Sting Players Help Lead Canada To Gold At 2007 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships
May 21, 2007 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Arizona Sting News Release
HALIFAX, NS --- The 2007 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships came to an end last night, with the host Canadians prevailing over the high-flying Iroquois Nationals by a score of 15-14 in overtime to capture Gold in the second installment of the prestigious international tournament. Team Canada had a strong contingent of Arizona Sting players this year, as Dan Dawson, Peter Lough, Bruce Murray, and Scott Self all donned the red and white during the week-long event, with Sting Head Coach/GM Bob Hamley assisting on the Canadian coaching staff. âDangerous' Dan Dawson was a force on the floor all week long for Team Canada, scoring five goals in Canada's 24-8 semifinal win over Team England on Saturday, and finding the back of the net once against the Iroquois in Sunday's Gold Medal Game.
"That was one of the most intense games I've ever played in," said Dawson following his team's dramatic sudden death victory over the Nationals. "It's obviously a great thrill to be able to represent your country in an event of this stature and win a Gold Medal on your home soil. I'll definitely cherish this memory forever."
San Jose Stealth forward Jeff Zwicki scored on Canada's opening possession of the extra frame on Sunday, beating Iroquois Nationals/Buffalo Bandits goalie Mike Thompson to deliver Canada the victory. Anthony Cosmo, also a member of the Stealth, played well in goal for Team Canada, making 34 saves in the match.
The Canadians went 3-0 in the round robin portion of the tournament prior to vanquishing the English and then the Iroquois in the knockout phase to win a second straight Gold Medal. âSilky' Scott Self, who wore #66 in the tournament, had a big game against the Australians in the second game of the tournament, scoring a pair of goals in a 24-4 victory. Peter Lough and Bruce Murray also played well in the tournament, helping to anchor a star-laden Canadian defensive unit as team after team fell to the powerful squad from north of latitude's 48th parallel.
Team Iroquois also had a strong Sting contingent this year, with Andrew Lazore, Mike Attwood, and Andy Secore all representing their respective tribes against the best lacrosse players in the world. Secore, who contributed a pair of assists in the Iroquois' 14-4 win over Team U.S.A. in the semifinals and scored a highlight-reel goal versus Canada in the final, was understandably upset after losing another close championship match just eight days after his NLL squad was defeated by the Rochester Knighthawks in the Champion's Cup Final.
"Losing two title games in two straight weeks is pretty tough," said Secore. "We battled hard out there against Canada, and the game obviously could've gone either way. It's definitely disappointing to come so close to winning Gold and come up a goal short, but I'm proud to have been able to compete at this level and I learned a lot from the guys I got to play with."
Young goaltender Mike Attwood was stellar in net for the Nationals when called upon, making 27 saves against Team Scotland in the Iroquois' division-clinching 19-4 win on May 16.
"This was definitely a great experience," said Attwood of his time in Halifax. "The event was very well organized and I made a lot of friends here and had a great time. It's definitely disappointing not to have come out with the Gold Medal, but we gave it our best shot and will wear our Silver Medals with pride."
Team U.S.A. won Bronze on Sunday after defeating Team England 17-10. A pair of former Sting forwards featured prominently in the third-place match, with Chris Panos tallying five goals for the Americans and Jason Clark countering with two scores for England.
The inaugural World Indoor Lacrosse Championships took place in Hamilton, Ontario in 2003, with Canada winning Gold by virtue of a 21-4 win over the Iroquois at Copps Coliseum. Current Sting assistant coach Bob McMahon was a member of Team Canada's coaching staff that year.
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National Lacrosse League Stories from May 21, 2007
- Knighthawks to hold championship celebration on Saturday, May 26th - Rochester Knighthawks
- Knighthawks' Championship Cup Tour continues this week - Rochester Knighthawks
- Sting Players Help Lead Canada To Gold At 2007 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships - Arizona Sting
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