Wrocław, Poland – The Men’s U20 National team took down reigning champion England 10-7 to claim the 2024 European Championship. This is continued improvement from the 2019 U20 European Championship where the Irish finished 4th, and the 2022 U21 World Championship where the Boys in Green finished 7th.
The Irish started hot, reeling off two quick goals courtesy of Christoper Burnetta and Emmet McDermott. England replied with three straight goals, before Darcy Rybinski snapped the drought netting Ireland’s tying goal. Ireland continued the onslaught, dropping another three goals (Darcy Rybinski, Emmet McDermott). England made it interesting with another two goals, heading into the halftime break 6-5 Ireland. However, the Boys in Green came out of the break with a win on their minds, and closed out the game with another four goals (Darcy Rybinski, Emmet McDermott, John Staunton, Sean Horkan) while conceding only two late tallies to England. The Irish defense is to be commended, allowing only 9 shots on cage the entire game. The full statistical breakdown can be found here.
Goalie Gavin Conlan, goalie Euan McKeever, and attacker Christoper Burnetta were recognized for their individual play throughout the tournament, and named to the All Europe Team. Additiaonlly, Conlan was selected as the Best Goalie of the event, Burnetta was named Best Attacker, and McKeever was also recognized as Best Defender.
A heartfelt thank you to Celtic Sheet Metal for their support of the Boys in Green throughout this campaign. The Celtic Sheet Metal Player(s) of the Game are as follows:
- vs Germany: Darcy Rybinski
- vs Switzerland: Christoper Burnetta
- vs Latvia: Emmet McDermott
- vs Israel: Aneel Ward
- vs Netherlands: Jack Halleron
- vs Sweden: Sean Horkan
- vs England: Michael Songer
Additionally, a massive thank you to Wentworth-DeAngelis, Inc. for their support of the Men’s U20 National team. A leader in various types of insurance and bonds, they understand the importance of service, reliability and integrity. Their values align with those of the programme – collaboration to ensure the best outcomes for all parties. Their support ensured that all extra needs for the team were met: additional meals/snacks, ice baths et al.
The team will look to continue their success at the 2025 World Lacrosse Men’s U20 Championship in South Korea, where they aim to improve on their 7th place finish in 2022.
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