U20 Championship lacrosse: England beat Hong Kong, Puerto Rico ‘inspire’ in loss to US
- But home team Hong Kong are on course, coach says, as they aim to better past showings
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Hosts Hong Kong were taught a lesson at the World Lacrosse Women’s U20 Championship as they were well beaten by England on Saturday.
But head coach Gemini Fan Tak-kwan was adamant that the city’s goal of bettering results from the last edition remained “right on course” despite being schooled 18-1 by the world’s No 4-ranked team, who finished fourth in 2019.
Home team goalies Liu Yutong and Sophie Chan combined for 10 saves from the 28 shots fired at them, and Fan rated her team’s performance as “OK” against one of the leading sides.
“This match was a tough one from the outset,” she said. “The point difference seems big, but we tried to attack and did really well in defence too.”
Fan’s 12th-ranked team had their match moved to an earlier slot and across town to Hong Kong Football Club after Sham Shui Po Sports Ground was lashed with rain.
The gap in class did not deter the Hongkongers as midfielder Anbie Chan, who studies at the University of Hong Kong, drew first blood in the third minute.
But England turned it around, captain Rachael Ball leading all scorers with four goals, Annie Mather and Freya Moody each chipping in three, and five other players also scoring.
Having thrashed Jamaica on Thursday in their first match, Hong Kong will probably need to beat at least one of Ireland or Japan, their next two opponents, to progress from their group.
“The next two against Ireland and Japan are tough ones, because Japan are fifth in the world [and Ireland beat them],” Fan said. “We’ll try our best.”
Later at Football Club, China got their second win from two, prevailing 19-10 against a Germany side aiming to bounce back from their 33-0 defeat by the United States.
Ranked eighth to China’s 14th, Germany might have lost by more but for goalkeeper Kiana Bohm and their late rally.
“I think it was a great [performance],” Kit Pingyu Zanelli, who scored three and assisted one for China, said. “We have a very good culture in the squad and are good at lifting each other up.”
That left China second in Pool A, behind the US on goals for and against and with hopes of advancing to the quarter-finals.
Puerto Rico lost 28-4 to the American juggernaut, but victory for them was netting three consecutive goals against the world’s best, which captain Hannah Lewis said fuelled aspirations back home.
“To have a run against the No 1 seeds … was incredible,” she said. “Us being out here and competing with teams and going on a 3-0 run against USA is going to show kids on the island that you’re able to do this, and inspire more to start playing.”
Since its inception eight years ago, Puerto Rico Lacrosse has quickly taken root.
“We’ve got a lot of junior schools in the main metropolitan area of San Juan and are constantly looking to grow and get more coaches, get coaches trained, get officials,” coach Sophia Lugo-Nieves said.
The US players saw they had a part to play, too.
“When others play us, sometimes they are like, ‘We’re going to be happy if we get one goal,’” Madison Taylor, the game’s MVP, said. “We’re inspiring not just ourselves, but also all other countries.”
Australia beat Scotland 19-7 at Shek Kip Mei Park.
