National Championship Recap: Senior Men's Team

This past week the Lacrosse Victoria Men’s Senior team competed for the Australian National Championship. The Men’s team started out strong with a 7-3 win over Western Australia. Sam Boontjes, the games MVP, led the Victorian defense in holding WA to a scoreless first half. In the fourth quarter, WA managed to put points on the scoreboard, but Chris Plumb and Tommy Mollison helped claim the 7-3 win.

In Game Two, South Australia managed to win 5-3 over Victoria, the defending National Champions. Through the first three quarters, Victoria was held to one goal by the SA defense. After a hard-fought loss, the Victorian team won big over Queensland. The team scored six unanswered goals. While the Queensland team managed to slow the Victorians in the third quarter, Tommy Mollison scored three in the final quarter, aiding the team to a 21-3 win over Queensland.

The Victorian team then played and won against the Western Australia team in the semi-finals. WA led for most of the first half before Victorian MVP Troy Butson tied the game with seconds left in the second quarter. Late in the game, Victoria was able to take the lead by one and then extending the lead by three. While WA was able to score one last goal, Chris Plumb sealed the win with two goals in the final minute.

After a 9-6 win against Western Australia in the semi-finals, the Victorian team advanced to the finals and faced the South Australian team in the 2023 LA Senior Men’s National Championship. The SA team came out strong with a two-goal lead, but Tommy Mollison cut the margin to one. The SA team continued to control the ball throughout the first half and led 5-1 at halftime. Victorian goalie Tim Dobson and the Victorian defense was able to hold the SA team to a scoreless third quarter before a last-minute goal by SA’s MVP Daniel Evans. Ultimately, the Victorian team lost to the South Australian team 11-1. Caleb Hall was named MVP for Victoria.