LONDON, Ont. – The streak is over. Canada won its first world lacrosse title in 28-years, defeating the U.S. 15-10 in front of 7,735 fans.
The Americans had not lost in international lacrosse play since 1978, when they lost to Canada 17-16 in overtime.
Ottawa’s Jeff Zywicki scored five goals and added an assist. Gary Gait of Victoria, B.C. added four goals in his final game in lacrosse.
Tournament MVP Geoff Snider was once again brilliant on face-offs winning 19 of 28 draws.
Orangeville, Ont., native Chris Sanderson was sensational early on, making three big saves off Mike and Casey Powell and Scott Urick of Team USA. He finished the game with 14 stops.
It took almost 10 minutes before the first goal was scored. Ryan Powell scored on a great set play off the powerplay with Canada’s Chris Seller off for an illegal body check. Seconds later Mikey Powell took a great feed from Casey Powell to put the Americans up by a pair in the midst of a torrential downpour.
Zywicki scored four times in the opening quarter as Canada built up a 6-5 first-half lead.
Jordan Hall, of Surrey, B.C., scored Canada’s first goal a minute later on the powerplay. America’s Mike Powell tallied his second goal of the game after Sanderson dropped the ball in front of his crease, likely caused by the extremely wet conditions.
Then Zywicki scored his first on the powerplay at the end of the first quarter on a beautiful, tic-tac-toe passing play including Shawn Williams and John Grant Jr.
Scott Urick from the U.S. was robbed early in the second quarter by Sanderson, who continued his heroics with the Americans fastbreaking despite being short-handed. But he redeemed himself two minutes later with a shot that handcuffed Sanderson and slipped past him into the cage.
Canada’s Jeff Zywicki scored to make it 4-3 before Jay Jalbert put the Americans up by two once again three minutes later. But Zywicki tallied his third and fourth goals of the game before Waterloo’s Colin Doyle put Canada ahead 6-5 with a great goal late in the second quarter to end out the first half.
Jalbert buried his second of the game to tie the game at six early in the third quarter. Urick added his second of the game four minutes later to re-establish the U.S. lead at 7-6.
But Canada tallied three straight from Peterborough’s John Grant Jr., Gavin Prout and Hall to build a two-goal lead. After America’s A.J. Haugen scored, Canada led at the end of the third 9-8.
Canada exploded in the fourth as Gait turned it up in his final game in his illustrious career notching all four of his goals to give the Canucks the win.
The game was seen live across the world on CBC Sports Saturday (Canada), College Sports Television (U.S.) and Eurosport 2 (Europe).
