Syracuse University Athletics

Former Syracuse stars Mike Leveille ’08 and Ryan Powell ’00 were integral to helping the United States win the gold medal at the 2010 Federation of International (FIL) Lacrosse World Championship in Manchester, England on Saturday, July 24. Leveille scored three goals, while Powell contributed one goal and one assist in Team USA’s 12-10 victory against Canada in the championship match.

Much like the 2008 U.S. Olympic basketball “Redeem Team,” the 2010 U.S. Senior Men’s Lacrosse Team has been charged with reasserting its dominance on the international stage. Four years ago, Canada knocked off the U.S. in the gold-medal game to break Team USA’s stranglehold on the world championship. The Americans entered the 2006 event having won the last six world titles before being defeated by a Gary Gait-led Canadian squad, 15-10.

The July 19 issue of Sports Illustrated hits newstands Thursday. Included in the magazine is a feature story by S.L. Price detailing the relationship between the game of lacrosse and Iroquois culture entitled "Pride of a Nation."