Cassese, Team USA capture Gold in England
7/27/2010 4:45:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
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MANCHESTER, England – For the second time in his career, Kevin Cassese is a World Champion. The Lehigh head coach co-captained the United States to a 12-10 win over arch rival Canada on Saturday to capture the gold medal at the FIL World Championships. With the win the United States captured its first World Championship since 2002, where Cassese earned his first gold medal. With Saturday’s victory, Team USA avenged a loss to Canada in the 2006 Gold Medal Game and a 10-9 setback to the Canadians in round-robin play on July 17.
“It is an amazing feeling,” said Cassese about winning a World Championship. “We took a lot of criticism for our closed door, keep-to-ourselves approach, but that approach allowed us to grow as a team and as a family. A lot of pressure comes along with wearing the letters USA on your chest, a lot of it is self-imposed and much of it comes from the lacrosse community in our country.
Cassese continued, “We did our best to put blinders on for three weeks, between training camp, the round robin and the medal round, and and it truly paid off in the end. What a great group of men. Twenty-four brothers for life!”
The United States’ seventh world title came down to a fourth quarter showdown. With an 8-4 lead at halftime, Team USA gave up four unanswered goals in the third quarter as the Canadians rallying to tie the game at eight.
Canada took its first lead of the game with 17 minutes to play, and then went in front again, 10-9, with just under 10 minutes to play. Former Duke star Ned Crotty answered for Team USA, tying the game with 8:50 to play and then putting the Americans ahead less than three minutes later.
“I think it was helpful to jump out to a big lead early in the championship game,” Cassese explained. “It gave us some confidence early and we were able to draw on that late in the game when things got tight.”
Team Canada turned the ball over with four minutes remaining, and Team USA was able to hold possession for the remainder of the game. Mike Leveille scored an empty net goal with 1:16 left, to seal the victory for the U.S.
Team USA posted a 4-1 record in pool play to clinch a spot in the semifinals, where the Americans downed Japan 20-5.
In seven games, Cassese had four goals and an assist for Team USA. His best performance came in the final pool play game against Japan, a 19-5 U.S. win, where the co-captain scored three goals and was named Player of the Game by Team USA head coach Mike Pressler.
Cassese was not the only person with Lehigh lacrosse ties to participate at the World Championships. Lehigh assistant coach Taylor Wray served as an assistant coach for Team Canada, and guided the Canadians to five straight wins before the United States prevailed in the Gold Medal Game.
The end of the World Championships marked the end of Cassese’s playing career as the Lehigh head coach was able to go out on top, with a world title. Both Cassese and Wray will now refocus on Lehigh’s upcoming fall lacrosse season and the 2011 spring campaign.
Story written by Kelly Fowler
Photography © 2010, www.laximages.com Used with permission.
