Garden State Vibes…

The Heritage Cup continued to grow with the addition of a massive 20-team Women’s Division;  the event was held at Haverford College which featured six fields at a single site.  Ireland impressed by reclaiming the Men’s Trophy and also raising the U-19 Cup, while China earned the inaugural Women’s Title.  Greece made their debut at U-15 with a dominant performance, and Team Israel are your new U-13 Champions of the World.

The Heritage Cup made its way down to the Philadelphia area, as Rowan University hosted the largest edition yet.  Several countries used the Cup to prepare for the World Lacrosse Championship in San Diego, with Israel ultimately defeating Ireland to win their third-ever Cup.  Haudenosaunee were impressive going undefeated in the U-15 Division, while the Irish took down the first-ever full U-13 Division.  Magpie Heritage, representing Chinese Taipei, became the first-ever entrant with most of their players featuring homegrown Asian athletes.

 

Final Rankings (U-13)
1. Ireland
2. Haudenosaunee
3. Israel
4. USA Heritage
5. Poland

The Heritage Cup returned from a two-year COVID hiatus with a massive 28-team event taking place at Springfield College, near the NCAA Final Four in Hartford, CT.  Due to increased demand, multiple teams per country were permitted for the first time, and several countries took advantage, with Greece, Mexico, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico entering two teams apiece, and Israel entering six (!) squads.  Ireland would prevail in the final against Israel “Iron”, winning the Heritage Cup for the first time.  Meanwhile, Iroquois went on to sweep a six-team round robin schedule to claim their first U-15 Heritage Cup title.

Returning to the site of the first four-team Heritage Cup several years earlier — The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania — eight teams compete in the tournament, as well as four teams in the new U-15 Boys division. Two teams that missed the previous event, Greece and Philippines, meet in the final, as Greece goes a perfect 5-0 to capture their first trophy. Meanwhile, Philadelphia-based club Rising Sons, representing the United States, takes the inaugural U-15 Heritage Cup. The teams competed in two groups of four teams each; the top two teams from each division advanced to the semifinals, while all eight teams competed to a final ranking. The U-15 division played a round robin before a final placement game.

Eight teams compete in the tournament, which has added emphasis due to the upcoming World Lacrosse Championships. The tournament is back at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. Branded the Heritage Cup for the first time, many of the participating teams utilized the Cup to build chemistry amongst their US-based players and make final roster decisions ahead of the World Championships. Ireland (competing as Éire) and Poland compete in the event for the first time with officially sanctioned developmental programs, while Peru gets their first real game action ahead of their World Championship debut. Lithuania, an upstart program, plays their first-ever games as they look to build momentum and establish membership in the European and World Federations. The teams competed in two groups of four teams each; all eight teams made the playoffs and competed to a final ranking.

Final Rankings

1. Israel
2. Puerto Rico
3. Ireland
4. Jamaica
5. Poland
6. Lithuania
7. Hungary
8. Peru

Seven teams compete in the International Lacrosse Showdown, which is held at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. The event is just a stones-throw away from Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL’s New England Patriots and the NCAA Final Four for the next two years. Puerto Rico and Jamaica, both brand new programs, make their debut, while Portugal attends the tournament for the first time. The teams competed in a round-robin, with final standings determining the champion. With a three-way tie at the end of the tournament, the top three teams competed in an exciting Braveheart round-robin to determine a champion.

Final Rankings

1. Israel
2. Jamaica
3. Hungary
4. Greece
5. Puerto Rico
6. Portugal
7. Philippines

Seeking to renew the series of friendlies and establish a new annual tradition, the inaugural International Lacrosse Showdown takes shape with four teams competing at The Shipley School in Philadelphia, a short drive from Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Philadelphia Eagles and host of the NCAA Championship Weekend. Hungary, a brand new program which will be competing internationally at the European Championships for the first time, is seeking to raise awareness for the upcoming EC16 in Budapest. The teams compete in a round robin before a final placement game. With a three-way tie at the end of the round-robin, Philippines and Hungary advanced based on tiebreakers and competed in the Championship Game. Greece, who went winless in pool play, upset Israel in overtime to capture third place.

Final Rankings

1. Philippines
2. Hungary
3. Greece
4. Israel

Greece, Israel and Philippines compete in a round-robin of friendlies in August, in conjunction with the JCC Maccabi Games in Cherry Hill, NJ. The games are the first-ever for Greece, a brand new program.

Israel and Philippines compete in a friendly at St. Pauls School in Baltimore, MD. The friendly is the first-ever game for Philippines, a brand new program. Israel topped Philippines, 18-2.