Danny Hilditch scored an incredible seven goals including the eventual overtime winner as England beat Puertio Rico 10-9 in a dramatic play-in game at the 2022 World Lacrosse Men’s U21 World Championship.
The result means England will contest for fifth place tomorrow against Japan who defeated Ireland 5-4 in the 3.30pm game earlier in the day.
It’s a game that will go down in history as one of the most exciting games of lacrosse at this tournament but England didn’t have it all their own way as they found themselves a goal down as Puerto Rico scored with the first opportunity of the match when William Mercado scored straight from the face-off.
It didn’t take England long to get back on level terms, however, as Hilditch scored the first of his seven after running from behind the goal and scoring with an overarm shot.
England tried to push for more goals, with both Hugo Peel and Josh Simpson-Pink seeing their efforts bounce over the Puerto Rico net.
But it was the opposition who were ahead after just over seven minutes when Christian Laureano scored with an underarm shot after Puerto Rico sped the play up around the England goal.
England continued to play their game and could even say they were dominant in the first quarter but couldn’t take their chances and it was Puerto Rico who gave themselves a two goal lead with two minutes of the quarter to play when Joshua Balcarcel caused England some problems behind goal (not for the last time!), ran around the crease, and scored.
Not being able to capitalise on their dominance of the ball in the first quarter seemed to knock the stuffing out of England in the second as Puerto Rico came out of the blocks fighting and were 4-1 up in no time at all when Laureano hit his second of the day through the legs of Sam Rogerson.
Puerto Rico sensed blood and managed to put two more away before long through Mercado and Balcarcel to see the score at 6-1.
This England team has proved time and time again that they work well under pressure and they rallied to finish the first half strongly, pulling two goals back first through Peel who scored with a low shot from distance before Hilditch grabbed his second with a well executed jump shot.
Those two goals marked the start of a four goal run for England without reply from Puerto Rico and after the half-time break Simpson-Pink followed up his hat-trick against Jamaica with another here as he flew up the left wing, cut inside, and finished with ease.
This was followed by Hilditch completing a hat-trick of his own after England had worked hard to win the ball in transition.
With five minutes left in the third quarter, England were starting to sense a comeback but Puerto Rico restored their two goal advantage when Balcarcel hit his hat-trick goal to make the score 7-5.
And that’s how the score stayed heading into the fourth and final quarter. Both teams were looking anxious but it took Hilditch, who was brimming with confidence at this point, to haul England back in the game once again with a screamer from distance after three minutes in the quarter.
Frustratingly for England they couldn't quite get a complete foothold in the game and Puerto Rico were 8-6 up two minutes later when Laureano scored his hat-trick goal after wrong footing a defender and shooting on the turn.
England were looking for inspiration with 10 minutes left to go in the game and it came through a familiar name: Danny Hilditch.
He helped England out for the fifth time in the game, scoring while Puerto Rico were a man down before finally Drew Bickerton equalised for the boys in red with a cheeky finish just outside the crease!
With two and a half minutes left in the game, Hilditch hit home his sixth to put England ahead for the first time and he must have thought he’d won the game for his team until Brandon Aviles levelled things up for Puerto Rico with just 24 seconds to go.
9-9. Four quarters played. Nothing to separate the two teams. Sudden death overtime to come.
England did everything right as overtime began: captain fantastic, Dan Madeley, battled for the face-off and won and they got the ball to their best player on the day.
Once the ball reached Hilditch, the result was never in doubt; he fired the ball into the back of the Puerto Rico net to see England through in the most dramatic fashion!
England will now take on Japan at 12.15pm BST in the fifth place game live on Lax Sports Network.
England Points: Danny Hilditch (7G), Drew Bickerton (1G), Hugo Peel (1G), Josh Simpson-Pink (1G).
Saturday 20 August Schedule (times BST)
Kenya v Latvia | 09.00 | 19th Place Game
Jamaica v Israel | 09.15 | 9th Place Game
Czech Republic v Germany | 12.00 | 11th Place Game
England v Japan | 12.15 | 5th Place Game
Wales v China | 15.00 | 17th Place Game
Puerto Rico v Ireland | 15.15 | 7th Place Game
Australia v Haudenosaunee | 16.00 | 3rd Place Game
USA v Canada | 19.00 | Final