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SECOND FIDDLE


How Team USA came undone by Canada’s perfect, plodding plan


By Corey McLaughlin


veryone knew the expectations. Two days before the U.S. opened the 2014


FIL World Championship against Canada, a local TV reporter set up a tripod and camera on an indoor turf field at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, clipped a microphone on Team USA coach Richie Meade and asked about the rivalry, what it meant and what could happen.


Meade brought up the fact that the U.S. hadn’t won two in a row in the series in quite some time, not since the 2006 round robin.


44 LACROSSE MAGAZINE September 2014>> 13.57


GROUND BALLS PER GAME SCOOPED BY BERMUDA’S DREW JENKINS, THE FORMER SYRACUSE MIDFIELDER


Beating Canada, preferably and most likely twice in a span of 10 days, was the ultimate goal this time around, defending the gold won in 2010 in England on the home turf of Denver. Everything — a two-year evaluation process that built and trimmed a 98-player tryout pool to a 23-man final roster 10 days before the tournament, hours traveling and competing at evaluation events and training weekends, weekly 6 a.m. coaches’ conference calls — led to this. The group, billed as one of the finest U.S. squads ever, spent most of its final four-day training camp at Air Force preparing to win the opener, which it did 10-7, rallying back from a three-goal deficit. The U.S. outshot Canada 40-20 in front of more than 11,000 fans at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.


Once at the University of Denver dorms, they formed “the bunker.”


Support staff converted the college common space into a combination film room and clubhouse. Denver resident defenseman Lee Zink brought a Wii from his nearby home, a gift he had been meaning to use. Players took turns rejuvenating with Normatec recovery leg boots. A Keurig provided fuel. Makeshift ice baths were set up. When not together, everyone communicated on a GroupMe chat on their phones, featuring items like a “Durkin Island” meme, lauding defenseman Tucker Durkin’s performance against Iroquois star Lyle Thompson. Meadeisms, pieces of inspiration drawn out of the former Navy’s coach’s military background, hung from the walls, as did military flags. The U.S. outscored opponents 107-26 and beat the eventual bronze-medalist Iroquois 18-5. The U.S. breezed past Australia 22-3


A Publication of US Lacrosse


©TREVOR BROWN


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