U.S. Women’s National Team Opens World Cup With 17-7 Win Over England

OSHAWA, Ontario, July 11 - The U.S. Women’s National Team rode the momentum of an 11-goal first half run to begin the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Cup with a 17-7 victory over England on Thursday. Ten players tallied goals in a balanced attack by the Americans.

England scored first, as Laura Merrifield (University of Maryland) finished a shot on the doorstep just 47 seconds into the contest. From there, the U.S. took over, scoring 11 straight goals over a 21:19 period in the first half to take a commanding 13-2 lead into halftime. The U.S. defense was led by goalie Devon Wills (Dartmouth College), who allowed just two goals while making five saves in 35-plus minutes of action. Despite a second half surge from England, the U.S. was able to preserve the double-digit win.

Three players recorded a team-high four points each for the U.S., including Sarah Albrecht (Northwestern University), Katrina Dowd (Northwestern University) and Katie Rowan (Syracuse University). U.S. team midfielder Ally Carey (Vanderbilt University) scored two goals and added a game-high six draw controls to earn player of the match honors. Kristen Lafferty (University of Birmingham) paced England with three goals and one assist, while Merrifield added three goals.

The win puts Team USA atop Pool A with a 1-0 record heading into Saturday’s 4:30 p.m. ET matchup against Wales. The U.S. holds a perfect 6-0 mark against Wales in World Cup competition, with an average victory margin of more than 13 goals. The two teams last met in the 2005 World Cup in Annapolis, Md., with the U.S. winning 11-4.

Federation of International Lacrosse Women’s World Cup
USA 13 4 - 17
ENG 2 5 - 7

Goals: USA - Dowd 3, Rowan 3, Albrecht 2, Berger 2, Schwarzmann 2, Carey 2, Igoe 1, Etrasco 1, Bullard 1; ENG - Lafferty 3, Merrifield 3, Gray 1.
Assists: USA - Albrecht 2, Dowd 1, Igoe 1, Munday 1, Rowan 1; ENG - Lafferty 1, R. Smith 1.
Saves: USA - Wills 5, Huether 2; ENG - Gaunt 3, Keogh 2.

Remaining Pool Play Schedule
July 13 - vs. Wales - 4:30 p.m. - #USAvWAL
July 14 - vs. Australia - 3 p.m. ET - #USAvAUS
July 16 - vs. Canada - 8 p.m. ET - #USAvCAN

For more information on the U.S. Women’s National Team, including news, schedules, scores and live stream links, visit uslacrosse.org/uswomen. Follow the team on Facebook at fb.com/uslacrosse, get live game updates on Twitter at @uslacrosse and use #USAWLAX.

Champion is the official apparel sponsor of the U.S. women’s national teams. deBeer is the official equipment sponsor of the U.S. women’s national teams. Marriott, Nationwide and ShockDoctor are official sponsors of the U.S. National Teams Program.

About US Lacrosse
US Lacrosse, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, is the national governing body of men’s and women’s lacrosse and the home of the nation’s fastest-growing sport. US Lacrosse has more than 415,000 members in 64 regional chapters across the country. Through responsive and effective leadership, US Lacrosse provides programs and services to inspire participation while protecting the integrity of the sport. Bookmark, like and follow US Lacrosse at uslacrosse.org, fb.com/uslacrosse and @uslacrosse, respectively.