In the history of the World Lacrosse Women’s Championship, the host country had never won the Gold Medal.
That changed Saturday afternoon when Team USA defeated Canada 11-8 to capture its fourth world title in a row at a rain-soaked Johnny Unitas Stadium at Towson University.
The United States national team was paced by Marie McCool and Sam Apuzzo’s three goals. Charlotte North and Taylor Cummings scored two goals apiece. Apuzzo also added two assists.
Throughout the tournament, Canada was the only team to score in double-figures against Team USA’s miserly defense. That was in their opening round game on June 29 — a feat they couldn’t duplicate in the title game.
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The recipe for this team’s monumental achievement? An offensive attack that was beyond explosive over the last ten days. The team was led by Kayla Treanor, who became the top scorer in U.S. history after her six-goal performance in the 17-2 semifinal rout of Australia.
The 28-year-old Treanor, who added another goal in today’s championship game against Canada, now has 77 points (44 goals and 33 assists) in 15 career world championship games dating back to 2017, surpassing the great Katie Rowan on the all-time list.
Overseeing and seasoning that recipe was head coach, Hall of Famer and Baltimore native Jenny Levy. Her accomplishments are comparable to the likes of Bill Belichick, Gregg Popovich, Mike Krzyzewski, Pat Summit, Dean Smith and other legendary coaches.
Levy is fresh off leading the North Carolina Tar Heels to an undefeated national championship season. She built the UNC program from scratch, having been tapped in 1994 to be its first coach. She took the job three years after winning a national championship as a player at the University of Virginia.
Her Tar Heels squads have appeared in 13 Final Fours, including 10 of the last 13 seasons, and they’ve won three national championships. She also led Team USA to the Gold Medal in the 2017 World Championships.
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“Jenny’s biggest asset as a coach is the fact she relies on her own personal foundation in her beliefs, but she is a constant innovator,” Kara Cannizzaro, the Honda Award winner on Levy’s first national title team in 2013, told GoHeels.com in late May. “She invites change. She never merely settles for what she has done as a coach in the past.”
The Baltimore Banner caught up with Levy prior to the Gold Medal game to talk about how Baltimore influenced her, what she loves about coaching and this year’s incredible Team USA run at the world championships.
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When did lacrosse become an important part of your life?
My grandfather played. My dad played. The game was always a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up in Baltimore, in a city that is truly the cradle of the sport. I can remember being a little girl playing toss with my dad all the time with a boy’s Brine stick that had a wooden shaft. I remember being in the stands at the World Games when I was little. When I was in the sixth grade, there weren’t enough girls that came out for the seventh and eighth grade team, so I, and a few others were asked to try out and join the team.
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You go on to have a memorable career at Roland Park Country, where you were one of the top recruits in the nation. What do you remember most about those days?
I just remember it being a lot of fun. I grew up around the corner from Johns Hopkins, and if we weren’t going to watch the games at Homewood Field, we’d be at home listening to them on the radio. The culture of the game is so rich here, so when you grow up in Baltimore, it’s really special and it’s everywhere. It gets into your blood.
Before we talk about this incredible Team USA squad you’re coaching and the amazing run you’ve had at this World Championship, we have to mention this year’s NCAA Final Four game against Northwestern. That is one of the most amazing spectacles I’ve ever witnessed in person. Down by seven goals in the fourth quarter, you guys came back to win. I was watching you on the sideline, and you were as cool as a fan while everyone else was losing their mind.
We had a great season the year before but got eliminated in the Final Four. Our team this year had a really good mix, from the freshmen al the way up to our sixth-year players. That rain delay helped us in a way. We were able to process what was going on, settle down and visualize what we needed to do. That was pretty epic to come back and win the way we did. It was incredible, actually. But it just goes to show you that when you have teams that are well constructed, and the coaches and all the players are connected, you can accomplish so much more than if you’re just working with individual talents.
This National Team is special. I’ve been mesmerized by watching you guys over the course of the tournament. The speed, skills, unselfishness camaraderie. And your transition game is like the ’80s Showtime Lakers. For people that love team sports and incredible athleticism, it’s a joy to witness. And you all look like you’re having so much fun.
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As coaches, we get to work with a lot of great players that are remarkably talented. As we were constructing and choosing the team, it was important that we not only had the necessary skill sets at each position, but that we also had chemistry. You want goalies that are great ball stoppers, defenders with great footwork, speed and stick skills and high IQs. You want midfielders that are smart, unselfish and have vision that can dominate on both ends of the field and attackers with great stick work, intelligence, bursts of speed and the ability to share the ball. And the overall goal was to play a simple game at the absolute highest level possible and inspire the next generation.
Taylor Cummings, the decorated Team USA midfielder and current coach at McDonogh, told me that the reason why you’re so successful is because you’re an innovator that gets each player to perform at their absolute best. Your thoughts on that?
Well, I also get to work alongside an incredible coaching staff. Our offensive coordinator, Joe Spallina, the head coach at Stony Brook, is exceptionally creative and knowledgeable. Alex Frank, our defensive coordinator, is the head coach at Dartmouth, and Amy Altig is a former goalie who’s now the head coach at the University of Delaware. They’re young with great minds, but they’re also selfless, and that goes a long way when you’re coaching some of the best players in the world and asking them to not have an ego.
And some of your players are also excellent high school and college coaches as well.
That’s right, we not only have talented players but talented coaches in their own right that currently play for the national team. My job is simply to trust the people that I empower. And having fun is a big thing for me. I make sure that fun activities are incorporated into everything we do. I don’t think that’s innovative, I just know that people give their best effort when they love what they do, when they’re passionate and have fun while doing it.
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Team USA has a chance to make history. No one has ever won this Gold Medal on their home soil. What would it mean to you, looking back at that young girl tossing the ball back and forth with her dad, listening to the Hopkins games on the radio, taking in the action at Homewood Field, to lead this team to a world championship right here in Baltimore?
Right now, I’m just looking at the next thing on the itinerary, which is our team dinner. We’re facing a great opponent in Canada. They have great coaches, great players. We’re going to have a busy day at the office against them. But to win the world championship here in Baltimore, that little girl would think that’s awesome.
alejandro.danois@thebaltimorebanner.com
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