Byrnes and Richard claim gold in World Lacrosse Championship
7/3/2023 11:30:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
Byrnes and Richard helped Team USA to a World title
SAN DIEGO – Former Marquette University men's lacrosse players Liam Byrnes and Jacob Richard led Team USA to a gold medal game victory over Canada in the 2023 World Lacrosse Men's Championship on July 1 in San Diego.
Byrnes (2012-16) and Richard (2013-16) made their first World Lacrosse Championship appearances and helped the Americans to their 11th world title with a 10-7 victory over Canada at Snapdragon Stadium.
Current Golden Eagles Luke Blanc (2022-pres.) and JP Henry (2023-pres.) also competed for France and Peru, respectively, while Jared Hershman (2017-20) played in his second World Lacrosse Championship for Puerto Rico. Blanc posted seven points, including six goals for the French, while Henry, an incoming freshman, scored 13 goals with two assists for Peru.
The United States hosted the event for the fourth time and the first since 2014, when the Americans suffered a gold medal loss to Canada in Denver. Team USA is the two-time reigning World Champion and has finished first or second at every world championship since the event began in 1967.
Final 2023 Standings
1. United States (Byrnes and Richard)
2. Canada
3. Haudenosaunee
10. Puerto Rico (Hershman)
18. France (Blanc)
22. Peru (Henry)
Liam Byrnes – Team USAÂ
2023 World Championship: 7 GP, 1 G, 7 GB,
Byrnes established himself as one of the best long-pole players in the world and was selected to the U.S. roster as a long-stick midfielder. The two-time second team All-PLL defenseman captured a gold medal with Team USA in the sixes event at the 2022 World Games in Alabama and was the 2019 Major League Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Year.
Byrnes was a USILA Second Team All-American during his senior season at Marquette in 2016 and holds the MU program records for caused turnovers and ground balls. He also became the first former MU men's lacrosse player to earn induction in the Marquette M Club Hall of Fame in 2022.
He currently plays professionally for Waterdogs LC in the PLL, which he helped to the 2022 PLL title, and Panther City Lacrosse Club in the National Lacrosse League.
Jacob Richard – Team USAÂ
2023 World Championship: 4 GP, 1 GB, 3 CT
Richard is currently an assistant coach at MU and plays professionally for Atlas LC in the PLL. He is one of four short-stick defensive midfielders on the Team USA roster and will made his first international appearance for the Americans. Richard, along with Byrnes and former MU teammate B.J. Grill, had been a member of the Team USA training roster, but had not played in an international event. Richard had made previous appearances with Team USA in the MLL All-Star game and the Fall Classic.
He was a USILA Third Team All-American as a senior in 2016 when the Golden Eagles earned the No. 6 seed in the NCAA tournament in the program's fourth season of existence.
Jared Hershman – Team Puerto Rico
2023 World Championship: 3 GP, 4-of-8 FO, .500%, 2 GB
Hershman played four years for the Golden Eagles from 2017-20 and won a career-best 100 faceoffs as a junior in 2019 with a .526 win percentage (100-of-190) and 52 ground balls. The native of Cortlandt Manor, New York also played for Team Puerto Rico at the 2018 event.
Luke Blanc – Team FranceÂ
2023 World Championship: 5 GP, 6 G-1 A-7 PTS, 3 GB, 1 CT
Blanc completed his second season with the Golden Eagles during the spring of 2023 as the squad's third-leading scorer with 18 goals and was fifth in points with 21. He started the final 10 games of the year in the midfield and tallied multiple goals in four of his final six contests.
Blanc has scored 34 goals in 29 career games played after earning a redshirt during his true freshman campaign at UMass in 2021.
JP Henry – Team PeruÂ
2023 World Championship: 6 GP, 13 G-2Â A-15 PTS, 4 GB, 4 GB,
Henry signed with the Golden Eagles last fall out of Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh as a high-scoring attackman. He set school and WPIAL records with 88 goals as a junior in 2022 after first breaking the school scoring record with 77 as a sophomore. The right-handed shooter reports to campus this summer alongside high school teammate Ethan Salvia with four years of eligibility remaining. Henry's mother, Dr. Claudia Henry, was born in Peru.
Keep up with the Marquette men's lacrosse program through social media by following on Twitter (@MarquetteMLax) and Instagram (@MarquetteMLax) and 'liking' on Facebook (/MarquetteMLax).
Byrnes (2012-16) and Richard (2013-16) made their first World Lacrosse Championship appearances and helped the Americans to their 11th world title with a 10-7 victory over Canada at Snapdragon Stadium.
Current Golden Eagles Luke Blanc (2022-pres.) and JP Henry (2023-pres.) also competed for France and Peru, respectively, while Jared Hershman (2017-20) played in his second World Lacrosse Championship for Puerto Rico. Blanc posted seven points, including six goals for the French, while Henry, an incoming freshman, scored 13 goals with two assists for Peru.
The United States hosted the event for the fourth time and the first since 2014, when the Americans suffered a gold medal loss to Canada in Denver. Team USA is the two-time reigning World Champion and has finished first or second at every world championship since the event began in 1967.
Final 2023 Standings
1. United States (Byrnes and Richard)
2. Canada
3. Haudenosaunee
10. Puerto Rico (Hershman)
18. France (Blanc)
22. Peru (Henry)
Liam Byrnes – Team USAÂ
2023 World Championship: 7 GP, 1 G, 7 GB,
Byrnes established himself as one of the best long-pole players in the world and was selected to the U.S. roster as a long-stick midfielder. The two-time second team All-PLL defenseman captured a gold medal with Team USA in the sixes event at the 2022 World Games in Alabama and was the 2019 Major League Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Year.
Byrnes was a USILA Second Team All-American during his senior season at Marquette in 2016 and holds the MU program records for caused turnovers and ground balls. He also became the first former MU men's lacrosse player to earn induction in the Marquette M Club Hall of Fame in 2022.
He currently plays professionally for Waterdogs LC in the PLL, which he helped to the 2022 PLL title, and Panther City Lacrosse Club in the National Lacrosse League.
Jacob Richard – Team USAÂ
2023 World Championship: 4 GP, 1 GB, 3 CT
Richard is currently an assistant coach at MU and plays professionally for Atlas LC in the PLL. He is one of four short-stick defensive midfielders on the Team USA roster and will made his first international appearance for the Americans. Richard, along with Byrnes and former MU teammate B.J. Grill, had been a member of the Team USA training roster, but had not played in an international event. Richard had made previous appearances with Team USA in the MLL All-Star game and the Fall Classic.
He was a USILA Third Team All-American as a senior in 2016 when the Golden Eagles earned the No. 6 seed in the NCAA tournament in the program's fourth season of existence.
Jared Hershman – Team Puerto Rico
2023 World Championship: 3 GP, 4-of-8 FO, .500%, 2 GB
Hershman played four years for the Golden Eagles from 2017-20 and won a career-best 100 faceoffs as a junior in 2019 with a .526 win percentage (100-of-190) and 52 ground balls. The native of Cortlandt Manor, New York also played for Team Puerto Rico at the 2018 event.
Luke Blanc – Team FranceÂ
2023 World Championship: 5 GP, 6 G-1 A-7 PTS, 3 GB, 1 CT
Blanc completed his second season with the Golden Eagles during the spring of 2023 as the squad's third-leading scorer with 18 goals and was fifth in points with 21. He started the final 10 games of the year in the midfield and tallied multiple goals in four of his final six contests.
Blanc has scored 34 goals in 29 career games played after earning a redshirt during his true freshman campaign at UMass in 2021.
JP Henry – Team PeruÂ
2023 World Championship: 6 GP, 13 G-2Â A-15 PTS, 4 GB, 4 GB,
Henry signed with the Golden Eagles last fall out of Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh as a high-scoring attackman. He set school and WPIAL records with 88 goals as a junior in 2022 after first breaking the school scoring record with 77 as a sophomore. The right-handed shooter reports to campus this summer alongside high school teammate Ethan Salvia with four years of eligibility remaining. Henry's mother, Dr. Claudia Henry, was born in Peru.
Keep up with the Marquette men's lacrosse program through social media by following on Twitter (@MarquetteMLax) and Instagram (@MarquetteMLax) and 'liking' on Facebook (/MarquetteMLax).
Players Mentioned
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