Division I Update: Yesterday at the FIL World Lacrosse Championships (July 14, 2014)

Scores

Blue Division
Australia 10, Iroquois 12
England 1, United States 20
Canada 20, Japan 3

Bracket
Finland 6, Scotland 9
Poland 14, Hong Kong 4
China 9, Argentina 7
Belgium 18, Costa Rica 4
Thailand 12, Colombia 3
Spain 3, Latvia 21
Czech Republic 5, Germany 9
Israel 18, Ireland 9
Slovakia 17, France 6
Italy 7, Wales 16
Russia 7, Norway 14
Turkey 7, Austria 2
Bermuda 4, Sweden 19
New Zealand 14, Netherlands 10
Uganda 10, Korea 9 (!!!!)
Switzerland 12, Mexico 3

Selected Division I Impact

Finland
In a pretty entertaining game the Fins lost to the Scots (the power of unlikely independence compels them!). All four of Finland's current Division I players got run with Hayden Johnstone (Stony Brook), Eric Cooley (Rutgers), and Anssi Kaisalmi (Mercer) getting starts in the opener of the bracket round. Nick Ranta (Furman) continued his tear through the tournament for the blue and white, though, picking up two goals and an assist against a very solid Scotland team. Johnstone made 10 stops while allowing nine goals, a solid effort against an opposing offense that features a host of lightning-capable weapons.

Latvia
Eli and Riley Lasda (Albany) beat Spain on their own, combining for five goals, five assists, 10 shots, and five of 10 faceoffs. That's a spicy meatball! The Lasdas will face Norway today for a chance to play for ninth place in the championship bracket (I think that's right).

Italy
Thomas Flibotte (Bucknell) could not stave off Wales' charge in the Azzurri's nine-goal defeat. Flibotte dumped in two goals for the Italians, but couldn't seem to efficiently find twine while taking a team-high nine shots. That's not a spicy meatball!

Russia
Nick Koshansky (Notre Dame) didn't play for the Russians against Norway, likely detained by the KGB and en route to a stone-breaking facility in Siberia for loving American freedom too much. Jordan Friedman (Colgate) and Jacob Richards (Vermont), however, were permitted to start for the Ruskies, presumably as a front to show that all was well despite Koshansky being convicted in absentia. Richards led the way for Mother Russia with two goals on two shots, causing a turnover and also corralling a loose ball. Friedman and Richards also did their part on the Evil Russians Meter, combining for two penalties and two minutes of detention.

Sweden
Dickson Smith (Virginia) and Eric Smith (Michigan) both got the start against Bermuda. They combined for three groundballs. Otherwise, this game was a crime scene bloodbath.

Canada
Brennan Donville (Cornell), Wes Berg (Denver), and Jesse King (Ohio State) all kicked the maple syrup out of Japan. Berg had a goal on three shots, Jesse King got loose for two assists and took three shots, and Donville anchored the net for Team Toque in the second half, making six saves and allowing only one goal. The Canadians are still suffering aftershock from the storm of freedom the team received from Team USA.

England
Matt Sexton (Penn State) and Max Bonsall (Siena) took a Declaration of Lacrossependence to the face against the United States. Bonsall and Sexton were impotent in stopping Team USA's assertion of liberty, merely wishing it was time for tea and not-having-our-teeth-kicked-in-by-the-Americans. This has not been a pretty tournament for the Three Lions.

Iroquois
Warren Hill (Syracuse), Lyle Thompson (Albany), Zach Miller (Denver), and Randy Staats (Syracuse) continued their starting ways for the Iroquois. Lyle's four-and-one performance was not unlike his usual skull-crushing through the America East Conference, but Randy Staats' six shots without a goal (or an assist) is somewhat interesting given the tear he has been on in the tournament. Zach Miller put a bucket on the board with three shots while Hill recorded five saves against 10 goals against. The moment for the Iroquois occurs tonight when they face Team USA at dusk.

Today's Heat (ET)

10:00 A.M.: Germany v. Israel (ESPN3)
10:30 A.M.: Latvia v. Norway
11:00 A.M.: Spain v. Russia
11:00 A.M.: Colombia v. Argentina
12:00 P.M.: Mexico v. Italy
1:00 P.M.: Costa Rica v. Korea
1:00 P.M.: Scotland v. New Zealand
1:00 P.M.: Switzerland v. Wales (ESPN3)
1:30 P.M.: Turkey v. Slovakia
3:00 P.M.: Thailand v. China
3:00 P.M.: Belgium v. Uganda
4:00 P.M.: England v. Japan (ESPN3)
4:00 P.M.: Finland v. Netherlands
4:00 P.M.: Hong Kong v. Bermuda
4:30 P.M.: Czech Republic v. Ireland
5:00 P.M.: Austria v. France
7:00 P.M.: Iroquois v. United States (ESPNU/ESPN3)
7:30 P.M.: Poland v. Sweden
10:00 P.M.: Australia v. Canada (ESPN3)