PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC – If hosting the largest-ever World Lacrosse Championships in 2018 was the big show, Israel Lacrosse is ready for an encore.
The blue-and-white will be back on the field on Thursday, with the U-20 men’s squad taking on the Czech Guns at 9:00 AM local to open the 22nd-annual Prague Cup, held at Aritma Sports Center. The game opens a packed slate of 26 games that the Israelis will play in Prague over two weeks, with a suitable 38-man roster tackling the supersized schedule of tournaments and friendlies which culminate at the U-20 Men’s European Championships.
The game also opens a dizzying summer for the Israel Lacrosse Association, which hasn’t exactly hit the brakes after bringing the world to Israel in 2018. With the sport receiving large-scale nationwide exposure for the first time, including 20 games televised nationally on Sport5, lacrosse is riding a tidal wave of momentum into aruably the busiest summer to date for the eight-year-old ILA.
At the same time as Israel’s delegation descends on the Czech Republic, the future of the blue-and-white will be arriving in Denver, Colorado. Ashkelon natives Evyatar Barnoy and Roy Tal headline a U-13 roster competing for the fourth time in the World Series of Youth Lacrosse. The team will take the field for the first time against Carolina Gold on Tuesday at 9:15 AM local.
Meanwhile, Israel Lacrosse’s Birthright Trip touches down at Ben Gurion Airport next week for 10 days of touring and service up-and-down the Jewish State. The Birthright/USA All-Stars will hold a training event with Israel national team players on July 5th at Kraft Family Sports Campus in Jerusalem, before competing in a pair of exhibition games on July 9th in the Netanya area.
Later in July, Israel hosts the 2019 Women’s European Lacrosse Championships, as 16 teams and over 500 athletes come to the Jewish State to compete for gold. The opening game features Israel against Germany, under the lights at the state-of-the-art KRaft Family Sports Campus in Jerusalem. At the same time, the men’s Israel Premier Lacrosse League will re-launch with Be’er Sheva LC seeking to continue their dynasty.
And that’s just what the next four weeks have in store. The blue-and-white will also be competing in the U-19 Women’s World Championships and the World Indoor Lacrosse Championships, both in Canada later this year.
You can follow Team Israel with scores, webcast links, and exclusive recaps at israellacrosse.com!