WORLD PLAYOFFS BEGIN 🌎

After cranking out 60 pool play games in six days, the World Lacrosse Men’s Championship elimination rounds begin on Tuesday in San Diego.

A total of 14 national teams qualified for the playoffs, with the United States (1) and Canada (2) each earning first-round byes. The rest of the countries will battle it out for placement over the next few days.

Here’s a look at the full playoff bracket:

The top five seeds all hail from Pool A, which we’ll dive into momentarily. The other five pools each yielded two playoff teams, with the exception of Pool B — only Japan is moving on from that group.

The six first-round games will be played on Tuesday (June 27). The quarterfinal and semifinal rounds will take place on Wednesday (June 28). Placement games will wrap up on Friday (June 30), then the medal round will be on Saturday (July 1).

For playoff broadcast information, scroll to the bottom of this newsletter.

🥍 Pool A Game Results

The United States took first place in Pool A with a perfect 4-0 record. Here’s how all the games in this group shook out…

Wednesday, June 21
United States 7, Canada 5

Thursday, June 22
Australia 8, England 4

Friday, June 23
Haudenosaunee 18, England 5
United States 12, Australia 3

Saturday June 24
Canada 10, Australia 3
United States 9, Haudenosaunee 7

Sunday, June 25
United States 18, England 1
Canada 8, Haudenosaunee 7

Monday, June 26
Haudenosaunee 10, Australia 6
Canada 11, England 4

After falling to the USA in the opening game, Canada went undefeated the rest of the way. The Haudenosaunee put up tough fights against USA and Canada, but ultimately finished 2-2. Australia’s only win came against England, which finished pool play winless with a -35 goal differential.

📊 Pool A Top Point Scorers

Most of the professional talent was concentrated in Pool A. Here are the top total point producers in the group:

Austin Staats, HAU — 17 points (13G, 4A)
Randy Staats, HAU — 13 points (5G, 8A)
Josh Byrne, CAN — 12 points (8G, 4A)
Kieran McArdle, USA — 12 points (7G, 5A)
Rob Pannell, USA — 12 points (5G, 7A)
Lyle Thompson, HAU — 11 points (9G, 2A)
Matt Rambo, USA — 10 points (6G, 4A)
Jeff Teat, CAN — 10 points (3G, 7A)
Curtis Dickson, CAN — 9 points (5G, 4A)
Brennan O’Neill, USA — 8 points (5G, 3A)
Sean Goldsmith, ENG — 8 points (5G, 3A)
Michael Sowers, USA — 7 points (6G, 1A)
Dyson Williams, CAN — 7 points (6G, 1 A)
Kyle Jackson, HAU — 7 points (3G, 4A)

Sean Goldsmith, an attackman from UNC/Mercer, was the only non-USA/Canada/Haudenosaunee player in Pool A with more than five points. His goal against All-Star Canadian defenseman Graeme Hossack on Monday night was pretty legendary:

Let this be a reminder to RESPECT THE SPECS.

👀 Non-Pool A Teams to Watch

While the United States and Canada appear to be on a collision course for the gold medal, there are a few other intriguing matchups along the way. Here are a few non-Pool A teams that are worth watching in the playoffs:

JAPAN: They outscored their Pool B opponents 70-6, leading many to believe they’re capable of pulling off an upset in the playoffs. Attackman Shinya Tateishi had 26 points (16G, 10A) — more than any other player in the tournament. They play Germany in Round 1.

ITALY: This Pool E squad has a few ringers, including Waterdogs goalie Matt DeLuca. Will Vitelli has won nearly 80 percent of his face-off attempts, while the combination of Christian Cuccinello and John Piatelli at attack has produced a total of 43 points.

JAMAICA: Italy’s Round 1 opponent is no joke. The Jamaicans won some low-scoring games to get to 4-0 in Pool D, but keep an eye out for Stone Evans at attack. He’s still in high school and is absolutely balling against grown men, with eight points in the tournament (2G, 6A).

ISRAEL: If Pool C is the “Group of Death” then Israel is largely responsible for the carnage. They went 4-0 in pool play and doubled their opponents’ goal total in each outing. They will face another undefeated team in Ireland to start the playoffs.

📺 TV/Streaming Broadcast Info

Here’s when and where you can watch the 2023 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship elimination games (Eastern Time/Pacific Time):

Tuesday, June 27
4 p.m./1 p.m. — Germany vs. Japan (ESPN+)
4 p.m./1 p.m. — Puerto Rico vs. England (ESPN+)
7 p.m./4 p.m. — Jamaica vs. Italy (ESPN+)
7 p.m./4 p.m. — Netherlands vs. Australia (ESPN+)
10 p.m./7 p.m. — Ireland vs. Israel (ESPN+)
10 p.m./7 p.m. — Hong Kong vs. Haudenosaunee (ESPN+)

Wednesday, June 28
1 p.m./10 a.m. — Quarterfinal, ENG/PRI vs. NED/AUS (ESPN+)
4 p.m./1 p.m. — Quarterfinal, JAP/GER vs. HKG/HAU (ESPN+)
7 p.m./4 p.m. — Quarterfinal, Canada vs. ITA/JAM (ESPN+)
10 p.m./7 p.m. — Quarterfinal, USA vs. ISR/IRE (ESPNU)

Thursday, June 29
8 p.m./5 p.m. — Semifinal Matchup 1 (ESPN2)
11 p.m./8 p.m. — Semifinal Matchup 2 (ESPN2)

Saturday, July 1
4 p.m./1 p.m. — Bronze Medal Game (ESPNU)
7 p.m./4 p.m. — Gold Medal Game (ESPN2)