Ehrhardt Makes Immediate Impact in Return to USA Lineup

SAN DIEGO — Big Mike is back.

After missing the first two games of the World Lacrosse Men’s Championship with a hamstring injury, reigning MVP Michael Ehrhardt returned to the United States lineup Saturday night and made an immediate impact in a 9-7 win over the Haudenosaunee in front of a near-capacity crowd at the University of San Diego’s Torero Stadium.

Ehrhardt came streaking down the middle of the field, received a pass from Kieran McArdle and sent a 15-yard missile past Haudenosaunee goalie Warren Hill — part of a four-goal run that turned a 4-3 deficit into a 7-4 advantage the U.S. would not relinquish.

“A momentum goal was something that the team needed,” Ehrhardt said. “They’re a hell of a team and they fought all night. It was a great team victory.”

MIKEVP WITH THE POLE GOAL.

The boys are buzzin’ up 6-4 over @HAU_Nationals. pic.twitter.com/WWZBA7iSKa

— U.S. Men's National Team (@USAMLax) June 25, 2023

Ehrhardt, 31, is one of three captains for the U.S. While he plays a defensive-oriented position, his fiery play did the most to ignite a previously lackluster offense. McArdle, in particular, got going for the U.S., scoring the team’s next three goals and finishing with five points — all in the second half.

“With international play, it’s definitely slower paced. But we’ve got some guys that can run,” Ehrhardt said. “And we’ve got to do that sometimes. We’ve got to let loose and not be afraid to make a play.”

Leave it to Mike Ehrhardt to bring the juice when we need it.

Just a team player, Michael is. pic.twitter.com/GOPy7Qyf4S

— U.S. Men's National Team (@USAMLax) June 25, 2023

Ehrhardt’s return also helped fortify a defense that has been under duress.

“He talks to you, makes you feel a lot more comfortable down there,” said defenseman JT Giles-Harris, who saw a lot of Lyle Thompson on Saturday and managed to keep him scoreless when the two of them were matched up. “I’m only as good as everyone behind me.”

Injuries have become a concern for the Americans. Defenseman Matt Dunn missed a second straight game. Midfielder Tom Schreiber dressed but did not play after absorbing a pair of big hits in the team’s 12-3 win over Australia on Friday. Both players are practicing.

“Obviously you want to be out on the field full time. But you’ve got to be smart,” Ehrhardt said. “It’s a long tournament and we’ve got to keep guys healthy. The ultimate goal is to make sure we’re the last team standing.”

The U.S. can take another step toward that goal when it concludes pool play Sunday against England (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, ESPN+). A win would secure the top seed in the tournament playoffs and a first-round bye, giving the team two days off before a quarterfinal game Wednesday.

RAMBO VS. ZED

Matt Rambo and Zed Williams are a lethal tandem on attack for the Whipsnakes in the Premier Lacrosse League. On Saturday, they were opponents.

Playing defense for the Haudenosaunee, the 6-foot-2, 230-pound Williams drew Rambo as his assignment. The two could be seen chatting before the game. Out of position but certainly not out of his element, the 2020 PLL Championship Series MVP more than held his own, limiting Rambo to just one goal and one assist.

“He’s one of my closest friends now. He’s my roommate on the road for the Whipsnakes. He’s my righthand man. Him covering me was unique, but we have such a good bond and love for each other that it was fun,” Rambo said. “I wish I had a couple on him but it was good fun out there. I just tried not to get him mad because he does that.”

Universally respected by his peers and others in the lacrosse community, Williams asked Haudenosaunee coach Lars Tiffany if he could play defense both to fulfill a team need and scratch an itch he’s had as a player.

“We saw Zed Williams emerge tonight. His comfortability on defense has been growing and tonight it took a big step up,” said Tiffany, who also coached Williams at Virginia. “Part of it might be because a really good friend of his and his teammate, Matt Rambo, was willing to dodge him in the first half. And they had that battle, King Kong vs. Godzilla.”

“He’s just a freak athlete, unbelievable,” Rambo said. “He’s a better person than he is an athlete. He’s just one of the greatest humans I’ve ever met.”

GET MAD? GET SIX

After a sluggish second half against Australia, U.S. head coach John Danowski challenged the offensive players to allow anger to manifest.

No one plays angrier than Kieran McArdle.

While Michael Sowers frequently played the role of party starter out of the midfield — the Haudenosaunee had no answer for his array of speed and change-of-direction dodges — McArdle made it count.

The lefty wing attackman scored on his only three shots of the game and facilitated when needed, finishing with a team-high five points. He took advantage of the Haudenosaunee’s hesitancy to switch on picks and dodged more with the ball in his stick.

“Sometimes I draw the third defender with Rob [Pannell] and Rambo out there. They draw a lot of the attention,” McArdle said. “I kind of just demanded the ball a little bit. Rambo was saying to get me the ball and I made a few plays down the stretch there.”

KIERAN OFF THE PICK.

We are moving now, up 7-5 in the fourth. pic.twitter.com/ANg107VMZ2

— U.S. Men's National Team (@USAMLax) June 25, 2023

KIERAN OFF THE PICK x

Don’t give this guy space. It’s 8-6 pic.twitter.com/ReH0bPJ73X

— U.S. Men's National Team (@USAMLax) June 25, 2023

KIERAN AGAIN. THIS MAN IS ON A HEATER. pic.twitter.com/fWpTFOHL2p

— U.S. Men's National Team (@USAMLax) June 25, 2023

TD’S PERFECTO

Haudenosaunee veteran Jeremy Thompson took a page out of Australia’s book, using an array of counters and lockups to disrupt faceoffs. TD Ierlan was unfazed. He went 14-for-14 on faceoffs, just the second perfect game on record for the U.S. in international play. (Greg Gurenlian went 12-for-12 against England in 2014.)

Through three games, Ierlan has won 25 of 28 faceoffs, an astonishing 89 percent.

BIG CROWD AT TORERO STADIUM

The University of San Diego’s Torero Stadium, a 6,000-seat multi-purpose venue that houses the school’s football and soccer programs, was near capacity Saturday night. There was an audible and palpable buzz about the game, heightened by the challenge the fan-favorite Haudenosaunee team posed to the vaunted United States.

Eventually, chants of U-S-A took over as the U.S. did, and there were long lines of autograph seekers for both teams after the game. San Diego showed out.