1990 World Lacrosse Championships

The 1990 World Lacrosse Championships were held in Perth, Australia from July 6th to July 15th.

Perth Superdrome entertained as the gala opening venue; Western Australia’s premier multipurpose sports entertainment and function centre used in the following year for the 1991 Swimming World Championships.

The infamous Western Australia Cricket Association (WACA) ground played host to the games in 1990. This was not the first time it had been the venue for international Lacrosse as it was the scene for the very first international match between a Canadian touring team and Western Australia in 1907. It also hosted the Women’s World Cup in 1989. During this time the WACA was revered as one of the most advanced playing fields in the world, due to the use of the latest technology in turf design.  It also boasted one of the world’s most efficient lighting systems. Six metre concrete towers, each with 141 lights, rose above the arena to shed powerful lighting over the playing field.

Noalimba was used for the accommodation centre for all teams competing in the World Series. Originally established as a temporary hostel for migrants coming to Australia it was taken over in 1984 by the Western Australian Ministry for Sport and Recreation as a recreation and accommodation centre. The word “Noalimba” is an aboriginal word meaning “belonging to all.”

 The 1990 Championship were contended by Australia, USA, Canada, England and the Iroquois. Also in attendance for the first time was Japan. After the success of the friendship games conducted by Japan in 1989 they were welcomed to view the contest and play a series of exhibition games and a coaching clinic.

The Australian's team preparation for the games got off to a bad start as they saw two of their assistant coaches resign seven weeks before the event, as reported in the Adelaide Advertiser on May 12th 1990. Following a successful tour, where the national side played nine games in twelve days assistant coaches, Roger Attenborough of South Australia and Klay Johnson of Western Australia resigned. Australian team executive director Peter Hobbs was quoted as saying, "Their resignations were as a result of a lack of compatibility with the head coach."

The loss of the two assistant coaches didn't effect the Aussies in the third place play off against England victorious to a 16 - 6 scoreline. Australia did have the advantage of the MVP goalkeeper of the tournament in net, Murray Keen. Though it is to be noted that England were without attacker Patrick Moore who broke a finger in an earlier game.

The US Lacrosse team walked away with the Championship title defeatig Canada 19-15 in a hard fought contest.

'Brilliant goaltending by Larry Quinn, an ironclad defense that shut down some of Canada's biggest guns for the first half, and a methodical offense powered Team USA to an 11-4 halftime lead and held off a Canadian second half surge.

 
Canada's fabled extra-man offense - the Gait twins, the Marechek brothers, Kevin Alexandra and Georgie Dean - was shut out by the U.S defense on five extra man opportunities.

"I guess this is probably the best defense that's ever been assembled, definitely the best I've ever played behind,"
Quinn of John Hopkins and Maryland Lacrosse Club.

"It was just a great team effort", said Quinn, who had 11 saves.
"The Gaits and most of the Canadians are great players, but they just couldn't do enough against our defenses, and that was the difference."

Through swiftly moving, intermittent downpours, sun showers and patches of bright sunshine, the U.S. team outscored Canada 5-2 in the first quarter. Defensemen John DeTommaso, Steve Mitchell and Dave Pietramala, all former John Hopkins All Americans, along with George McGeeney of UMBC and Tony Resch of Yale, stripped the Canadians of the ball five times.

Meanwhile, Mike Morrill, another Hopkins All American and Kevin Cook of Cornell each scored an extra-man goal. Toward the end of the quarter Quinn came up with one of several big saves, blocking a one on one shot by Bill Marechek, who was limited to two goals for the entire game.
Cook went on to score three more U.S goals sharing the game-high honours with Roddy Marino of Virgina, who also had four goals. Morrill was next with three.

In the second quarter, which began with cold, heavy rain showers, the United States completely reversed its dismal 1-8 faceoff record for the first quarter, taking 8 out of 9 faceoffs. It controlled the ball by combining the faceoff talents of Jim Burke, a last minute addition to the team, with the long stick skills of Mitchel and Pietramala, who came in off the wing to scoop up the balls Burke chipped their way.
Burje of Cortland State and a veteran of previous U.S teams, was brought in to replace Zach Colburn of Penn, who was injured in Denver during a pre tournament exhibition game. Burke had never faced off before in his life, according to Team USA coach Arlie Marshall.

Marshall said Quinn
"was like a cat in front of the goal. He was cool the whole of the time." and Mitchell "was awesome. And Roddy Marino got the big goals for us. Even though we got 19 goals, when we needed a goal, he got it for us."

During the first half Gary Gait was limited to one assist; Paul Gait got one goal, as did Stan Cockerton, and Tim Marechek got two goals. Gary Gait started off an explosive third quarter for Canada with a fastbreak goal, whcih was promptly answered by one by Marino for Team USA. Canada then got three quick, unanswered goals, one by Brian Nikula adn two by Cockerton.

Vin Sombrotto of Hofstra came up with a big 13th goal for the U.S team to put a damper on the Canadian fire, adn Cook followed with goal no. 14.

Ultimately Canada outscored the United States 6-5 in the third quarter but the Americans were able to keep a six goal spread nevertheless. In the fourth quarter, Canada again outscored the U.S. team by 5-3 but it wasn't enough.

Yet another torrential downpour, sweeping in off the nearby Indian ocean flooded the Western Australian Cricket Association grounds as Clive R Carr, president of the International Lacrosse Federation, presented the Turnbull Trophy to the world champion Americans. And just as soon as the deluge began, it ended, with the sun coming out as the athletes left the field.'

Words taken from The Perth Evening Sun by Neil A. Grauer

Take a look at the Gallery for the team shots of all participating nations.