England finished sixth at the 2022 World Lacrosse Men’s U21 World Championship after an agonising 7-6 double overtime defeat to Japan in the fifth place game.

Hilditch followed up his seven goals from the play-in game with a brace while Hugo Peel also got his name on the scoresheet once again but it wasn’t enough on the day as England were forced to be content with sixth spot.

After yesterday’s play-in game heroics against Puerto Rico, coming back from 6-3 down to win 10-9 after overtime, England were looking to start well but they found themselves a goal down after just over two minutes when Sota Hakozaki scored with a casual finish through the legs of Jack Allen.

Josh Simpson-Pink then had England level when his speculative shot from distance squeezed past Shun Ito in the Japan goal.

England were looking to push on from there but it was Japan who started to cause their opponents the most issues as they forced Allen to make a couple of good saves before Hakozaki hit his second of the game to put Japan back in front.

As time wore on in the first quarter, England started to turn the screw and with just two seconds before quarter-time they pulled themselves level again through Will Goodwin whose shot hit the Japan goalie’s arm before going in.

The opening two quarters were tense with both teams showing signs of fatigue after their tough play-in games the previous day and five minutes passed in the second before either team had any sniff of a goal.

But it was Japan who edged themselves back in front when Hiroki Ono drove towards goal and scored with aplomb to make it 3-2 to his side.

The brilliant Allen in the England goal was called into action shortly after but he was equal to Japan’s shot as he parried the ball away with his legs from close range.

And with three seconds to go in the half, England continued the back and forth nature of the game when Nathan Wilkinson equalised to ensure his team went in at the break with some momentum.

It had become the norm in this tournament for England to get better as games wore on but Japan are a good side and restricted England at the start of the third quarter.

Japan were able to go on a three goal scoring run without any reply from England as Uta Kaigara was fed from behind the goal and scored with a snapshot before Tetsuya Yamada dodged an England defender and scored with a dive across the crease.

Then, as the game entered its fourth quarter, Tomoya Sodeyama hit a sixth for Japan as he advanced up the field and scored through the legs of Allen.

Three goals in one quarter was a big ask for England but they’d been here before and they didn’t look fazed as Danny Hilditch sprang into life and scored a fourth for the boys in white after some good work in midfield by Peel.

Hilditch then popped up again with one minute 36 seconds left on the clock to make the score 6-5. And with just 44 seconds left in the game, up stepped Peel to equalise for England with an effort from distance.

Neither side could carve out any more chances as the game came to a close and entered a period of sudden death overtime.

Four minutes of overtime came and went and the game entered a second period of overtime with both teams knowing whoever scored next would win the game and finish fifth.

And midway through the second period of overtime, it was Japan who found the space as Rinta Fujioka was fed the ball just outside the crease and couldn’t miss.

England Points: Will Goodwin (1G), Danny Hilditch (1G), Hugo Peel (1G), Josh Simpson-Pink (1G), Nathan Wilkinson (1G).

Final Day Results