University of Massachusets Athletics
Zywicki Helps Lift Team Canada To World Lacrosse Championship Title
July 23, 2006 | Men's Lacrosse
July 23, 2006
LONDON, Ontario - Former UMass lacrosse All-American Jeff Zywicki scored five goals to help lift Team Canada to its first World Lacrosse Championship title in 28 years with a 15-10 win over Team USA on Saturday. The 2005 UMass graduate finished the 10-day tournament with 28 goals and eight assists for 36 points -- the second-most among all players in the event. He was named to the World All-Tournament Team.
The Americans had not lost in international lacrosse play since 1978, when they lost to Canada 17-16 in overtime.
"I don't even know what to say, it's the best feeling I've ever had after a lacrosse game," said Zywicki, who also had an assist for a game-high six points. "We just wanted it more. ... It is the best team I've been a part of and the biggest championship I've ever won. Home-field advantage, all of our fans, what more could we ask for?"
Tournament MVP Geoff Snider was once again brilliant on face-offs winning 19 of 28 draws.
"It was an honour to suit up and go to war with these guys," said Snider. "We knew we could hang with the U.S., that they would be chasing us. We stuck to our game plan, and in the end our experience showed through."
Gary Gait of Victoria, B.C. added four goals in his final international game in lacrosse. This was the one major lacrosse championship that had eluded him to this point.
"It was unbelievable, it's going to take a while to sink in," said Gait. "We had the right guys in the right places, and everybody stepped up."
"I've been playing lacrosse for 27 years, this is unbelievable," he added. "It was a thrill to win in our home country, in front of our fans."
Canada's head coach Frank Nielsen said he was happy with his squad's resilience and perseverance. He was especially please for Gait.
"Gait, he's Mr. Lacrosse," said Nielsen. "A lot of guys on our team idolized him growing up. He did a great job."
Orangeville, Ont., native Chris Sanderson was sensational early on, making three big saves off Mike and Casey Powell and Scott Urick of Team USA. He finished the game with 14 stops.
It took almost 10 minutes before the first goal was scored. Ryan Powell scored on a great set play off the powerplay with Canada's Chris Seller off for an illegal body check. Seconds later Mikey Powell took a great feed from Casey Powell to put the Americans up by a pair in the midst of a torrential downpour.
Zywicki scored four times in the opening quarter as Canada built up a 6-5 first-half lead.
Jordan Hall, of Surrey, B.C., scored Canada's first goal a minute later on the powerplay. America's Mike Powell tallied his second goal of the game after Sanderson dropped the ball in front of his crease, likely caused by the extremely wet conditions.
Then Zywicki scored his first on the powerplay at the end of the first quarter on a beautiful, tic-tac-toe passing play including Shawn Williams and John Grant Jr.
Scott Urick from the U.S. was robbed early in the second quarter by Sanderson, who continued his heroics with the Americans fastbreaking despite being short-handed. But he redeemed himself two minutes later with a shot that handcuffed Sanderson and slipped past him into the cage.
Urick said he liked the Americans' chance of winning gold entering the game.
"It's obviously a tough one to swallow," he said. "Hats off to Canada. They executed well. They have a great group of fans and a tremendously talented team... it was tough for us to get on a roll today."
Zywicki scored to make it 4-3 for the U.S. before Jay Jalbert put the Americans up by two once again three minutes later. But Zywicki tallied his third and fourth goals of the game before Waterloo's Colin Doyle put Canada ahead 6-5 with a great goal late in the second quarter to end out the first half.
Jalbert buried his second of the game to tie the game at six early in the third quarter. Urick added his second of the game four minutes later to re-establish the U.S. lead at 7-6.
But Canada tallied three straight from Peterborough's John Grant Jr., Gavin Prout and Hall to build a two-goal lead. After America's A.J. Haugen scored, Canada led at the end of the third 9-8.
Canada exploded in the fourth as Gait turned it up in his final game in his illustrious career notching all four of his goals to give the Canucks the win.
