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Finnish lacrosse history was made in Pajulahti Sports Center mid-February as the ladies had their first ever Sixes national team camp weekend, lead by the women's Sixes national team head coach Lesley Hawke, who has earned her stripes in her home country Canada coaching both field and box lacrosse. We were beyond excited to finally meet her, and it's safe to say we were not disapppointed! Joakim “Jokke” Miller, known also for coaching the women's box squad and Turku Titans Ladies, stepped up to help Hawke out as an assistant coach. On Friday night after brief introductions were made, we got to take over the Pajulahti turf. During a stick skills focused session the coaches and the players had an excellent chance at getting to know each other a little better while working on the basics. It was a pleasure seeing so many newer players from Turku Titans and Helsinki Huskies join the camp and work hard with more experienced players. Spirits were high and we were all excited to be starting this journey together and dive deep into Sixes and all of the speed the discipline has to offer! 

Around midday on September 18, 2024, the players of the first Finnish women’s box lacrosse national team began arriving at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport with large suitcases. Named bags were handed out, and the atmosphere was filled with anticipation and excitement. Soon, they would board a flight to Boston, followed by a 4 hour bus ride to Utica. For most players, this trip would be their first time in the United States. The team had clear rules: each player was responsible for their roommate the entire journey. "We were on edge until the last minute, wondering if the uniforms would make it," said team captain Suvi Onne when sharing the bags with uniforms to everyone. The first-ever women’s box lacrosse championship match in history (Finland vs. Canada) was an unforgettable experience for the entire team. It felt both like a privilege and an earned opportunity to play in the tournament, considering the significant effort made by the coaches, staff, and players to assemble the team in such a short time. "When our national anthem started playing before that first game, the entire national team project became tangible—'we’re really here, and now it’s time to play,'" recalled team vice-captain Katariina Bitter. Bitter had the honor of delivering the first cross-check in women’s box lacrosse championship history when she stripped the ball from Canada’s Megan Kinna, flooring the Canadian star shortly after the opening whistle. However, what stood out most for Bitter from the tournament was her amazing teammates: "The team spirit was better than I could have ever imagined." The tournament was historic in many ways for both women’s lacrosse and Finnish lacrosse as a whole.

Lesley Hawke is the new head coach of the Finnish women's sixes national team program.

We are proud to start again our men’s program for the Field and Sixes lacrosse. This project is set to cover the next four years of international tournaments in both disciplines, the first being the the Field European Championships in summer 2025. This program will also cover The Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. We welcome all eligible athletes to join our team as we work hard for the honor of representing Finland in lacrosse. Register now for the player pool and sign up for the training camps in early 2025. https://forms.gle/ExTr8E9fUPU855Xy9