England player battles against Israel defenders

England claimed their first 2022 World Lacrosse Men’s U21 World Championship win after an impressive 10-2 victory over Israel in the play-in game.

Two goals from 17-year old Hugo Peel, the youngest member of the squad, as well as a brace each from Danny Hilditch and Ed Loveland helped England progress to the quarter-finals in their first knock-out game at the Championship.

After England’s tough pool stage games against the Haudenosaunee, USA, Australia, and Canada last week, England started tentatively but, after a tense opening five minutes or so, found themselves a goal to the good through Loveland who skipped past an Israel defender and fired home from just beyond the crease.

Israel, who came into this game on the back of an 11-4 loss to Czech Republic in their final pool stage game, were determined to make a game of this in the early stages and fired in an equaliser with three minutes left of the quarter through Evyatar Barnoy.

And England goal-keeper, Sam Rogerson, made a string of saves as the quarter came to a close to keep the score at 1-1.

England were beginning to dominate the possession of the ball during the second quarter, however, when Hilditch scored his first and England’s second after receiving the ball in from behind, driving towards goal, faking a shot and smashing it home.

This seemed to perk England up and give them the real belief they could go on and push for more goals.

And just before half-time, they got two quick fire goals from 17-year-old Peel who first snook a perfectly executed daisy cutter underneath the Israel goalie before scoring what can only be described as a screamer when his low shot from range nestled in the bottom corner.

Returning to the field after the break, it was clear England had one thing on their collective mind and that was to kill this game with more goals.

Almost three minutes into the third quarter they had their fifth through Nathan Wilkinson before Will Shirt scored after squeezing through two Israel defenders, dodging another, and calmly slotting past the goalie.

Despite a goal against the run of play from Israel to make the score 6-2 and a series of penalties that disrupted the game heavily, England continued to push, scoring two more before quarter-time.

Taking advantage of being two men up in the game, Josh Simpson-Pink was able to find Dan Madeley in space in front of goal and he made no mistake from just outside the crease.

Then, an earlier goal-scorer turned provider as Hilditch played in Loveland who snatched his second of the match.

Such a dominant third quarter performance allowed England to take their foot of the gas slightly in the final 15 minutes but they still managed to create a plethora of chances and put away two.

Will Goodwin had England’s ninth after picking up the dead ball behind the Israel goal running around the crease, catching the defence unaware and firing into the net before long-pole player, Tom Whitehead, worked extremely hard to run the ball out of defence and into the attack to allow Hilditch to get his second of the game with a lovely sidearm shot from distance.

This victory has been a long time coming for England at this U21 World Championship and they’ll head into tomorrow’s quarter-final against the Haudenosaunee with renewed confidence that they can go a lot further in the competition.

England Points: Will Goodwin (1G), Danny Hilditch (2G), Ed Loveland (2G), Dan Madeley (1G), Hugo Peel (2G), Will Shirt (1G), Nathan Wilkinson (1G).

Wednesday 17 August Schedule (times BST)