. That’s what I’ve been telling these guys in our huddles is just one game at a time, one play at a time,” added Piseno. “We don’t have to worry about what the next team is or even what the next day brings. It’s all about that next play and whoever our opponent is.”

Haudenosaunee’s Trey Deere defends against Canada’s Ross Scott in Canada’s 14-6 win in pool play at the Men’s U21 World Championships. Photo by Decolonize Sports

Up next for Haudenosaunee is the quarterfinal game of the championship bracket as they face the winner of Israel versus England on Wednesday, August 17 at 4 p.m. local time (11 a.m. EST). Game schedule and live stats can be found here.

Follow Decolonize Sports on social media for more coverage of the Haudenosaunee Nationals and their journey towards a world championship at the 2022 World Lacrosse Under 21 Men’s World Championship.