Israel Lacrosse has selected its 22 representatives for the 2024 European Men’s U20 Lacrosse Championship, set for Wroclaw, Poland, from July 19-27.
In Israel’s last U20 Men’s Championship appearance in 2019, the team finished in fifth place in Prague, Czech Republic. In 2022, Israel’s side achieved 10th in the U21 Men’s World Championship, which were held in Limerick, Ireland.
This marks a major opportunity for these players. For many, it will be their first time on an international stage. This is a crucial step for them in their aims at donning the Blue-and-White at the World Lacrosse Championships one day.
The event is also another chance for Israel to demonstrate the strides it has taken in the sport. More than 77 percent of this summer’s U20 Men’s roster is native to Israel, an illustration of how far lacrosse has come within the nation’s borders since its inception in 2010.
2024 European Men’s U20 Championship Roster
| POSITION | NAME | NUMBER | LACROSSE CLUB |
| GK | Aviel Gridish | 46 | Netanya LC |
| GK | Ethan Train | 0 | Herzliya LC |
| DEF | Ariel Gini | 16 | Herzliya LC |
| DEF | Guy Ben Yakar | 21 | Netanya LC |
| DEF | Erez Rubin | 2 | Be’er Tuvia LC |
| DEF | Yam Bezalel | 15 | Ashkelon LC |
| DEF | Aidan Housenbold | 42 | Netanya LC |
| DEF | Ethan Dicturel | 88 | Netanya LC |
| MID | Idan Vogel | 11 | Herzliya LC |
| MID | Jonathan Elbaz | 51 | Be’er Tuvia LC |
| MID | Alon Bar David | 4 | Netanya LC |
| MID | Daniel Levin | 5 | Netanya LC |
| MID | Lior Ruvinski | 25 | Ashkelon LC |
| MID | Ron Mittler | 18 | Netanya LC |
| MID | Shalev Tal | 17 | Netanya LC |
| MID | Kai Goldberg | 14 | Netanya LC |
| MID | Shalev Attar | 10 | Netanya LC |
| MID | Ben Goudsmit | 6 | Herzliya LC |
| ATK | Evyatar Barnoy | 8 | Ashkelon LC |
| ATK | Ofir Stern | 3 | Be’er Tuvia LC |
| ATK | Gary Felsher | 7 | Ashkelon LC |
Coaching Staff
Israel will be led by head coach Drew Morris and assistant coach Ori Bar-David. This duo knows each other well; both were part of Israel’s 2023 Men’s World Championship team, which earned a 6-1 record and seventh-place showing at the event. Now, they’re together again, this time manning the sidelines.
Morris won an NCAA national championship at Maryland in 2022 as a player and started in net for Israel in last summer’s World Championship, amassing a 55.6 save percentage in the tournament. His exposure to Israel Lacrosse came in the form of a birthright trip in 2022, and it hooked him – the New Canaan, Connecticut native has made a home for himself in Ashkelon.
Morris serves as the Men’s Lacrosse Coordinator for ILA. He regularly coaches Israeli youth and goes on recruiting visits to schools throughout Israel.
Bar-David is making his second international coaching appearance, serving on the sideline in Limerick in 2022, but he has a wealth of coaching and playing experience otherwise. He was the first Israeli-born Men’s National Team player and initially learned of the game in 2013 when ILA representatives came to his eighth grade gym class, ranking him up among the most experienced players in the country. Bar-David has been a part of seven national teams, coached youth clubs all around Israel, and scored the first goal by an Israeli-born athlete in a Men’s World Championship in 2018 in his hometown of Netanya.
Outside of his coaching and playing duties, Bar-David acts as ILA’s Youth Development Coordinator.
Our Goals
First and foremost, the goal of this team is to represent Israel to the best of its ability. Any time one of our teams takes the field in the Blue-and-White, this is our main objective.
For this tournament in particular, inspiring future Israeli lacrosse generations is a main priority. This event is focused on the young adults who are coming into their own as lacrosse players. It’s both a time for Israel to showcase its years of grassroots growth of the game and for the nation to instill belief into its even younger players that they can be the next up.
With 17 of our 22 players hailing from Israeli soil, this is an important step for the program. We want to show Israeli society and the world as a whole where lacrosse is headed in this country.