Netherlands edged out by Norway (Photo by World Lacrosse)
The penultimate day of the World Lacrosse Women’s Championship Division II in Wroclaw, Poland featured four thrilling contests in placement play as teams battled towards their final spots in the standings.
South Africa and Norway both won on dramatic late goals in the final stages of the game, while Spain and Hong Kong, China pulled off impressive fourth quarter comebacks for their wins.
South Africa earned its first win of the championship with a showstopping finish, coming back from a two-goal deficit to start the fourth quarter and winning the game 7-6 with two minutes to play.
Hannah Taggart racked up four goals and two assists and was instrumental in the closing stages, scoring twice and assisting the game-winner in the fourth quarter. Caleigh Barlow added two goals and an impressive 12 of 17 clip on the draw to be named the player of the match.
In the theme of the day, Latvia led by two entering the fourth quarter only for Hong Kong, China to punch back in a wild finish, winning 11-9. Hong Kong ripped off four goals in seven minutes to lead by two before Latvia clawed one back. But in the final minute, Hong Kong got an insurance goal from Ka Hei Hui to seal its third win of the championship.
Sally Tang scored four goals and was named player of the match while Karina Harrison added a goal and three assists.
Poland led entering the fourth quarter by three, but for third game in a row in Wroclaw, the comeback surge was unstoppable. Spain reeled off four goals in a stunning remontada, with two of the last three on free position shots and the third on a power play to undo the host and pick up a third win in a 9-8 thriller.
Olivia Docal’s hat trick led the Spain attack and scored the last two goals of the game to tie and then take the lead. Sofia Zaragaza del Saz added a goal and an assist, with her goal cutting the fourth quarter deficit to one, and was named the player of the match.
Norway led by four at 9-5 to enter the fourth quarter, and when the Netherlands scored four goals in the first 11 minutes of the period to storm back and tie the game, Norway looked fourth in line to get overturned.
Instead, Maria Bergum fired home a free position shot with 12 seconds left to flip the day’s script and deliver Norway its first win of the tournament – an emotional boost after earlier falling to Switzerland on a last second goal on day two, winning 10-9.
