Delay of game: Women’s World Championship moved to 2022

Sophia DiCenso (Foxboro, Mass.) is coming off a strong freshman year at Richmond. (Richmond Athletics)

As the global pandemic brought about by the COVID-19 virus continues to disrupt the international sport calendar, World Lacrosse has made the decision to postpone its two World Championships originally scheduled for 2021 by one year and will instead stage the events in 2022.

In a unanimous decision by the World Lacrosse board of directors, taken Tuesday during its regular monthly meeting.

The World Lacrosse Women’s World Championship is being postponed from 2021 to 2022. The event will still be held as previously determined in Towson, Md., at Towson University. The dates for the rescheduled event are to be confirmed, but likely will be late June/early July 2022.

Of the 50 candidates selected to try out for the U.S. team that will compete at the Women’s World Championship, a dozen have strong ties to New England, including former Boston College standouts Kenzie Kent (Norwell, Mass.), Dempsey Arsenault (New Hampton, N.H.) and Tewaaraton Award winner Sam Apuzzo.

Other players from the region invited to the tryouts, which were originally scheduled for Dec. 4-6 but have since been postponed indefinitely, are Notre Dame standout Madison Ahern (Cohasset, Mass.), 2017 World Championship veteran Becca Block (Stratham, N.H.), Richmond sophomore Sophia DiCenso (Foxboro, Mass.), Denver defender Molly Little (Tiverton, R.I.), UMass midfielder Amy Moreau, BC star Charlotte North, BC assistant coach Kayla Treanor, North Carolina defender Emma Trenchard (Windsor, Conn.) and former UNC standout Caylee Waters (Darien, Conn.).

The World Lacrosse Men’s U20 World Championship is also being postponed from 2021 to 2022. It is expected the event will still be held in Limerick, Ireland, at the University of Limerick. The dates for the rescheduled event are to be confirmed, but likely will be late July/early August 2022.

To make certain athletes who otherwise would have been eligible to compete in the event had it been held in 2021 still have the opportunity to do so, the upper age limit for eligibility will be raised, on a one-time basis, to U21.

In making the decision, the World Lacrosse board of directors said it examined the continued impact, uncertainty and disruption to preparations for these events brought about by the global pandemic, along with input provided by its member-National Governing Bodies and participating teams regarding athlete health and safety, team training, travel and other logistical considerations.

“These are extremely difficult decisions, particularly given the need to provide our members with as much advance notice as possible (while) managing the risk and uncertainty brought about by the pandemic,” said World Lacrosse president Sue Redfern. “Given the full range of considerations, this is the right decision for World Lacrosse and our members. An extra year to prepare means the participating teams will be able to train with certainty in knowing these events will take place in 2022, and athletes can now focus on preparing with confidence for their moment on the global stage.”

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