The FIL Men’s Lacrosse World Cup 2018 saw the first international games of Luxembourg Lacrosse take place from 11th to 21st of July in Netanya, Israel. The team competed with a small roster and had only six short months of preparation time however, they competed in all their games and produced some excellent lacrosse. While no game was won, the team showed great improvement throughout the tournament and had some great moments in the spot light.

A special highlight for for the team was the unofficial opening game against Hong Kong, where Christoph Snaga of the Luxembourg Blacksmiths scored the team’s first international Lacrosse goal*. Despite a good start, Hong Kong showed their experience and strength and won the game comfortably. Even though the first game was a loss, it did not take anything away from the sense of pride the players felt after representing their country for the first time on the world stage.

The team played against Hong Kong, Uganda, Poland, Russia, Bermuda, Taiwan and Colombia and improved in every game. The closest to a win was against second time participant Uganda, where a close and somewhat heart breaking goal gave them the win.

A Summer in the Middle East

The combination of very hot and humid weather, fatigue from back to back games and playing around midday nearly every game, meant that the comparably small Luxembourg roster showed signs of fatigue and injury. Luckily all players could return home without serious injuries but the roster of 19 players shrank to as few as 15 at certain points.

Adverse conditions could not change the team’s determination to always play to the best of their ability. The game against Poland saw a spirited effort against strong opposition, leaving the team ranked fourth in its group. Following the group stages, Luxembourg continued to improve but could sadly not bag the elusive first international win. GM Henning Schmidt responded to this saying:

“Of course, everybody wanted a win. We got close, but not close enough. That was frustrating but it’s equally true that we took a chance. A chance to go to the biggest tournament in international Lacrosse ever – and that participation is more important than any win/loss record. Our program is not even two years old and we managed to recruit, train and field a team at an international tournament. That we went – we will remember, the rankings and scores not so much.”

The team’s top scorer was Nick Smith with nine goals and two credited assists.

Player Statistics

There were many highlights for the team. While every player had some personal highlights, the team was part of a few big events, including the opening ceremony, watching some of the very best Lacrosse and most importantly, working together and growing as a team. The team’s management and coaching staff already have theirs eyes set on competing in the European Championships in Poland 2020.

Player Awards

The coaches’ Khris Scott, Andrew Barber, Drew Pollock and Rob Ingham Clark identified Goalie Nick Beattie as the team’s MVP. He caught the crowds attention in the opening game making some spectacular saves. The coaches named Jacky Liu as most improved player. Jacky delivered some strong performances in attack, midfield and defense. The coaches identified 48 year old defender Greg Ritts as the ‘Unsung hero’ for his relentless work on defense. These players efforts stood out amongst a team of hard working individuals who have already started training to represent their country in just under two years. GM Henning Schmidt offered his view:

“The World Cup – nothing short of amazing. Now preparing for the next tournament with more time and all this experience under our belt – even more exciting.”

All match uniforms and training pinnies were supplied by ArchLevel Lacrosse. We are very proud to have been a small part of the Luxembourg Lacrosse journey to the World Championships and we look forward to continuing to support them as they prepare for Poland 2020.

Links to other reports:

Game report against Hong Kong https://laxallstars.com/2018-fil-lacrosse-lines-results/

Game report against Uganda by Lax Allstars https://laxallstars.com/uganda-luxembourg/

All statistics of Luxembourg http://stats.pointbench.com/film/2018/index.php?cmd=team-schedule-stats&teamid=lux

Photo Credit belongs to Shutterlax.com – Marek Stor Photography

*The official statistics show Max Rubin as goal scorer, but the actual scorer was #12 Christoph Snaga

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