Amidst a sold out crowd at the Onondaga War Memorial Auditorium on Friday, the Iroquois Nationals bested Team USA having never lost the lead with a final score of 13-9.

Before the game, attendees from all over the world also enjoyed a beautiful opening ceremony that included a massive 4 way projection screen that told the origin of lacrosse, the Iroquois creation story and more.

Haudenosuanee dancers from all Iroquoian nations then performed traditional dances as the International teams were introduced to the crowd.

Nedra Darling from the Daprtment of the Interior was in attendance on Friday. "This is just an incredible event and the energy is fantastic. To think these young lacrosse players have played on the White House lawn to demonstrate the origin of the creator's game and now they are playing for the entire world." Chief and Faithkeeper Oren Lyons also wlecomed the crowd and Tracy Shenandoah gave a welcoming blessing before the Iroquois Nationals and Team USA hit the field.


The Iroquois Nationals vs. Team USA: After an impressive opening ceremony, the Iroquois Nationals took to the arena against Team USA. Eight minutes into the first quarter, the Iroquois Nationals put two points onto the scoreboard via #93 Johnny Powless and #2 Miles Thompson, creating a lead that never would be lost for the rest of the game. The closest Team USA would come would be a 1 point trail at the thrid quarter with a score of 8-7.
 Source

Here is the statement issued by the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on its Facebook page.

Today we honor the Iroquois Nationals, the first Native American lacrosse team to compete internationally in a professional sport.

The team was created in 1983 and is represented by the six Nations of the Iroquois (Oneida, Mohawk, Onondaga, Seneca, Tuscarora and Cayuga).

The Iroquois people are known for creating the sport of lacrosse itself and it is central to their social, spiritual and cultural heritage. In 1990 the Iroquois Nationals were admitted to the International Lacrosse Federation and have been competing in the World Indoor Lacrosse Championship since it first began in 2003.

The games, held every four years, have given the team the opportunity to travel around the world to compete against nations including Australia and Canada. They have competed in all three of the games medaling in each.

Most recently they took silver in the 2011 Prague games. They have also qualified to play in the World Lacrosse Championship since 1998, taking fourth each time. In 2012 they traveled to Finland for the World Championship and came in third, despite beating England and the USA.

In 2006 the Iroquois Nationals partnered with Nike who is sponsoring programs to promote wellness-and-fitness activities in Native American communities throughout the region, as well as provide lacrosse equipment and sportswear for the team.

The Iroquois Nationals program has had a significant impact on Native youth throughout the country as their triumphs have provided an international showcase of indigenous talent and culture.(Source)

For more information on the Nationals, click here.

To view the Iroquois Nationals defeat team USA in the 2012 World Lacrosse Championship:

Having come from behind against Team Canada to eventually lose in a heartbreakingly close game, 11-9, the Iroquois Nationals once again showed why they’re so tough, coming from behind yet again to defeat Team USA 15-13 at the World Championships in Turki, Finland on Tuesday afternoon. This was the Nationals final game of round-robin play, and the win bought them a first-round bye going into the next round.

This marks the first time that Nationals have bested Team USA in international field competition (they’ve beaten Team USA in indoor matches), which, considering Team USA draws from a pool of roughly 150,000 players nationwide and is a multimillion dollar operation while the Nationals draw from a pool of about 86, is astonishing.

The U.S. led 5-2 after the first quarter and 8-6 at halftime, but the Nationals fought back to go up 9-8 in the third quarter. These two squads played valiantly, tying the game at 11 and again at 13, but Hank Delisle put the Nationals up 14-13 with 5:35 left in the game and they never looked back. Delisle’s mom was in the crowd, going crazy for her son as mom’s are wont to do.

“It was amazing,” Kwetioo Goodleaf, Hank’s mother, told Kahnawakenews.com. “It seems like the whole world is rooting for the Iroquois Nationals and Hank has his own little group of fans. Everyone was so nervous and at the edge of their seats and the victory was crazy! All the other countries were jumping up and down along with our home crowd! What a feeling to watch my son play the sport he loves against the world and come out on top. I’m a proud Isten’a. I feel like Isten’a to most to these boys because we have been to endless tryouts, tournaments and road trips together. The Iroquois Nationals are one big family and it shows!”

Team USA had a man-up opportunity with three minutes left on the lock, but eventually the Nationals’ Lyle Thompson put on a show of nimble footwork, escaping several defenders in an effort to kill the clock, drawing two penalties in the process. That gave Delisle score an insurance goal with 49 seconds to go, cementing the historic win for the Nationals.

Team USA is a tough opponent, evidenced by their 38-2 international record. They have already lost, to Team Canada, 11-9, and now sit at 2-2 and await the winner of Germany-Wales.

The Nationals are now 3-1 and will be seeded second for the medal rounds. They’ve earned a bye to the semifinals, where they could end up facing Team USA again. Team Canada will be the top seed.

“We asked the boys to play a more composed and settled game,” Delby Powless, one of the Iroquois Nationals coaches, told Kahnawakenews.com. “They bought into the system and played with more patience than most Iroquois teams usually play. Defensively we played smart.”

The Nationals beat Team Australia on Monday, 17-9, and have their eyes on the gold medal.
(Originally Published Indian Country Today )