Finnish women's box lacrosse championship debut
Women's Box Lacrosse with Passion in Utica
Around midday on September 18, 2024, the players of the first Finnish women’s box lacrosse national team began arriving at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport with large suitcases. Named bags were handed out, and the atmosphere was filled with anticipation and excitement. Soon, they would board a flight to Boston, followed by a 4 hour bus ride to Utica. For most players, this trip would be their first time in the United States. The team had clear rules: each player was responsible for their roommate the entire journey. "We were on edge until the last minute, wondering if the uniforms would make it," said team captain Suvi Onne when sharing the bags with uniforms to everyone.
The first-ever women’s box lacrosse championship match in history (Finland vs. Canada) was an unforgettable experience for the entire team. It felt both like a privilege and an earned opportunity to play in the tournament, considering the significant effort made by the coaches, staff, and players to assemble the team in such a short time. "When our national anthem started playing before that first game, the entire national team project became tangible—'we’re really here, and now it’s time to play,'" recalled team vice-captain Katariina Bitter. Bitter had the honor of delivering the first cross-check in women’s box lacrosse championship history when she stripped the ball from Canada’s Megan Kinna, flooring the Canadian star shortly after the opening whistle. However, what stood out most for Bitter from the tournament was her amazing teammates: "The team spirit was better than I could have ever imagined." The tournament was historic in many ways for both women’s lacrosse and Finnish lacrosse as a whole.
The tournament venue and the organizers' efforts were excellent in the team’s view. All of Finland’s matches were played at either the brand-new Nexus Center or the Adirondack Bank Center, both part of the same complex. The fields were in great condition, and facilities for training and recovery were provided. Transportation between the venue and accommodation was convenient by bus. Every game was broadcast live on the World Lacrosse website, allowing fans back home to join in the excitement. The team gave special praise for the high-quality commentary and the ability to use video footage for learning. If injuries occurred, a hospital was less than 500 meters away.
Indeed, the team was not spared from injuries during the tournament. “We knew we were taking a big risk by going to the World Championships with a minimal roster. When other teams had injured players, they could replace them by calling on the next player in line. We didn’t have that option, but each missing player was replaced with a lot of grit, and no one was ready to give up their game time over something minor,” vice-captain Ina Jouppila described.
“It’s always tough to lose, but you can be proud of how this team played to the end and improved from one situation to the next, despite all the losses,” summarized head coach Joakim Miller. The team played seven games in total and finished 10th out of the 10 participating countries.
The final game was against Hong Kong. After the match, there were tears of emotion on the field but also smiles. "That loss stung the most because it was a very close game in the end, but the opponent managed to score unnecessarily easy goals in the first two periods before we got our game to the right level," Onne commented. The last two periods were very even, and the team created the necessary chances to win, but the game ultimately ended in Hong Kong’s favor.
“The lack of game routine was still too evident, and the already small roster’s injuries and illnesses hindered us from reaching our full potential. We didn’t win any games this time, but the tournament was an extremely valuable experience for us moving forward, inspiring everyone to continue training,” Miller concluded.
After the team returned home from Utica, the focus shifted to the future. After a well-deserved recovery period, the training camp season will kick off in January 2025 in Joutsa. Hunger grows with eating, and the next milestone is already clear: the Shebox Tournament in Prague this spring.
Sign up is open for Shebox team and camps over the spring.
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