Late 5-0 Run Propels Haudenosaunee Into Quarterfinals with 13-7 Win Over Ireland
TOKYO - The Haudenosaunee Nationals ran away with their final pool play game using a 5-0 fourth quarter run to defeat Ireland 13-7 and qualify for the quarterfinal rounds at the Nissin Foods 2026 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship at Oi Stadium. The Haudenosaunee offense featured six different goal scorers, led by Avery Doran’s six goals. Jalyn Jimerson added three goals and Sierra Cockerille contributed one goal and four assists for the Nationals. Paisley Cook finished with eight draw controls to ignite the offense. Paige Crandall had another solid day in the crease and finished with eight saves to backstop the defense.
The Nationals came out swinging and jumped to an early 4-0 lead. Paisley Cook got things going on a caused turnover and groundball that she pushed ahead to Sierra Cockerille. Cockerille sprinted in transition to the 11-meter arc and dumped a pass to Avery Doran on the doorstep for the ball fake and score just under two minutes into the game. A minute later Doran had a free position where she found Lois Garlow who bounced home her lone goal of the game to give Haudenosaunee the 2-0 lead. Paige Crandall then grabbed a groundball and sent a long outlet to Doran at midfield. Doran found Alie Jimerson streaking behind the defense and Jimerson buried her lone goal of the game with 10:42 remaining in the opening quarter. Another big save from Crandall on a free position shot led to an outlet to Fawn Porter, who sent a beautiful long pass up and over the defense to Doran. Doran used a ball fake to finish and extend the Haudenosaunee lead to 4-0. Ireland finally answered as Ava Connaughton scored with 4:34 left in the first to cut the lead to 4-1. The Nationals responded 90-seconds later as Alie Jimerson worked behind the net and found Doran cutting middle who buried her third goal. Ireland's Brigid Welch would score from the free position to cut the Haudenosaunee lead to 5-2 with 1:28 left in the first.
A patient Haudenosaunee offense led to Jalyn Jimerson’s first goal of the game as she took the ball on the left side and stepped inside the defense for the snipe to make it 6-2 two minute into the second quarter. Ireland answered with a 2-0 run on goals from Bridget Valentine and Riley O’Mara to cut the lead to 6-4 with 7:21 remaining in the first half. Sophia Watts then caused a turnover and pushed the ball in transition to Doran who found Garlow for the give and go and Doran’s fourth goal of the game with 5:22 remaining in the second. The half ended in a stalemate and Haudenosaunee held a 7-4 lead at the break.
Ireland came out strong in the third as Riley O’Mara scored her second of the day on a pass across the crease from Ava Connaughton less than a minute into the third. Riley Peterson then dodged her way to a top shelf goal to cut the Haudenosaunee lead to 7-6 with 9:33 left in the third. Chloe Luther responded with her first goal of the day on a dodge and score to push the lead to 8-6 with just over six minutes to go in the third quarter. Ava Ryan answered for Ireland as she dodged middle and scored to make it 8-7 with four minutes left in the quarter.
Haudenosaunee opened the final quarter with plenty of pressure before Avery Doran broke through driving to the net on a free position for her fifth goal of the game at 11:26 of the fourth. Sierra Cockerille sniped her lone goal of the game on a free position shot to extend the lead to 10-7 with just under 10 minutes left in the game. Cockerille then found Jalyn Jimerson on a back cut and Jimerson finished in front of the net for her second of the game with 7:48 to go in the fourth. Cockerille then found Doran sitting in the middle of the defense for her sixth goal and the 12-7 lead with under six minutes to play. The Nationals controlled the ball until Cockerille found Jalyn Jimerson alone on the doorstep for Jimerson’s third of the game and the final score of the game giving the Haudenosaunee the 13-7 win.
Up Next: The Haudenosaunee finish Pool A with a 2-1 record and move into the quarterfinal round. Ireland dropped to 1-2 in pool play. The Nationals will face England at 3:30 p.m. local time (2:30 a.m. EST) for a chance at the semifinals.
