The Finnish national team secured a ninth-place finish at the Box Lacrosse World Championships held in Utica, USA. A total of 28 teams competed in the men's division. Despite high expectations heading into the tournament, Finland narrowly lost to Israel by one goal, missing out on a top-8 spot. In the placement games, Finland achieved satisfying victories over Australia and Germany, ultimately securing 9th place in the final standings. Although the team finished lower than in previous championships, considering the expanded tournament and the overall higher level of play, this ninth-place finish can be seen as an excellent result for Finland.

Head coach Tracey Kelusky commented on the tournament: “The level of play was the best since our first world championship in 2015. Our group performed exceptionally, losing only two extremely tight games. While we're not fully satisfied with the placement, I think our team played the best lacrosse ever since I started my journey with Team Finland. Lacrosse is a game where the smallest details make the difference, and we could easily have maintained our sixth-place ranking. However, our group grew not only as a team but also as a family during the tournament. I am very happy and confident that Finland will take the next steps to remain among the top 10 teams in the world. We'll set our goals for the upcoming European Championships in due time. Personally, this was one of the best lacrosse/sports experiences I've ever had. The comprehensive planning and our accommodations were fantastic."

Team captain Markus Mattila shared his thoughts on the tournament: “The final ranking wasn’t exactly what we were aiming for. The loss to Israel was brutal and will haunt us for a while. After that game, we showed that we belonged in the top eight by winning all the remaining matches. I’m incredibly proud of the entire team. The way we fought back in our toughest games (against Japan, Israel, and Germany) from a five-goal deficit to at least a draw level proves that. The spirit the whole 'family' brought to those matches was incredible. I’m thankful to wear the captain's badge in this group. Hats off to the coaches and management for all the arrangements and everything else; it was a flawless effort. We've got some unfinished business and will work hard for the next couple of years, and we’ll take the gold at the European Championships.”

Physio magician Jenni Vainionpää commented on the tournament as follows: 

"It's a long day at the games and you rarely have time to actually watch the games, when you have to keep a close eye on the players' progress on the field. You have to be ready at any moment to jump in if one of the players (or referees!) gets hit or injured.

On game days, my work is mainly patching and taping the players, otherwise we focus on promoting recovery. If a player gets injured, wants to go on the field and the coaching team decides to play them, it's my job to figure out how to make it happen. And so that no one outside knows about the wounds. Most of the time it succeeds because each player is ready to give his all for the team and his family, and that's what I do for my part as well.

These trips are always tough from a physical point of view, but so rewarding. I wouldn't change a day, even though the losses also tear my heart. I can't wait to start the next competition project"

Prologue

The Finnish team arrived at their accommodations at Fireball’s Lodge in Redfield in the early hours of September 19th, at 4:17 AM. Their journey, which took over 24 hours, was made more interesting by a temporarily lost goalie, an unexpectedly long bus ride, and a deer collision. The team practiced and prepared for their upcoming games during the first two days. The excitement and nerves showed in the first practices as balls slipped out of sticks and mistakes piled up, leading head coach Tracey Kelusky to have a word with the team. By the second day, practices had improved, and the team’s mood was hungry and full of anticipation before the Switzerland game.

Saturday, September 21st, 2024, 12:15 PM, Nexus 3
Finland - Switzerland 18-2 (3-0, 6-1, 3-0, 6-1)

It's hard to imagine the feelings of the small Swiss face-off specialist when, before the first face-off, Finland’s red-bearded, barn-door-sized Tyler Crompton tested the durability of his bare wrists by repeatedly smashing them with his aluminum shaft. Finland’s willingness to engage in physical play was evident from the first shift.

Despite initial nervousness, Finland dominated the game at both ends of the field, and the scoreboard showed 3-0 after the first quarter. Finland kept the pressure on throughout the match, with many players shining. Notable mentions from the opening game go to Luke Lehtimäki, who bulldozed an opponent to the floor with incredible force, and goalie Lauri Uusitalo, who only allowed two goals (34 saves, 94% save percentage), earning head coach Kelusky’s game ball. The attack was led by Robert Raittila and Brett Kujala, each scoring five goals, while transition goals came from Markus Mattila and Alex Kiviniemi.

Sunday, September 22nd, 2024, 10:45 AM, Nexus 2

Finland - Greece 17-9 (3-2, 7-1, 4-4, 3-2)

In the tournament’s second game, Finland faced Greece and quickly took the lead. By halftime, the score was already 10-3. Greece narrowed the gap to five goals in the third quarter but ultimately fell to Finland 17-9. The match saw a lot of penalties, and tensions were high, with the potential for further escalation. Some of Greece's players, particularly those Americanized, resorted to unsportsmanlike conduct, such as shoving a player into the substitution gate from behind and hitting a Finnish player behind as they reached for a high ball. To everyone’s surprise, Finland managed to keep its emotions in check, scoring seven power-play goals. The top scorer was Kujala, who netted an impressive nine goals, several of which left scouting opponents shaking their heads. Kelusky’s game ball went to Kujala, and there wasn’t much else to inventory from the game.

Monday, September 23rd, 2024, 2:30 PM, Nexus 1

Japan - Finland 18-15 (1-1, 8-3, 3-6, 6-5)

The final group-stage game against Japan was a thriller, with Finland twice closing the gap from 4-1 and 11-6 deficits. In the opening shift, Finnish and Japanese players exchanged pleasantries with gloved fists, but the referees only penalized Finland, who played in blue. Finland survived the ensuing penalty, and shortly after it expired, Kujala outwitted multiple defenders and the goalie before slotting the ball into Japan’s net. Japan’s athleticism and ball-handling skills made Finland trouble as the game progressed, but the teams fought evenly. In the second quarter, at 21:55, Raittila tied the game at 4-4, but soon after, Japan went on a five-goal run to which Finland couldn’t respond. Japan’s goal streak included defensive lapses from Finland and some uncharacteristic goals for box lacrosse, so the 9-4 halftime score didn’t fully reflect the teams’ balance.

In the second half, Finland significantly improved their performance on both ends of the field. The offense created chances, and the defense made key stops. The last quarter, especially the final six minutes, turned into a nail-biter. At 55:12, Japan held a seemingly comfortable 15-11 lead. Finland closed the gap in under two minutes, with goals from Jimi Wiren and Jarno Aaltonen.

Following Aaltonen’s goal, Kiviniemi found an open lane off the face-off, scoring within 8 seconds. Japan called a timeout, but Kiviniemi scored again after an errant ball intended for Aaltonen ended up in the back of the net. With the game tied, Finland had the keys to victory, but a few minor mistakes proved costly, and Russel Bollinger, who scored five goals in the game, punished the Finns again. After the next face-off, Japan scored with a perfect top-corner shot. As Finland pressed to cut the deficit with an empty net, Japan scored again into the empty goal. While there was much to ponder after the game, it was clear that Finland wasn’t fully prepared for Japan’s speed, ball control, and even physical play. Still, Finland fought back and even challenged for victory, which ultimately went to Japan 18-15.

Tuesday, September 24th, 2024, 7:00 PM, ADK, Play-in Game

Finland - Slovakia 20-4 (6-1, 7-2, 5-1, 2-0)

After the Japan loss, Finland placed second in its group and played a play-in game against Slovakia the very next day. The later-than-usual start time allowed the team ample time to recover and prepare for the upcoming playoff rounds.

Finland came out strong against Slovakia, applying pressure all over the field. The Finns played a comprehensive lacrosse game, leading to success in both ends. Slovakia relied on a tough but illegal tactic, and NLL player Jackson Suboch found himself in the penalty box for the first time just 3:30 into the game. Finland didn’t convert on the power play, but their defensive pressure and ground-ball wins allowed the offense to succeed. In the first 10 minutes, Finland scored four times, and Slovakia’s morale was crushed further by two transition goals. First, Tuomas Tilkanen scored shorthanded, followed by a goal from Mattila three minutes later, both assisted by goalie Riku Jokela. Except for one setback, Finland dominated the first quarter, and after Slovakia’s goalie Lee Jackman, was pulled, the game was essentially over. Suboch’s frustration showed in a match penalty at 19:09, and Finland marched to a crushing 20-4 victory with solid offensive and defensive play.

Wednesday, September 25th, 2024, 8:15 PM, NEX1 

Israel - Finland 17-16 (4-2, 6-4, 3-3, 4-7)

As with previous matches, Finland did not lose the battle of anthems before the game, if measured by decibels. Other artistic metrics are secondary in national team games, as few players are gifted in ball skills and singing. Finland had faced Israel in nearly every major international tournament, and this time, they were up against a very experienced and talented team composed chiefly of dual U.S. nationals.

Israel dominated the first exchanges. They overwhelmed Finland with their attacks, as loose balls frequently ended up in Israeli sticks. Israel also played a physical game early on, which Finland had trouble matching. Israel took a 2-0 lead, but after five minutes, Jimi Wiren fired a shot past the goalie to celebrate Finland's first proper attack. Israel responded with another goal, but both teams began to enjoy long spells of possession. Finland struggled in faceoffs, and Israel’s 4-2 lead after the first quarter was well deserved. In the last second of the quarter, Finland committed a boarding penalty, starting the second quarter shorthanded.

Finland survived the penalty kill, and once they regained possession, Jarno Aaltonen danced past the Israeli defense, elbow out, to fire in a goal, igniting the Finnish bench. Aaltonen's spin move cut the score to 4-3. However, Israel quickly scored two goals, stretching their lead to three again. Wiren responded, bringing the score to 6-4, but Israel countered with another fast break to regain their three-goal cushion. In a tense situation, Finnish goalie Uusitalo made several crucial saves, keeping the deficit manageable. Tilkanen then stole the ball in Finland's end and, after running out of ideas, fired it into the net to close the gap to two. With just over five minutes left in the quarter, Brett Kujala scored a long-range goal to pull Finland within one. However, Roope Jokela’s enthusiastic celebration led to a penalty, which Finland couldn’t kill. Israel scored to extend their lead to two goals again. With just over three minutes left in the second quarter, Israel capitalized on a Finnish marking error and scored again. Less than a minute later, Finland scored again, setting the halftime score at 10-6 for Israel.

As Americans would say, the Finnish dog has no quit in it. After the break, Israel scored on another power play, extending their lead to five goals. At 31:26, Raittila dunked from behind the net, cutting the deficit to four, but Israel answered with two more quick goals. At 36:46, Finland received a questionable penalty, inconsistent with the overall officiating, and Israel punished them during the delayed penalty call. They scored again on the ensuing power play, leading 13-7. Uusitalo made valiant saves, keeping Finland in the game. At 40:46, Roope Jokela brought hope back to Finland with a goal, and soon after, Jarno Aaltonen scored on the power play to make it 13-9. Severi Koskinen drew a penalty on Israel, and on the following power play, Kujala scored from behind the net to bring Finland within three. Israel responded with another quick goal on the next possession. The game was now on the edge, with both teams pushing the limits of the rules. The referees managed to maintain control.

Finland went on another power play, and Aaltonen fired in his third goal of the night, making it 14-11. Head coach Kelusky praised Aaltonen (who had three goals and two assists) for playing the best game he had ever seen from him. Finland got another power play, executed a pre-drawn play, and Jokela found Kujala, who slotted it in to make it 14-12. The same pair combined again less than two minutes later, with Kujala scoring after passes from Jokela and Aaltonen, bringing Finland level.

Two minutes later, Israel launched a long-range shot that bounced in and scored again on a fast break after the next faceoff, pushing Finland back to chasing the game at 14-16. At 56:22, Roope Jokela scored with a powerful sidearm shot, cutting the deficit to one goal again. In the next faceoff, just-turned-18 Eric Hoffman held onto the ball under pressure, setting up the attack. Wiren came close to finishing, but the ball was turned over back to the Finnish defensive zone.

Jean-Luc Chetner (who had three goals and three assists), a player featured in the NLL, exploited a defensive lapse and put Israel up 17-15. After the next faceoff, Kujala fooled everyone except Israel’s goalie, Jackson Heiner, who stopped the Finnish attacker’s attempt at the last moment. With 1:15 left on the clock, Israel called a timeout despite heavy protests from Finland, as the ball was not in Israel's possession. Israel burned over 30 seconds off the clock. Finland gained possession in the attacking zone, but the game was stopped due to an injury to the referee. After a technical timeout, Finland executed a quick play, with Aaltonen and Kiviniemi clearing the defenders, allowing Kujala to slot the ball into the net, making it 17-16.

After the final faceoff, Finland got possession with four seconds remaining, but no time was added to the clock, which ran out. In the last play, Kiviniemi launched the ball from Finland’s half toward the Israeli goal, but an Israeli player fouled the Finnish receiver, an infraction worthy of a penalty. However, the referees ruled the game over during the delayed penalty, leaving Finland with a bitter 17-16 loss to Israel. With the defeat, Finland missed out on the top eight and a chance to face the sport’s birthplace, Haudenosaunee. Finland would now compete for 9th-12th places, with the next opponent being familiar, Australia.

Friday, September 27th, 2024, 10:00 AM, ADK

Australia - Finland 8-13 (0-6, 2-0, 1-4, 5-3)

In the previous World Championship, Finland upset Australia in a heated match that followed an international incident. Tensions ran high, spilling from the locker rooms to the player tunnels and eventually to the stands, where a brawl broke out between Finnish and Australian fans. This time, the teams weren’t playing for a top-8 spot, and some players had changed, but for many Finnish players, the memory was still fresh. With that in mind, a loss wasn’t an option going into the first faceoff.

Finland came out strong, scoring their first goal on a power play after the Aussies mistreated captain Mattila. Finland’s power play moved the ball fluidly through Australia’s defense, eventually leading to Aaltonen tapping the ball into the net. The second goal came from the next Finnish attack, with Roope Jokela deking past two defenders and sending the ball into the top corner. The rest of the quarter was more balanced, with both teams having attacking opportunities but without significant success. At 6:52, Aaltonen blasted the ball into the net, bringing the score to 3-0. Australia committed another penalty, and Finland’s power play delivered again, with Roope Jokela scoring this time. At 11:07, Finnish goalie Riku Jokela made a crucial save, launching a perfect pass to Tilkanen, who, after juggling, fired the ball into the Aussie net with the poise of a seasoned defenseman. Finland played nearly an ideal opening quarter, adding a sixth goal when Jarno Aaltonen completed his hat trick on another power play, making it 6-0.

Australia finally got on the scoreboard in the second quarter with two transition goals. Finland’s defense and goalie, Riku Jokela, played well, and although the attack didn’t add any more goals, Finland held firm. In the third quarter, Finland returned to the scoreboard when Kujala finished off a power-play attack, assisted by Roope Jokela. Finland played long stretches of the quarter shorthanded, but their defense stood firm. After successfully killing the penalty, Finland ran an excellent play, with Roope Jokela sneaking between defenders to score, assisted by Alex Kiviniemi. Soon after, Finland had a two-man advantage and didn’t miss, with Raittila scoring. He added another goal at 43:19, pushing Finland’s lead to 10-3.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Altti Hyytiäinen was ejected early for a questionable spearing call, which even the commentators missed. This meant Finland had to play shorthanded for the next five minutes. Australia started to rally, scoring three goals on the power play. Finland stopped the surge, and a defensive interception led to a goal when Aaltonen finished off a passing play. Australia quickly responded with two goals, cutting the lead to 8-11. Finland’s defense played well, preventing further dangerous attacks from Australia. When Finland got their chance on offense, Kujala capitalized, restoring a four-goal lead. The Finnish defense held firm, keeping Australia from scoring positions, and Jimi Wiren sealed the game with a final goal, pushing Finland to a 13-8 lead.

An example of Finland’s dedication came in the next play when Luke Lehtimäki blocked a shot with his most sensitive area, sacrificing significantly for the team.

Saturday, September 28th, 2024 klo 11:30, Nexus1

Finland - Germany 17-15 (1-4, 4-4, 8-2, 4-5)

In the tournament's final game, Finland faced a familiar opponent again: Germany. In the last major tournament, Germany knocked Finland out of the gold medal game in the semifinals, so the Finnish team had a score to settle. Jarno Aaltonen scored the opening goal by placing a rebound from Raittila's missed shot into the German net. In the first quarter, Finland seemed tired, allowing Germany to capitalize on occasional defensive lapses. By the beginning of the second quarter, Germany had pulled ahead 1-5, but there were no worried expressions on the Finnish bench.

At 17:15, Roope Jokela took advantage of a great pick from Aaltonen and shot the ball precisely into the goal. Just over a minute later, Petri Rintala picked up a loose ball in the defensive zone, powered through several German attempts to steal it, and passed it to Kiviniemi, who fired it into the net. By the end of the period, both teams traded goals, and halftime arrived with Germany leading 8-5. Kujala and Aaltonen scored Finland's final goals of the quarter.

Finland came back strong from the break. Germany took penalties, and Finland’s power play, effective throughout the tournament, punished them with admirable precision. Jokela and Kujala brought Finland within one goal, but after a setback, the score stood at 7-9. The next goal came from a long-range shot by the red-hot Jokela, who had an impressive 4+5 points in the game.

In the next faceoff, Kiviniemi snatched the ball like candy from a baby and delivered a precise pass to Wiren behind the defensive line, who finished beautifully. This set off the well-coordinated "jutipumppu" celebration with three players.

Germany took a penalty, and Finland struck again as Jokela weaved through the German defense, giving Finland the lead for the first time. Germany equalized with a solo effort but faltered with more penalties. Finland stepped on the gas and quickly pulled ahead with a three-goal lead. First, Aaltonen fired a shot into the near corner, then Kujala scored on a two-man advantage to the far post, and Raittila finished off the remaining power play to make it 13-10.

At 57:02, the Germans closed the gap to 15-14. In the next faceoff, Kiviniemi won the ball, and Henrik Haarala seized his moment, sprinting full speed into the offensive zone. Receiving a pass from Kiviniemi, Haarala skillfully netted the ball. After the following faceoff, Germany's already breaking spirit shattered when a defender gifted the ball to Kiviniemi, who confidently made it 17-14.

In the final minute, Germany pulled one back to make it 17-15, but a complete comeback never materialized. Finland finished their tournament with a sweet victory over Germany, 17-15.

After the game, Tuomas Tilkanen was presented with the Spirit of Lacrosse award for his behind-the-scenes work for the team.

Post-Tournament Reflections

Finland’s position, number 9 in the world rankings, was not the one the team set out to achieve. Better placements slipped away in a close and bittersweet manner. The team was good enough to beat any team outside the medal positions, and with a bit more luck, the ranking could have been significantly higher. The team began preparing for the competition in early October, and the spirit was strong. The team evolved into one of the most united and positive teams during the tournament. A large and beautiful facility served as the team’s base, allowing for rest and preparation and various activities and spaces for shared experiences. In a short time, many shared memories and lifelong bonds were created among the team members, ties that only those part of this tournament could genuinely understand. The team’s success was made possible by the thousands of volunteer hours contributed by supporters, the collaboration of partners, and the support of players' families and fans. The team extends its gratitude to everyone for this valuable gift.

Team Finland players: 

Team Staff: 

Pictures taken by Jonna Palonen and Shutterlax