SAN DIEGO — Kieran McArdle (pictured) had three goals and two assists and TD Ierlan went a perfect 14-for-14 on faceoffs as the United States held off a spirited challenge by the Haudenosaunee to prevail 9-7 in a World Lacrosse Men’s Championship pool play game Saturday night at the University of San Diego’s Torero Stadium.
The U.S. improved to 3-0 in the tournament and will wrap up pool play against England on Sunday (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, ESPN+) with a chance to clinch the top playoff seed and a first-round bye.
Lyle Thompson and Austin Staats each finished with three goals and an assist for the Haudenosaunee, who led 4-3 midway through the third quarter before the U.S. ended the frame with four unanswered goals.
Long-stick midfielder Michael Ehrhardt highlighted the run with a 15-yard rocket after McArdle fed him the ball while trailing a fast break. The reigning world championship MVP and one of three U.S. team captains, Ehrhardt made his presence felt immediately in his first game of the tournament. He sat out the first two games while nursing a hamstring injury.
The third quarter ended with defenseman JT Giles-Harris thwarting several Thompson dodges and the U.S. leading 7-4 as time expired. The two went body-to-body for much of the game. None of Thompson’s goals came against Giles-Harris.
The Haudenosaunee did not go meekly, however, pulling within one when Staats scored from distance to make it 7-6 with 8:18 remaining.
But as became customary in the second half, Ierlan won the next faceoff and McArdle scored about a minute later, using a Michael Sowers pick to get his hands free for a lefty rip from the slot. McArdle scored again with about five minutes left, Ierlan won two more faceoffs and the U.S. held on for a 9-7 victory in front of a near-capacity crowd.
All five of McArdle’s points came in the second half. He factored in four consecutive U.S. goals at one point.
Sowers added two goals and an assist, consistently losing defenders and drawing slides as an initiator out of the midfield. The U.S. shot 9-for-22 (41 percent).
