Towson, M.D. – Some of the best lacrosse players from all over the world will gather at Towson University on June 29 for the opening ceremony of the 2022 World Lacrosse Women's Championship. A record 30 nations from six different continents have put together teams and qualified to compete in the global competition which will be held in the United States for the first time since 2005. The event takes place once every four years, although this year's tournament was supposed to take place in 2021 but was postponed due to the global pandemic. World Lacrosse has entered into an agreement with ESPN to ensure that the talent on display at Towson from June 29-July 9 will be accessible to lacrosse fans all around the world.

Le Moyne women's lacrosse goalie Paige Crandall, midfielder Adrianna Nojaim, and head coach Liz Beville have all earned the opportunity to participate in the Women's World Championship, which was previously called the Women's Lacrosse World Cup.

Beville was named the head coach for the Haudenosaunee team, who represent the Iroquois Confederacy in international women's lacrosse and will be competing in the WLWC for the 4^th time.

"I'm so honored to be coaching a tremendous group of young women in the World Championships. The Haudenosaunee women truly exemplify what it means to play for the love of the game, and I have learned so much from them in the past year. We are so excited to compete against great competition," said Le Moyne College and Haudenosaunee Head Coach Liz Beville.

Crandall, who was named NE10 Southwest Division Rookie and Goalie of the Year in 2021 and selected to the IWLCA All-East Region Second Team, earned a spot on Beville's Haudenosaunee squad, while Nojaim, a 2021 NE10 Second Team All-Conference Selection, as well as a 2021 IWLCA Division II Academic Honor Roll student-athlete, will compete for Puerto Rico, who qualified to make their first ever appearance in the World Lacrosse Women's Championship.

USA Lacrosse President/CEO Marc Riccio had this to say about the upcoming tournament: "We're incredibly excited to welcome the world's best lacrosse players to the United States and to serve as the host country for the World Championship. This event brings the international lacrosse community together - players, coaches, officials, and fans – to both compete and celebrate the game we all love. It's going to be a tremendous experience for everyone."

Alongside the World Championship will be The World Festival, which will see 10U, 12U, 13U, 14U, 16U, 18U, and 18+ adult teams from all over the world compete against one another at nearby Goucher College.

Coach Beville has continued the program's success since taking over as the Dolphins women's lacrosse head coach in August of 2019. The 'Phins went 13-1 in 2021, then earned a spot in the NCAA Championships in 2022. This summer she will have the opportunity to lead a Haudenosaunee team that includes Syracuse University midfielder Jalyn Jimerson, Niagara University attacker Lois Garlow, and Crandall, among other talented players looking to top the Haudenosaunee's 7^th place finish in the 2013 World Championship.

Crandall started all 14 games in goal for Le Moyne during the 2021 season and accumulated 97 saves along with a .574 save percentage, which was the second best save percentage in the NE10. Crandall earned Conference Rookie of the Year, as well as Goalie of the Year honors, and earned a spot on the All-Region Second Team. Crandall made 134 saves during 21 starts in 2022 as the Dolphins went 15-6, earned a spot in the NE10 Conference Championships Final, and an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship. Crandall tied her 2022 season-high of 13 saves during a thrilling 9-8 overtime victory in the NE10 tournament semifinals over the Adelphi University Panthers. The two teams matched up again during the first round of the NCAA Championships, and although Crandall came up with 12 saves, the Panthers got their revenge and claimed a tournament victory over the Dolphins.

Nojaim was a Second Team All-Conference selection in 2021 after producing 25 goals and 14 assists during 14 games played for the Dolphins. During her senior season in 2022, Nojaim upped her totals to 31 goals and 20 assists during 21 games played. As the Dolphins dealt with injuries to multiple key players in 2022, upperclassmen players with experience, such as Nojaim were called to do more and shoulder more of the playmaking responsibilities on offense.

Both Nojaim and Crandall will return to The Heights in 2023 to continue to build on the program's success and culture.

"I'm thrilled that Paige and Adrianna will have the opportunity to participate on an international level. They both have made so many contributions to our program so far in their careers and I'm excited they have the opportunity to represent their heritage on a big stage. There is so much to gain from an experience like this but the biggest thing I hope they will bring back to Le Moyne is a continued love and passion for the game of lacrosse," said Beville about her two players competing in the world class event.

Nojaim's Puerto Rico team have been put in Pool B along with Israel, Korea, Netherlands, and Norway. They will play each team in their pool one time, with the hope of advancing to the knockout stage.

Puerto Rico will play their first ever game in the Women's Lacrosse World Championship on June 30 against Netherlands.

Beville, Crandall and the Haudenosaunee team have been placed in Pool E along with Argentina, China, Japan and Switzerland. They will open the tournament with a matchup against Japan on June 30. Japan has made seven appearances in the WLWC and finished in 5^th place during the 2009 tournament.

ESPN networks will carry many games on the ESPN+ app, and six of the contests will be played on live TV.

The first game of the tournament between USA and Canada, a rematch of both the 2013 and 2017 gold medal contests, will be televised on ESPN2 on June 29, then the contest between USA and Australia on July 2 will be televised on ESPNU.

Both semifinal contests for the Women's Championship will take place on July 7 and will be broadcast on ESPN2. The Bronze Medal game will be televised on ESPNU while the Gold Medal game, scheduled for July 9 at noon, will be shown on ESPN2.

If you are fan of lacrosse and want to see this event and these world-class athletes compete in person, you can purchase tickets here.