Canada beats U.S. in World Field Lacrosse Championship Game

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...244&call_pageid=968867503640&col=970081593064

Saw the last half of the game on CBC.

Gary Gait, an NCAA All-Star at Syracuse, and maybe one of the greatest lacrosse players ever scored four in the fourth quarter, including the winner. Guy's 39.

 

Pretty much the same response I'll have when Argentina beats the U.S. at the World Basketball Championship.

 

Hey now - let's not pick on Canada. They make great dry gingerale up there.

 

Just joshin'. Congratulations.

And we're gonna beat that Argentenian ass. Believe it. ;D

 

I care JR.
Really.

 

Whats the big deal? The U.S. lost the championship to the country playing their "official sport"? I'm quite happy the gritty Americans were even able to compete with the lacrosse mad country also called Canada!

 

Our official summer sport is box lacrosse, played on cement floors inside hockey arenas. This is the field version, which is only just starting to catch on in Canada.

JR is right, Gary Gait is probably the greatest lacrosse player who ever lived. He scored 21 goals in eight games and finished sixth in tournament scoring (tied for third in goals).

This may very well be his last hurrah as a player (he's retired from box and indoor lacrosse but not field lacrosse) and gives him the only thing he had lacked, a world championship. Here's a partial list of his other honours.

Minto Cup (Canadian Junior A) Most Valuable Player - 1986
Minto Cup Champion - 1988
Mann Cup (Canadian Senior A) Champion - 1990, 1997, 1999
Mann Cup Most Valuable Player - 1997, 1999 (shared with twin brother Paul Gait)

NCAA All-American - 1987-90 inclusive
NCAA Division I Champion - 1988, 1989, 1990
NCAA Player of the Year - 1988, 1990
NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player - 1990
NCAA Division I Women's Champion - 1995-2001 inclusive (as an assistant coach)

Major Indoor Lacrosse League Rookie of the Year - 1991 (shared with Paul Gait)
MILL/National Lacrosse League First Team All-Star - 1991-2004 inclusive
MILL/NLL Scoring Champion - 1991, 1995, 1997-2000 inclusive, 2004 (last two shared with John Tavares)
MILL/NLL Most Valuable Player - 1995-99 inclusive, 2003
MILL/NLL Champion's Cup Winner - 1991, 1994, 1995 (as a player), 2006 (as a coach)
NLL Second Team All-Star - 2005

Major Lacrosse League Steinfeld Cup Winner - 2001, 2002 (as a player), 2005 (as a player-coach)
MLL Scoring Champion - 2005
MLL Most Valuable Player - 2005 (shared with Mark Millon)

Co-creator of the "Air Gait" goal-scoring move, now banned from high school, collegiate and professional competition.
Inducted into the National (U.S.) Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2005
One of the first five inductees into the NLL Hall of Fame in 2006

 

You cannot watch a lacrosse match on ESPN (collegiate or otherwise) where Gait's name doesn't come up.

 

I had a lacrosse discussion with Orange Hat Bobcat Senior at the Toronto outing. What I found interesting is that in the U.S. lacrosse is an elite sport, played at prep school. In Canada, in my experience, it seems to be very much a blue collar game.

Anyone in a position to comment on this?