Haudenosaunee Nationals Take Bronze Medals at World Box Lax Championships

By Andy Gardner.

UTICA - The Haudenosaunee Nationals men's and women's teams competed at the World Lacrosse Box Championships held in Utica in late September, each taking home bronze medals.

The women's team won the bronze medal by beating Australia 21-4. Leading up to that, they had played Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Hong Kong, England and USA. Locals on the women's roster included Jillian Benedict, Jadie Burns, Trysten Burns, Bineh Garrow and Tallis Tarbell.

The men's team played USA, Canada, England and Israel to finish with the bronze. Local residents on the team included Kason Tarbell and Noonzy Thompson.

After leading 3-2 at the 10-minute mark of the women's bronze medal game, the Nationals went on a 12-goal run before Australia was able to capitalize for a third time at 49:03.

Fawn Porter set the offensive pace for Haudenosaunee with three goals and five assists. Trysten Burns scored once with another five helpers. Ferrah Blackbird scored a hat trick with a trio of helpers. Timmia Bomberry scored three goals with two assists. Ava Gabriel fashioned three markers. Carey-Leigh Vyse scored a pair of goals and helped set up three other scoring plays.

Tallis Tarbell scored twice with an assist. Lindsay John and Kendall Tabobandung each scored a goal with an assist. Mekwan Tulpin and Mackenzie Shigwadja each netted solo markers. Joni Squire-Hill logged one assist.

Goalie Chelsea Doolittle made 27 saves.

Throughout the games, Trysten Burns scored 12 goals and made 12 assists. Blackbird netted 13 goals with 11 helpers. Bomberry scored six times and helped set up another seven goals. Ava Gabriel scored 11 goals with two assists. Vyse netted eight goals with five helpers. Goalies Chelsea Doolittle and Chelsea Gibson respectively tallied 136 and 102 saves throughout the games.

The men's team beat England 14-5 to take third place on Saturday, Sept. 28. The Nationals scored eight goals to England's three by the 40:44 mark and never looked back.

Tehoka Nanticoke, Travis Longboat and Randy Staats paced the Haudenosaunee offense with two goals and three assists each. Lyle Thompson scored three goals with a helper. Larson Sundown scored twice.

Thomas Hoggarth scored twice with an assist. Trey Deere netted a singleton. Cody Jamieson tallied a trio of helpers. Eli McLaughlin helped set up two scoring plays. Brendan Bomberry and Ron John fashioned solo assists.

Goalie Warren Hill made 36 saves and logged an assist.

Overall, Staats logged 13 goals and 17 assists throughout all Haudenosaunee games and was one of six players from all teams to be named to the Men's World Team at the conclusion of the games. Eli McLaughlin tallied a total of 10 goals and 19 assists. Thomas Hoggarth scored 16 times total with six helpers. Lyle Thompson scored eight goals and helped set up nine other scoring plays.

Goalie Warren Hill made a combined total of 102 saves while netminder Doug Jamieson turned aside another 82 shots overall.