2015 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship

It’s a refrain the Iroquois Nationals are all too familiar with.

For the fourth consecutive time, Team Canada edged out the Iroquois Nationals for the FIL World Indoor Lacrosse Championships gold medal.

This time around, Canada came away with a 12-8 victory in front of over 10,000 fans at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, NY.

“It’s a tough one, that’s for sure,” Iroquois Nationals head coach Rich Kilgour said. “I’m disappointed. I’m definitely not disappointed in us. I’m just disappointed that we came up a goal or two short. I really think we had the team to do it this year. But you have to give Canada credit. They’re a great team and they beat us in a really good lacrosse game.”

In the first quarter, both teams exchanged goals, with Johnny Powless, Haina Thompson and Miles Thompson getting on the board for the Iroquois Nationals, while Curtis Dickson scored twice for Canada with Shawn Evans adding one.
[Read more…]

There have been a lot of people complimenting the Iroquois Nationals on their sharp Nike uniforms during the FIL World Indoor Lacrosse Championships.

People have also loved the team’s Bauer helmets by Cascade Lacrosse and Quiet Storm Custom Wrapz.

Iroquois Nationals executive director Ansley Jemison sat down with a GoPro on his head to explain the process and the meaning behind them.
[Read more…]

The Iroquois Nationals will get another shot at Team Canada. This time it will be for the world championship.

The Iroquois Nationals earned a berth into the FIL World Indoor Lacrosse Championships thanks to a 17-10 victory over the United States in front of a sold out Onondaga Arena on Friday.

“We’re really happy to get the victory,” head coach Rich Kilgour said. “We’re right where we want to be going to the gold medal game on Sunday.”

Unlike every game of the tournament, the Iroquois Nationals got off to a slow start, with Joe Walters scoring a pair of goals in the first three minutes of the game for the Americans.

Five minutes into the quarter, Brett Bucktooth got things going, with Craig Point adding two more. Lyle Thompson and Randy Staats pitched in with one each.

The Iroquois Nationals continued to roll in the second quarter, with Johnny Powless scoring twice, while Staats, Lyle Thompson, Adam Bomberry and Roger Vyse added to the lead.

Walters and Joe Resetarits responded for the United States.

Miles Thompson led the offence in the third quarter, scoring three times, with Staats adding one.

Garrett Thul, Joel White and Walters attempted to chip away at the Iroquois Nationals’ lead.
[Read more…]

The Iroquois Nationals had an opportunity to give back Thursday afternoon, loving every second of it.

So did the students and staff at Onondaga Nation School.

With a rare off day during the FIL World Indoor Lacrosse Championships, the Iroquois Nationals players and staff visited the local school.

“It was really cool,” Iroquois Nationals goalie Mike Thompson said. “The kids were pretty pumped. We all got a kick out of it. Doing things like this is a lot of fun.”

The players went to different classrooms and got a chance to interact with the students, who were treated with a gift from the team that was able to get autographed.

“The kids are thrilled,” OSN principal Diane Elsworth said. “  As soon as the students heard the Iroquois Nationals are coming, they were so excited. They idolize these guys. I watch thechildren at this school. They’ll be outside and say how they just did a Lyle move, or a Miles move. You also hear the kids at school talking about their own games and saying how they tried something that they’ve seen these guys do. This is really special for these kids. It is something they’ll never forget.”

The school’s principal said by coming in and being with the students is a special experience for them.
[Read more…]

While the quest for the 2015 FIL World Indoor Lacrosse Championships is in full swing, the host team is also showing off its future.

With the likes of veterans Sid Smith, Jeff Shattler and Brett Bucktooth leading the way, the newest wave of indigenous stars have been on full display. Wednesday was a perfect example in their 17-4 victory over the Czech Republic at Onondaga Arena.

Among those young guns are Johnny Powless, Randy Staats and Wenster Green.

The Iroquois Nationals are also boasting an even younger group, featuring Brier Jonathan, Miles Thompson, Lyle Thompson, and 17-year-old Austin Staats.

“It’s pretty unbelievable playing at this level at his age,” Iroquois Nationals head coach Rich Kilgour said. “This (Tuesday’s win over England) was his first game in there. Austin proved he isn’t out of place. We didn’t bring him here for window dressing or to say we have a 17-year-old. We brought him here because of his skill and talent. I think anyone who watched the game will realize how good he is now, and that he has an even brighter future ahead of him.”
[Read more…]