The 2024 World Box Lacrosse Championships kick off on Friday in Utica, New York.
It will be the 6th edition of the tournament, and the first to ever feature womens competition.
Here is everything you need to know.
For Starters…
The 2024 tournament begins today and will conclude with the gold medal games next Sunday, September 29th.
The tournament will be shared over three venues, all in the greater Utica area. The biggest games will be played at the Adirondack Center, a 5,700 seat venue in downtown Utica. The Center is home to the Utica Comets, the AHL affiliate of the New Jersey Devils.
Other games will be played at the Nexus Center, located very close to the bigger Adirondack Center. The Nexus Center includes a main pad that features 1,200 seats, and two more pads which can take games as well. I was there for the NCBS tournament this summer, and it is a beautiful facility.
And lastly, the tournament will also feature a few games at the nearby Turning Stone Casino, located 25 minutes west of downtown Utica.
Most of the Pool A games and all of the most important medal games will be held at the Adirondack Center.
This year’s tournament is one of the biggest ever, with the addition of the women’s competition for the first time. In total, 10 womens teams and 28 mens teams will compete in 2024, bringing together hundreds of athletes from around the world.
How to Watch?
The tournament streaming model for fans will depend on which teams fans would like to watch. A few select games will appear on ESPN+, which include most of the games from pool A. Then all of the medal and playoff rounds will appear on ESPN+, with the finals being shown on ESPN2. The round robin game between Canada and USA will appear as well on ESPNU.
All of the ESPN+ games will also appear on TSN+ in Canada.
For fans wishing to watch other games from the tournament, World Lacrosse TV will be broadcasting every game of the tournament online. Fans can purchase a tournament pass for $49.99 USD which will unlock every game of the tournament. For fans outside of the US and Canada, this is how you can watch the medal rounds as well.
Read more about the streaming details here.
Who to Watch?
In case you missed it, LCD released a great article yesterday which covered some of the best players in the tournament not from the big three teams. Check that out below.
The reality is that this tournament has not had much parity in its history. Canada has never lost a game, and the Haudenosaunee team has been in the finals every time. But this tournament could be different, with the USA bringing their best team ever and another great Haudenosaunee squad as well.
One of the interesting storylines of the tournament is how many players from the Canadian and Haudenosaunee teams played this summer for the Mann Cup winning Six Nations Chiefs. Nearly the whole Chiefs roster is set to play this week, including Team Canada players Dhane Smith, Steve Priolo, Shayne Jackson, Bryan Cole, and Mann Cup week add-ins Ian Mackay and Dillon Ward.
Tim Edwards from Team USA was also a member of that Chiefs squad, so there will be lots of familiarity going around the World Box Lacrosse Championships this week.
Speaking of the USA, one of the reasons for optimism is goaltender Drew Hutchison, who is eligible due to family connections to the USA. The Halifax Thunderbirds goaltender gives the USA arguably their most solid option ever between the pipes, and it could be argued that Hutchison is the most important player in the tournament.
Expect the round robin to be a feeling out process, with the focus being on the end of the week rather than the start. The first big game is tonight for USA vs Haudenosaunee, which should be an excellent contest.
The Legend
On the women’s side, there will be a lot to figure out. Canada certainly has the box lacrosse advantage, as several of the Canadian players grew up playing box lacrosse, either with boys or eventually through women’s box lacrosse as well.
Dana Dobbie returns to lead Team Canada, as the greatest player in Canadian history. Dobbie first represented Canada in 2003 for the U-19 World Championships, so the World Box Lacrosse Championships will mark more than two decades of her competition for Canada.
As a sidenote, when these women play for field lacrosse tournaments, the focus is usually on their alma mater. It is cool to see their box programs get represented this time, with Dobbie listed as a former Fergus Thistles member.
The rest of the Canadian roster features stars from the NCAA past and present. BC’s Megan Kinna competed in the Athletes Unlimited professional league this summer and figures to be a big part of the Canadian offence.
Keep an eye as well on Brooklyn Walker-Welch, one of the best defenders in the NCAA. She was a first team All-American in 2023, but sat out last season with an injury.
And one other name to keep an eye on is Paige Murphy, who had one of the best seasons in college lacrosse history last season. I interviewed her during the college season, which you can find below.
For the USA, it may be the first time for many of their athletes playing box lacrosse, but they bring a stacked roster to Utica.
Charlotte North will look to lead an offensive group that also features Ally Mastroianni. North and Mastroianni finished second and fourth in the Athletes Unlimited standings this summer (AU uses an individual scoring system) and both won gold with the USA at the last world field games.
As an interesting side note, the USA team will be coached by Ginny Capicchioni, who competed as part of the US men’s program for a long time. She was the only woman to ever compete in the NLL, when she appeared for the New Jersey Storm in 2003.
What to expect from LCD
Several members of the LCD community have already begun covering the World Box Lacrosse Championship.
Brad Challoner did great podcast episodes with Haudenosaunee GM Landon Miller and Team Canada Coach Glenn Clarke.
Meanwhile, Jake Elliott had a great interview this week with Randy Staats, who will figure to be a huge part of a potential golden run for the Haudenosaunee side.
And as always, make sure to follow the Box Lacrosse Rundown newsletter, which releases Mondays and Fridays at noon est. A sign up link is available below.