HAUDENOSAUNEE NAME U20 ROSTER FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

The Haudenosaunee Nationals have their eyes set on the Men's U20 Championship, which will take place from August 15 to 24 at Seogwipo, Jeju Island, South Korea. The roster, which includes 26 players, will be trimmed down to 22 before the start of the tournament. The Haudenosaunee team is a collection of high school and collegiate players, representing 12 Nations.

"We're excited about what we've done, who we've brought, and who we're going to bring over to Korea," said head coach, Marty Ward. "The big thing for me is just finding guys who want to fit into the system that we want to play. The guys who can buy into what we're trying to do, and that's being a team, No. 1. Then No. 2, being a team that wants to compete for a gold medal. These are guys who want to go over there, compete, and do their best to represent the Haudenosaunee in the best possible light. It's really a special group and we're excited to have them."

Recently, the Haudenosaunee held practices in Salamanca, NY, to prepare for the trip overseas. The camp was the last of several camps designed to evaluate talent. The selection process began last August before the players left for school. The second camp was conducted over Christmas break, with subsequent sessions held throughout the spring. It was a roadmap to the U20 Worlds created by Haudenosaunee General Manager Delby Powless.

"We got together quite a few times, actually," said Powless. "I was just trying to get guys together because you know they are playing lacrosse at university or high school, so we didn't want to interfere with their academics, and then they're in their season as well."

Marty Ward is the man tasked with leading the team at Worlds. He comes from a highly successful Florida Southern program, where he has held a leadership role since 2011, posting an overall record of 105-85 and being ranked in the USILA Top 20 numerous times. Ward is also a veteran of the Haudenosaunee Nationals, having previously represented the program as a player, interim head coach, and assistant coach. Ward's staff boasts a world-class lineup with experience spanning collegiate, professional, and international levels.

With such an impressive resume, it was an easy decision for Powless and Assistant GM Taylor Smoke.

"The main thing we did early was pick a very strong coaching staff, starting with Marty Ward as the head coach," said Powless. "I think it's an excellent staff. Every training session we've had was very competitive. The kids have been eager to work, so it's been a pretty good process as far as selecting the team."

"Marty is an intense coach. He was also an assistant coach in Finland (2019), and Marty and the kids really liked him," added Powless. "The boys really liked his intensity and leadership. He's one of those guys who's well prepared all the time. It was a pretty easy choice to have Marty as the head coach. Right now, he serves as the head coach at Florida Southern. He knows how to run a college program, and the staff that he picked was a good fit for this team as well."

Ward's staff features Sacred Heart assistant coach Chris Doctor (offensive coordinator), Amherst head coach Sean Woods (defensive coordinator), Penn State assistant coach Andy Meyers (goalie and faceoff coach), and New Jersey Institute of Technology assistant coach Jon Lanzalotto (Video Coach).

The staff also includes two current professional lacrosse players: Ron John and Blake Gibson-McDonald. John is a National Lacrosse League champion with the Buffalo Bandits, who will work as the team's defensive assistant. He also played in the Premier Lacrosse League with the California Redwoods in 2024. Gibson-McDonald, who plays for the NLL's Albany FireWolves, will contribute as the offensive assistant.

The team representing the Haudenosaunee includes future All-Americans and rising stars. Players like Brett Bucktooth, Jr. of Syracuse University, Providence commit Cooper Anderson, and Tufts University rising junior Logan Lee are just a sample of the talent possessed by the team.

"I know we feel like we put together a very athletic team," said Ward. "It's a team that can compete in between the lines and a team that can play good team defense. We feel like we have some versatile guys. They can go two ways at the midfield. We've got a lot of good poles. A lot of guys can play good defense down low, and we're excited because we've got some good coaches who know how to put in some great packages. We put in a nice slide package and a nice zone package in already."

Ward broke down the team to highlight the strengths he has at all positions. He started with the midfield, which is powered by Edina (Minn.) High School standout Cooper Anderson. He is complemented by fellow middies Amaan Cambrelen (Narragansett), Tayoni Galante (Seneca), Julian Greendeer (Oneida), Marcus Thundercloud (Ho-Chunk), Jakobe Sanden (Seneca/Paiute), and Mason Sanden (Seneca/Paiute).

Julien Watts (Mohawk) will serve as the primary draw man. Watts plays at Loomis Chaffee School and is committed to the admissions process at Trinity College after he graduates in 2027.

"I think midfield is a big strength for us,” said Ward. “Cooper Anderson is a Choctaw from Minnesota, and he was the Minnesota State Player of the Year. He is an excellent player who can play two ways. He can really push the ball and create transition for us, too."

"Tayoni Galante is another one who played both ways for us," added Ward. "Julien Greendeer and Marcus Thundercloud are also outstanding players. They can push the tempo for us when we want to, and then you have Mason Sanden and Jakobe Sanden. They can do that as well at the midfield spot. Julien Watts, at the face-off spot, is excellent. He's up-and-coming too. The entire midfield group is deep, and we're excited to have them around."

Ward will also rely heavily on the talented group of long poles he has on defense. The defense features Parker Booth (Onondaga/Kiowa), Logan Lee (Seneca), Ranhwenote Maracle (Mohawk), Katinontie "Bear" Martin (Mohawk), Ryder Sunday, and Kanwanoro Squire (Mohawk).

"I'm excited about Logan Lee from Tufts," said Ward. "He's got experience at the national championship at Division III. We also have RJ Miracle, who is an outstanding player. Bear Martin is a terrific defender, along with Parker Booth. He is another really good player down low, so we have poles that can definitely bang. Ryder Sunday (Mohawk) is kind of like rounding out the pole position along with Nola Squire."

The success of the attack units will rely on sharing the ball, according to Ward. The Haudenosaunee boast Brett Bucktooth, Jr., Mason Cree (Mohawk), Bleyton Hopps-Thompson (Mohawk), Hunter Thompson (Mohawk), and James Whitehorse (Navajo).

The team will also count on Daylin John-Hill (Tuscarora), Noah Snyder (Seneca), and Chace Cogan (Tuscarora). The trio recently completed the Ontario Junior “A” Lacrosse League Playoffs with the Six Nations Arrows. Tehokwirathe Barreiro (Mohawk) will also be in the mix at attack. In 2024, he was named an All-American after posting 55 points for Onondaga Community College (OCC).

"The attack side of the ball is going to be by committee," said Ward. "We feel like we've got a lot of players who are going to contribute, guys who can step up at any given moment. We have a great group down low. To name a couple of guys from the attack side, you have Brett Bucktooth, Jr. He played his first year at Syracuse. He will be a big piece of the puzzle for us. Bleyton Hopps-Thompson will be a guy who can help us on that right side. James Whitehorse is another stellar lefty from the Navajo Nation, who we're excited to have in the mix. Then we have Daylin John-Hill from Tuscarora and Noah Snyder from Seneca, who are guys who were just in the running for a Minto Cup with the Arrows. Hunter Thompson could also see some time on that left side."

The fiercest competition during training camp was for the goaltending positions. The Haudenosaunee selected Ryder Johnson (Mohawk), Xavier Delormier (Mohawk), and Blaine Powless (Oneida). Johnson won the starting job with Delormier and Powless serving as the secondary options. Johnson, who hails from Six Nations, recently backstopped the Six Nations Rebels to a second-place finish in the Junior "B" loop. He posted an 11-2 record and a 7.40 goals-against average.

"That was a big battle the entire tryout process," said Ward, who was a goalie during his playing days. "We looked at a bunch of goalies who could fill up the net. Ryder Johnson will be our starter going into the tournament, and then Xavier will be backing them up. They're both solid keepers who can stop the ball for sure. Blaine is still in the mix as well."

The Haudenosaunee enter this year's tournament after earning bronze at the last Men's U20 Championship in Ireland in 2022, marking it the program's fifth third-place finish since 1992. In 2012, the Haudenosaunee made history by defeating the eventual champion, the United States, for the first time in the tournament's history.

Ward was an assistant coach in 2012, which was a defining moment for the program. As a member of the Onondaga and Cherokee Nations, he has represented the Haudenosaunee as a player three times, helping the team secure a medal in 2014. He served as an assistant coach on the 2012 U19 Haudenosaunee team that captured the bronze medal in Turku, Finland, and was the interim head coach for the team that traveled to play in British Columbia in 2016.

He has witnessed the growth and development of the program both as a player and as a coach. Earning head coaching honors for the Men's U20 Championship means everything to a man who was raised watching and following his Nation's teams.

"Being able to give back to what my culture and my heritage are and where I come from is super special," said Ward. "My grandfather (Marty Ward Sr.) worked for the team for a decade-plus. He was an Onondaga. Having grown up around the Haudenosaunee, playing lacrosse my whole life, and being immersed in the game, it is very special to be able to coach the next generation of players coming up in the program. It certainly is an honor."

Like Ward, Powless knows the importance of wearing the purple and white. It will be one of the most important lessons the players will learn while they compete thousands of miles away in South Korea.

“It's always been a great experience, not just playing lacrosse but meeting guys from other nations and parts of the world,” said Powless about his playing and coaching days with the program. “One thing we wanted to do for these guys was to have them have that same experience when they participate in the World Games. To help them understand the importance of representing the Haudenosaunee and their home communities, and creating those lifelong friendships.”