FIL Championships: Team USA advances to finals Saturday vs. Canada

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 7/22/10
From US Lacrosse

MANCHESTER, England – For the fourth straight time and seventh time in the last 33 years, the U.S. men’s national team will meet rival Canada with a world championship on the line.

Team USA advanced to Saturday’s gold medal match with a 20-5 victory Thursday over Japan in the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Championship semifinals at the University of Manchester. Canada, the defending world champ, defeated Australia, 15-6, in the other semifinal, setting up another showdown between the North American neighbors.

The final Saturday will be broadcast live on ESPNU at 11 a.m. Eastern (4 p.m. local time).

The U.S. got there by defeating upstart Japan for the second time in three days. Midfielder Paul Rabil had four goals and an assist to lead all scorers. Midfielder Kyle Dixon and attackman Drew Westervelt (Philadelphia Wings) added three goals apiece, as 12 different players scored for Team USA.

Mike Leveille added a goal and three assists.

Rabil got the U.S. going with two goals in the first four minutes, and the game unraveled quickly. Team USA jumped to an 8-0 lead in the first quarter, during which goalie Brian Dougherty (Episcopal Academy/Penn assistant coach) made three saves.

Japan did not get on the board until a goal by Yusuke Sahoda with 2:35 left in the first quarter.

Team USA blanked Japan in the second quarter to build a 14-1 lead and had its largest lead of the game — 17 goals — when long stick midfielder Kyle Sweeney (Springfield-Delco/Wings) scored 41 seconds into the fourth quarter.

Japan responded with three straight goals, including two by Wataru Tsugu, and got hot goalkeeping late from Tomohide Sasaki, who finished with seven saves.

U.S. faceoff specialist Alex Smith (University of Delaware) went 8-of-14 and scored a fast-break goal during the first-quarter run.

FIL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – SEMIFINALS

Team USA 20, Japan 5

USA – 8 – 6 – 4 – 2… 20
JAP – 1 – 0 – 1 – 3… 5

Goals: USA – Rabil 4, Dixon 3, Westervelt 3, Mundorf 2, Boyle, Leveille, Powell, Schiller, Seibald, Smith, Sweeney, Zash; JAP – Tsugu 2, Mizuta, Sahoda, Sekine.
Assists: USA – Leveille 3, Rabil, Seibald; JAP – Motoshita.

Saves: USA – Fullerton 6, Dougherty 3; JAP – Sasaki 7, Shinohara 4

Faceoffs: USA – 13-of-27 (Smith 8-of-14, Peyser 5-of-12, Cassese 0-of-1); JAP – 14-of-27.