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Haudenosaunee Nationals Take Bronze at Pan-American Men’s Lacrosse Championship, Qualify for Worlds in Tokyo

Staff
Sep 8
3 min read

Lacrosse’s originators make statement with Sunday’s breakaway 16-9 win over Jamaica at PALA Championship

 

Gregory Elijah-Brown, Koleton Marquis, Winter Rivera finish top 5 in total points; Jack VanValkenburgh leads all goalies in save percentage


Nedrow, N.Y. (August 28, 2026) — The Haudenosaunee Nationals, the premier international lacrosse organization representing the sport’s origins on the world stage, have brought home the bronze medal after a resounding performance at the 2026 Pan-American Men’s Lacrosse Championship in Kingston, Jamaica. 

 

The Nationals went into halftime of Sunday’s bronze-medal game with a narrow lead, breaking the game open in the second half to beat the Jamaica men’s national team 16-9 for a podium finish. (Box score.) Gregory Elijah-Brown (Syracuse, NCAA), Koleton Marquis (UAlbany, NCAA) and Winter Rivera (UAlbany, NCAA) put the game out of reach with five second-half goals en route to 12 combined points for the star Haudenosaunee trio. 

 

It was a fitting end to the PALA Championship, which began with a statement 28-1 win for the Haudenosaunee over Argentina in the opening game of the tournament. The Nationals ended the trip 4-1, their lone defeat coming against eventual gold-medal winner Canada. The United States finished second for the silver. 


 

“Our performance in Jamaica made it clear that the Haudenosaunee cannot be overlooked,” said Claudia Jimerson, director of lacrosse operations for the Haudenosaunee Nationals. “This was one of our younger teams and to finish third against some of the best programs in the world speaks volumes about the strength and depth of our program. Our players, coaches and front office are incredibly proud to represent the Creator’s Game, and even more proud of what this team represents for the generations coming behind them. Our performance is a reflection of how our game continues to grow and strengthen, and it demonstrates that the future of Haudenosaunee lacrosse is very bright. We belong on the biggest stages, and we will continue to compete against the best programs the world has to offer.”


With their third-place finish, the Nationals have advanced to the 2027 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship in Tokyo, Japan. Canada (first), the U.S. (second), Jamaica (fourth) and Puerto Rico (fifth) also punched their tickets to Worlds. 

 

The U.S., Canada and Haudenosaunee are currently ranked as the globe’s top 3 men’s field teams, according to World Lacrosse.

 

Haudenosaunee Nationals News & Notes:

  • The Nationals outscored opponents 87-35 across five games (82-18 in their four victories) in Jamaica.

  • Elijah-Brown (21), Marquis (20) and Rivera (19) finished in the top 5 in total points for the tournament.

  • Jack VanValkenburgh (UAlbany, NCAA) led all goalies with a 78% save percentage, stopping 28 shots while allowing just 8 goals.

  • The Haudenosaunee roster had six former and current NLL pros representing five different organizations; 10 individual programs were also represented across all levels of NCAA Men’s Lacrosse.

  • The Nationals men’s and women’s teams will compete alongside the U.S., Canada and Australia in the inaugural Lexus Global Lacrosse Games this December in the Washington, D.C., metro area. The games, airing nationally across ESPN, will feature international Olympic Sixes rules.

  • Both the men’s and women’s teams are preparing for next month’s Pan-American Sixes Lacrosse Championships in Oshawa, Canada, serving as the crucial first leg of the Olympic qualifying pathway. 



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About the Haudenosaunee Nationals The Haudenosaunee Nationals are the official international lacrosse program of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, representing the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk and Tuscarora Nations. The Haudenosaunee are renowned as the originators of lacrosse. For thousands of years, the Medicine Game - or the Creator’s Game as it’s also known - has been a foundation of Haudenosaunee culture, gifted to the world and passed down through generations. Perennial medal contenders, the Haudenosaunee Nationals men’s and women’s teams consistently rank among the globe’s best by World Lacrosse, the sport’s international governing body. Beyond competing at the highest level, the Nationals continue to advocate for the inclusion and recognition of Indigenous nations on lacrosse’s global stage. Learn more at HaudenosauneeNationals.com.


Media Contact: Chris Colton, ccolton@martingroupmarketing.com, 845-642-0762

 
 
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