Smith, U.S. Sixes Team Take Silver in 2022 World Games
Belle Smith can take over games.
The Boston College lacrosse star showcased that during this year's NCAA Tournament. Against Loyola in the Elite Eight, Smith piled up a career-high seven goals, three of which were scored with six seconds or less remaining in the first, third and fourth quarters.
While that dominant performance came with a victory, some of the most prolific outings of her career haven't delivered wins, like her nine-point performance (six goals, three assists) at Duke this past season.
Unfortunately for Smith, that proved to be the case again Saturday in the 2022 World Games Final versus Canada. Despite Smith's five goals, the U.S. Sixes team fell to Canada, 14-12, taking silver in Birmingham, Alabama, just a week after the U.S. senior national team defeated its northern neighbors for gold in this year's World Lacrosse Championships.
BC alums Charlotte North, Sam Apuzzo, Dempsey Arsenault and Kenzie Kent were part of that seniors team. Smith, on the other hand, was the only Eagle to participate with the U.S. Sixes, a team with an average age of 21—the youngest in the tournament.
Sixes is a version of lacrosse that calls for 6-v-6 competition on a field 70 meters long and 36 meters wide. Games are shorter, consisting of four eight-minute quarters. There is a 30-second shot clock, as opposed to the 90-second shot clock used in NCAA play.
It's a fast-paced iteration of the sport, and it comes with quite a bit of excitement. Saturday's final was back-and-forth, with the U.S. staking itself to a 6-2 lead, Canada coming all the way back to take a fourth quarter lead and then the U.S. knotting things up before Canada ultimately pulled away for a two-goal victory.
The win marked the Canadian women's first goal medal since the 2015 U19 World Championship. Unlike the U.S. squad, Canada's sixes team included several players from its World Championships roster.
The back-and-forth matchup was decided in the fourth quarter as the U.S. failed to capitalize on woman-up opportunities, and Canada goalie Lauren Spence made critical stops in net. Goals by 2022 Tewaaraton finalist Aurora Cordingley, Erica Evans and Nicole Perroni pushed Canada ahead.
And the U.S. never reclaimed its lead.
Still, Smith—who was named a captain for the gold medal game—remains confident in her country's performance in the six-day international event.
"The whole point of Sixes was to grow the sport and get it into the 2028 Olympics and a bigger platform for the world," Smith told USA Lacrosse Magazine.
"All three teams out here today did that. It’s exciting. We didn’t get the gold medal like we wanted to do, but we helped grow the sport."