World Lacrosse Women’s U20 Championship: Schedule, Team Info, Key Matchups

It did not take long for the host nation to make its mark in the 2024 World Lacrosse Women’s U20 World Championship. In front of a large and energetic crowd at Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong defeated Jamaica 13-2.

“It’s basically a dream that I haven’t woken up from and it’s unbelievable to play a world championship in Hong Kong,” Hong Kong coach Gemini Fan told World Lacrosse. “This is my fifth world championship, and they’ve always been in Europe or North America for me. This is the first one in Asia in a while and we have the next three in Asia as well.”

The 10-day, 20-team event started Thursday with three games and opening ceremonies. The defending world champion U.S. opens play Friday against Germany. It’s the first world championship of any kind to be held in Asia since the 1997 Women’s World Cup won by the U.S.

Eloise Bolitho had four goals and an assist for Hong Kong in its tournament-opening victory. Sophie Beane added a hat trick and was named player of the match.

“Seeing so many kids and their families and their parents coming out, it’s very inspiring to allow those kids to see, ‘Wow, lacrosse is a very big sport that the players can have this stage to perform on if they keep working hard,’” Fan said.

Continue below for a full event schedule, key matchups and information on all 20 teams gleaned from game notes supplied by World Lacrosse.

HOW TO WATCH

World Lacrosse is streaming all 64 games of the world championship on its new brand-new platform WLTV. The website features live and on-demand content. There’s also a World Lacrosse TV app available on Apple and Android devices.

POOL PLAY

This is the first World Lacrosse event using the snake-seeding system to group teams into pools. Traditional powers like the U.S., Canada, Australia and England — the top four finishers at the 2019 World Lacrosse Women’s U19 Championship in Ontario — have been separated and will be the favorites to come out of their respective pools.

Pool A: China, Germany, Israel, Puerto Rico, United States

Pool B: Canada, Haudenosaunee, Korea, Chinese Taipei, Wales

Pool C: Australia, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Scotland

Pool D: England, Hong Kong, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan

The top two teams from each pool will advance to the championship playoffs and seeded 1-8 based on their pool play record and tiebreakers (goal differential, goals conceded and, if needed, coin flip).

Pool play is Aug. 15-20, with quarterfinals Aug. 21, semifinals Aug. 22 and medal games Aug. 24.

POOL A GAMES TO WATCH

Aug. 15 – Israel vs. China – 12 p.m. HKT (12 a.m EST)

Aug. 17 – Puerto Rico vs. USA – 8 p.m. HKT (8 a.m. EST)

Aug. 18 – Israel vs. Germany – 2 p.m. HKT (2 a.m. EST)

Aug. 20 – Germany vs. Puerto Rico – 2 p.m. HKT (2 a.m. EST)

The U.S. is the favorite, having won five of seven women’s junior world championships and featuring a roster heavy on experienced NCAA stars.

Germany and Puerto Rico finished in the top 10 in 2019, with the latter going unbeaten in pool play. Israel’s senior women’s team earned a top-10 ranking in 2022.

China has several players with collegiate experience, a growing domestic pipeline and regional support in its favor.

Germany and Israel met in the European women’s U21 championship event last year, with Germany prevailing in a 9-8 thriller that came down to the final few minutes. Many of the same players are competing in the U20 world championship.

The race for second place and a spot in the championship bracket bears watching.

POOL B GAMES TO WATCH

Aug. 15 – Korea vs. Chinese Taipei – 9 a.m. HKT (Aug. 14, 9 p.m. EST)

Aug. 17 – Haudenosaunee vs. Canada – 8 p.m. HKT (8 a.m. EST)

Aug. 18 – Korea vs. Wales – 8 p.m. HKT (8 a.m. EST)

Aug. 20 – Wales vs. Haudenosaunee – 2 p.m. HKT (2 a.m. EST)

Canada and the Haudenosaunee are the teams to watch, and they’ll meet in pool play Saturday.

The Haudenosaunee’s 10th-place finish in 2019 came as something of a surprise. This is an experienced team featuring players that have competed at the senior level at the 2022 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship and The World Games 2022 as well as the 2023 PALA Sixes Cup.

Like the U.S., Canada’s roster is stocked with NCAA talent. Several players have multiple years of international experience, including senior-level caps in 2022.

Korea’s roster features a blend of American and Korean experience. Chinese Taipei also has a handful of players with U.S. high school pedigree.

POOL C GAMES TO WATCH

Aug. 15 – Mexico vs. Italy – 12 p.m. HKT (12 a.m. EST)

Aug. 16 – Australia vs. New Zealand – 2 p.m. HKT (2 a.m. EST)

Aug. 16 – Scotland vs. Mexico – 2 p.m. HKT (2 a.m. EST)

Aug. 20 – Scotland vs. New Zealand – 11 a.m. HKT (Aug. 19, 11 p.m. EST)

Australia (in 1995) and Canada (in 2015) are the only teams other than U.S. to claim a gold medal in women’s junior world championship history. The Aussies haven’t made it to the championship game since 2011, however. They’ll look to find their footing in pool play, highlighted by a matchup with Asia Pacific Lacrosse Union rival New Zealand, which finished sixth in 2019.

Scotland has participated in every women’s junior world championship going back to the inaugural event in 1995 and Mexico’s roster features many players of Mexican descent who are part of the wave of talent in Southern California.

POOL D GAMES TO WATCH

Aug. 15 – Hong Kong vs. Jamaica – 7 p.m. HKT (7 a.m. EST)

Aug. 18 – Ireland vs. Hong Kong – 2 p.m. HKT (2 a.m. EST)

Aug. 18 – England vs. Japan – 8 p.m. HKT (8 a.m. EST)

Aug. 20 – England vs. Ireland – 11 a.m. HKT (Aug. 19, 11 p.m. EST)

England and Japan are the favorites to come out of the pool, with their matchup Sunday likely determining the top spot. England has advanced to the semifinals in every edition of the event, winning three bronze medals. Japan has become a contender at every level of international competition — men and women — and finished in fifth place in 2019.

Hong Kong’s player pool has deepened and improved significantly in the last decade and is the hometown team with a homegrown roster.

Ireland is always dangerous with its mix of Irish high school and collegiate talent and Americans of Irish descent. 

TEAM BY TEAM

AUSTRALIA

Seed: 3

Appearances: 8

Best finish: 1 (1995)

First appearance: 1995

Notable: Head coach Meaghan Mollison played for Australia’s gold medal-winning team in the 1995 women’s U19 world championship. Australia won it all that year with an up-and-coming star named Jen Adams.

Player to watch: Looking for the next Jen Adams? Maybe it’s Miriam Suares-Jury, who will play for Adams at Loyola and was the 2023 U18 Victorian MVP as the most prolific scorer in the league.

CANADA

Seed: 2

Appearances: 8

Best finish: 1 (2015)

First appearance: 1995

Notable: Goalie Lauren Spence (Loyola) knows how to finish out a championship. She had 13 saves in Canada’s win over the U.S. in sixes at The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Ala.

Player to watch: Lauren Black (Denver) had 38 goals and 21 assists this season in NCAA play and was teammates with Spencer on Canada’s TWG22 championship squad. She’s a former British Columbia Lacrosse Association Player of the Year.

CHINA

Seed: 13

Appearances: 2

Best finish: 14 (2019)

First appearance: 2019

Notable: Head coach Ted Sawicki has participated in more than 10 world championships, playing for Canada from 1980-1998 and coaching with China since 2017. Two of his daughters were born in China and played in the 2017 senior women’s world championship.

Player to watch: A junior at Arizona State, Teagan Ng was the 2023 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and has scored 56 goals in her collegiate career.

CHINESE TAIPEI

Seed: 18

Appearances: 2

Best finish: 20 (2019)

First appearance: 2019

Notable: Midfielder Huang-Rong Wang is a second-generation homegrown Taiwanese player. Wang will be one of the captains for the team at this event.

Player to watch: Rising high school senior Mia Chao has averaged more than five goals per game at Waterford (Utah). She was born and raised in Beijing, China.

ENGLAND

Seed: 4

Appearances: 8

Best finish: 3 (1995, 2007, 2015)

First appearance: 1995

Notable: England swept its way to a European junior title in 2023, outscoring opponents 76-21 while going unbeaten.

Player to watch: Captain Rachael Ball should be the team’s top scorer. She was part of the English team that did a U.S. tour last October.

GERMANY

Seed: 8

Appearances: 5

Best finish: 8 (2019)

First appearance: 2007

Notable: Germany’s roster is young. The average age is 17.

Player to Watch: Carlotta Gerke leads the offense. She played for Germany in the 2023 ELF Women’s U21 Championship, contributing five goals and four assists.

HAUDENOSAUNEE

Seed: 10

Appearances: 4

Best finish: 6 (2007)

First appearance: 2007

Notable: The Haudenosaunee won the 2023 PALA Sixes Cup, defeating Puerto Rico 22-11 in the championship game. Three U20 players were a part of that team.

Player to watch: Wynter Jock turned heads at the women’s senior championship in 2022 as one of the team’s youngest players. She’s a sophomore at Notre Dame returning from an ACL injury that prevented her from playing as a freshman and a co-captain along with Albany’s Paisley Cook.

HONG KONG, CHINA

Seed: 12

Appearances: 2

Best finish: 12 (2019)

First appearance: 2019

Notable: The host nation is looking to make a splash in front of its supportive crowds and improve upon an impressive 12th-place finish in its women’s junior world championship debut five years ago.

Player to watch: Eloise Bolitho is the only athlete on the roster with previous world championship experience. She had five goals and three assists in the 2019 World Lacrosse Women’s U19 Championship.

IRELAND

Seed: 17

Appearances: 2

Best finish: 19 (2019)

First appearance: 2019

Notable: A trio of UMass players — Ava Connaughton, Bridget Valentine and Brigid Welch — headline a very experienced U20 roster.

Player to watch: Goalie Naoise Howley made 42 saves at the 2023 Women’s U21 European Championship, where Ireland finished fifth.

ISRAEL

Seed: 16

Appearances: 3

Best finish: 14 (2015)

First appearance: 2015

Notable:  The roster is made up primarily of native Israel-born players. When the U20 athletes were born, there was no lacrosse in Israel.

Player to watch:  Eight of the 22 players are American, however, including New Jersey native Racheli Levi-Smith, who started 17 games for Holy Cross this season and led the team with 110 draw controls. Her mother was born and raised in Israel.

ITALY

Seed: 20

Appearances: 1

Best finish: N/A

First appearance: 2024

Notable: Making it women’s junior world championship debut, Italy has 10 players who competed in the 2023 Women’s U21 European Championship and three players who previous played at the senior level in the 2022 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship.

Player to watch: A rising sophomore in high school, midfielder Cristiana Lararcca had 23 goals and 11 assists at Mendham (N.J.) and is a true two-way threat.

JAMAICA

Seed: 19

Appearances: 2

Best finish: 21 (2019)

First appearance: 2019

Notable: Jamaica is on the rise in international lacrosse. With a roster comprised primarily of players from Kingston or Portmore, many are receiving U.S. college interest.

Player to watch: Arizona State commit Gabriella Henry is a standout goalie who is unafraid to come out of the cage to make plays.

JAPAN

Seed: 5

Appearances: 8

Best finish: 5 (2003, 2007, 2019)

First appearance: 1995

Notable: The Japan Lacrosse Association has grown from just 21 players in 1986 to nearly 9,000 in 1993 to a peak of nearly 18,000 in 2017. There are now 300 college teams and 100 club teams throughout the country.

Player to watch: Nagai Nakazawa followed her sister Kokoro Nakazawa to Louisville as the only Japanese-born women’s lacrosse players to compete at a power-conference school. A 2023 ACC All-Freshman honoree, she has 23 goals and 59 draw controls in her college career and international experience from the 2019 World Lacrosse Women’s U19 Championship and The World Games 2022.

KOREA

Seed: 15

Appearances: 3

Best finish: 13 (2015)

First appearance: 2015

Notable: Head coach Eunah Choi played in the 2009, 2013 and 2017 women’s senior world championships. She was awarded the Heart of Lacrosse Award at the 2015 women’s U19 world championship as an assistant coach.

Player to watch: Harvard commit Lauren Park is the No. 22 prospect in the class of 2024, according to Inside Lacrosse. A two-time captain at Bellevue (Wash.) High School, she has experience in the USA Lacrosse National Team Development Program, having competed in the national combine in 2022 (U16) and 2023 (U18).

MEXICO

Seed: 14

Appearances: 2

Best finish: 15 (2019)

First appearance: 2019

Notable: Head coach Joanna Lignelli is a member of the World Lacrosse Development Committee known for conducting coach and player clinics around the world. Here in the U.S., the former William & Mary two-sport standout is a longtime trainer in the USA Lacrosse Coach Development Program.

Player to watch: Attacker Elena Torres is a two-year starter at Villanova with 14 goals and seven assists in 14 career games.

NEW ZEALAND

Seed: 6

Appearances: 5

Best finish: 5 (2015)

First appearance: 2007

Notable: Head coach Rosie Gunn is extremely experienced in the world championship setting. She has been involved in lacrosse since the sport came to New Zealand in 2001. Gunn played for New Zealand at the 2005 and 2009 Women’s Championships. She was an assistant coach at the 2011 Women’s U19 Championship and the 2017 and 2022 Women’s Championships, and also was the head coach at the 2019 Women’s U19 Championship.

Player to watch: Kano Sugawara is from Chiba Prefecture, Japan, but has also lived in Whangaparaoa, Auckland. She is currently a sophomore at Dominican (Calif).

PUERTO RICO

Seed: 9

Appearances: 2

Best finish: 9 (2019)

First appearance: 2019

Notable: Three players return from Puerto Rico’s inaugural U19 team that acquitted itself quite well in its debut five years ago — including two who also competed at the senior level in 2022.

Player to watch: Midfielder Karina Herrera scored 18 goals as a freshman at Yale and was one of the top 100 players in her recruiting class, according to Inside Lacrosse.

SCOTLAND

Seed: 11

Appearances: 8

Best finish: 5 (1995)

First appearance: 1995

Notable: Scotland is the birthplace of women’s lacrosse. Leonards in St Andrews, Scotland, is believed to be the first girls' school to have played lacrosse in 1890.

Player to watch: Northwestern commit Rowan Scobie was born in Edinburgh and now lives in California. She scored 65 goals as a junior at Tamalpais High School.

UNITED STATES

Seed: 1

Appearances: 8

Best finish: 1 (1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2019)

First appearance: 1995

Notable: Head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller played in the 1997, 2001 and 2005 women’s senior world championships and returns as the head coach after leading the U.S. U19 team to a gold medal in 2019. She’s an eight-time NCAA champion as the head coach at Northwestern to go with a pair of national titles she won as a player at Maryland.

Player to watch: A Tewaaraton Award finalist at Northwestern, Madison Taylor racked up 83 goals and 33 assists this year and is one of three U.S. team captains.

WALES

Seed: 7

Appearances: 8

Best finish: 5 (1999, 2003, 2011)

First appearance: 1995

Notable: Continuity counts, with much of the team intact from the 2023 Women’s U21 European Championship (fourth place) and recent home internationals and club events.

Player to watch: At age 16, Liv Williams was named to the All-European Team in the 2023 U21 event.

SCHEDULE

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