JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – Rutgers University product Adam Goldberg scored four goals and added an assist to lead Jerusalem Lacrosse Club past Tel Aviv Lacrosse Club, 12-11, in front of a standing room only crowd at Kraft Stadium in Jerusalem on Saturday.
Goldberg, who earned game MVP honors, joined team captain Mathew Markman in raising the Zimmerman Cup, commemorating Jerusalem’s victory in the first ever lacrosse match on Israeli soil. The trophy will be awarded to Israel’s national champions for years to come.
Derek Lief (Haverford College) and Alex Kost (McGill University) added three goals each, while Jason Lurie (Eilat, Israel) scored twice. Ben Levine (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) played the entire game in goal to earn the win.
“This game was a great experience for everyone involved,” said Borkan, Israel’s GM, who coached Jerusalem LC to victory on Saturday. “It was a hard-fought game, and both teams represented their cities with great pride and passion. This was truly a special occassion, as it was the first ever lacrosse game ever played in Israel. Being part of this event is a memory I will treasure forever.”
Chad Cohen (Colgate University) led Tel Aviv with six goals. Max Weisenberg (Bryant University) scored three goals and added an assist, while Danny Navo (Eilat, Israel) scored twice. Zach Lewis (Oberlin College), Ben Chernie (Kibutz Shamir, Israel) and Matt Flapan (Ramat Gan, Israel) each recorded a helper for the beach boys, who were coached by Israel bench boss Bill Beroza.
Weisenberg scored twice in the first quarter to give Tel Aviv an early 3-1 lead, but Jerusalem battled back into the game, forcing a 4-4 tie at halftime and a 7-7 tie at the end of three quarters.
Goldberg electrified the crowd as he scored his fourth goal to give Jerusalem an 8-7 lead in the first minute of the final frame, a lead they would never relinquish. Lief beat Tel Aviv goaltender Jonathan Yaghoubzadeh (Italy) with a pair of goals to put Jerusalem up 10-7, and the home team held on for victory to the delight of the capacity crowd.
The game, which was officiated by Neil Kramer and Jeff Alpert from Los Angeles, was played with four 20-minute running time quarters as per FIL regulations. Players from Israel, Canada, Germany, Italy, and the United States were represented in the game. Equipment and uniforms were provided by STX, Warrior, Cascade, Reebok and The Lax Hut.
Israel Lacrosse, an organization dedicated to the development of the sport of lacrosse in Israel, was officially recognized by the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) as an Associate Member in April of 2011. The organization expects to field a men’s national team to debut in exhibition play next June at the 2012 European Lacrosse Championships in Amsterdam. A full 2012 lacrosse schedule will be announced this Fall. Click HERE for more information.