The Dutch Lacrosse Association () is the official governing body of lacrosse in the Netherlands. The Nederland Lacrosse Bond sponsors both a men's and women's national team. The national team programs are supported by a burgeoning domestic club league (the DNLL consists of 12 men's teams, while the WDNLL supports six female teams). The NLB is a full member of both the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) and the European Lacrosse Federation (ELF).
The Netherlands' first international tournament was in 2004 when the men's team competed at the European Lacrosse Championships in Prague, Czech Republic. The team finished 9th out of 12 countries. Since then, the men's national team has competed at the World Lacrosse Championships in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018, with their best showing of 8th place in 2010. The team competed at the European Lacrosse Championships in 2008, 2012, and 2016, plus a host of smaller invitational club tournaments throughout Europe. Their best finish was a Silver medal at the 2008 ELF.
The women's first campaign was in 2008 when the team finished 10th at the European Lacrosse Championships in Lahti, Finland. The women’s team took 7th place in 2012 and 13th place in 2015.
Men's 2018 World Lacrosse Championships, Netanya, Israel The Netherlands started in the white division together with Norway and Japan. The Netherlands finished 22nd of the 46 participating teams at the world championship.
Roster: Men Name Position Home teamThomas Haitsma Goalie UtrechtTijmen Blom Defense DelftGeoff Davis Defense GettysburgJorrit Duininck Defense AmsterdamJan Jaap van Noort Defense AmsterdamRyan Phillips Defense .Stijn Schetters Defense UtrechtJorik van Baal Midfield UtrechtJasper Barsingerhorn Midfield DelftMatthew Finnegan Midfield AmsterdamCharlie McCormick Midfield GeorgetownWieland Muskens Midfield UtrechtGraham Rikhof Midfield UtrechtLieven Slenders Midfield UtrechtJimmy van de Veerdonk Midfield OneontaDaniel Velleman Midfield AmsterdamBas Verhaar Midfield AmsterdamJelle-Eric de Vries Midfield AmsterdamHielke de Vries Midfield AmsterdamSteve Luna Attack AmsterdamKonradin Muskens Attack UtrechtJelle Tuinhout Attack TilburgJohn van de Veerdonk Attack Georgetown
Men's 2014 World Lacrosse Championships, Denver, CO, USA
Results: Men + Date Round Opponent Score June 20, 2012 Group Stage Green Division China W, 19-4 June 22, 2012 Group Stage Green Division Norway L, 11-12 (OT) June 23, 2012 Group Stage Green Division Italy W, 14-8 June 24, 2012 Round Robin New Zealand L, 10-14 June 25, 2012 Round Robin Finland L, 6-7 June 26, 2012 Round Robin Finland L, 6-15 June 27, 2012 15th place game Switzerland L, 6-9
Roster: Men Number Name Position Home team 1Rick van NiekerkGoalAmsterdam Lions4Jesse MorsinkoffGoalDomstad Devils30Lionel van EstDefenceGroningen Gladiators33Ian de RuiterDefenceMuhlenberg College36Ryan PhilipsDefenceSUNY Plattsburgh77Justin MaarschalkerweerdDefenceAnne Arundel Community College13Maxwell WasscherLSMMSOE Raiders47Rick EmondtsLSMAmsterdam Lions12Graham BergsmaMidfieldBHC Lacrosse56Jorik van BaalMidfieldDomstad Devils9James van de VeerdonkMidfieldSUNY Oneonta35Graham RikhofMidfieldGroningen Gladiators2Rutger van BennekumMidfieldAmsterdam Lions6Hielke-Martijn de VriesMidfieldAmsterdam Lions22Erwin LijklemaMidfieldDomstad Devils14Brian ZimmermanMidfieldUniversity of Maryland25Rick van KruchtenMidfieldAmsterdam Lions7Ingmar KlienbanninkAttackDelft Barons82Jelle TuinhoutAttackTilburg Titans24Adrian ShaproskiAttackAmsterdam Lions11Aaron VanderhorstAttackNanaimo Timbermen17Kyle HofstaedterAttackTilburg Titans32Scott JanssenAttackSaint Joseph's University
STAFF Head coach: Neal Powless Assistant coach: Bill Bjorness Assistant coach: Jared Fotis Assistant coach: Ryan Demorest Physio: Mary Stein Team Manager: Mary Bergman
Men's & Women's 2012 European Lacrosse Championships, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Results: Men + Date Round Opponent Score June 20, 2012 Group Stage Blue Division Germany L, 8-9 June 22, 2012 Group Stage Blue Division Sweden L, 7-13 June 23, 2012 Group Stage Blue Division Ireland W, 11-7 June 24, 2012 Group Stage Blue Division Finland L, 3-13 June 25, 2012 Group Stage Blue Division England L, 4-18 June 26, 2012 Round Robin Czech Republic W, 9-8 (OT) June 27, 2012 Quarter Final Israel W, 18-3 June 28, 2012 Semi Final England L, 5-14 June 29, 2012 Bronze Medal Game Sweden L, 10-11
Roster: Men Number Name Position Home team 9Grant ZimmermanGoalUNC Tar Heels1Rick van NiekerkGoalAmsterdam Lions30Lionel van EstDefenceGroningen Gladiators6Thijs BijlooDefenceKeizerstad Kannibalz33Ian de RuiterDefenceMuhlenberg College36Ryan PhilipsDefenceSUNY Plattsburgh21Gerard HelminckDefenceGroningen Gladiators23Sean TysonLSMSimon Fraser University91Bram DurieuxLSMDelft Barons12Graham BergsmaMidfieldDurham Turfdogs43Ingmar BolderinkMidfieldDelft Barons56Jorik van BaalMidfieldDomstad Devils8Auke DijkstraMidfieldAmsterdam Lions22Phil HeijkoopMidfieldDelft Barons24Hans KortmanMidfieldKeizerstad Kannibalz14Jelle-Eric de VriesMidfieldAmsterdam Lions25Rick van KruchtenMidfieldAmsterdam Lions7Ingmar KlienbanninkMidfieldRotterdam Jaguars11Josh LedderhofAttackDelft Barons59Lex JanssenAttackDelft Barons3Peter van VlietAttackDomstad Devils39Scott JanssenAttackMercyhurst College10Ben van OoijenAttackAmsterdam Lions
STAFF Head coach: Michael O'Neill Assistant coach: Owen Zachariasse Assistant coach: Christopher Cooper Assistant coach: Ryan Demorest Assistant: Mike Malloy Physio: Stijn Haverkamp Team Manager: Paul Kortman
Men's 2010 World Lacrosse Championships, Manchester, England
Results
+ Date Opponent Score July 16, 2010 Wales L, 9-10 July 17, 2010 Argentina W, 29-3 July 18, 2010 Austria W, 17-5 July 19, 2010 Spain W, 16-1 July 20, 2010 Wales W, 9-8 (OT) July 21, 2010 Japan L, 8-14 July 22, 2010 Germany L, 1-14 July 23, 2010 Scotland L, 10-11
Roster Name Position Home team NumberGrant ZimmermanGoalUNC Tar Heels33Eduard van OpstalGoalDomstad Devils/Virginia Cavaliers5Joop-Joost HietbrinkDefenceAmsterdam Lions44Stefan van de VenDefenceRotterdam Jaguars6Ben van OoijenDefenceAmsterdam Lions10Ryan PhilipsDefenceSUNY Plattsburgh36Gerard HelminckDefenceGroningen Gladiators21Sean TysonLSMSimon Fraser23Graham BergsmaMidfieldFairfield Stags12Alex JonesMidfieldDominican Chargers11Kyle HofstaedterMidfieldSt. Joseph's Hawks17Auke DijkstraMidfielsAmsterdam Lions8Phil HeijkoopMidfieldDelft Barons22Rutger van BennekumMidfieldRotterdam Jaguars2Jelle-Eric de VriesMidfieldAmsterdam Lions14Rick van KruchtenMidfieldGroningen Gladiators25Lex JanssenMidfieldDelft Barons59Ingmar KlienbanninkMidfieldRotterdam Jaguars7Kyle van OostendorpAttackWashington College9Jorrit GrobAttackGroningen Gladiators4Peter van VlietAttackDomstad Devils3Scott JanssenAttackMercyhurst1Hans KortmanAttackKeizerstad Kannibalz24
STAFF Head coach: Travis Taylor Assistant coach: Macgregor Stockdale Assistant coach: Travis Gillespie Physio: Bart Hendriks Physio: Daan Reutelingsperger Team Manager: Guy Kessels
Men's 2008 European Championship campaign The Netherlands competed in their second European Lacrosse Championship in 2008 in Lahti, Finland. They compiled a 6-2 record at the tournament, finishing 2nd place behind defending European champions, England. The team surprised the lacrosse world, defeating traditional European lacrosse powers such as Sweden, Ireland and Germany before making their appearance in the gold medal game. The success of the Dutch campaign garnered mention in major lacrosse publications and placed the Netherlands on the lacrosse map for the first time in history.
The Dutch team played in the C Division, featuring Austria, Denmark, France, Scotland, and Sweden. They compiled a 4-1 record in round robin play, resulting in a three-way tie for first with Sweden and Scotland, and a goals for/against record of 76/25. Goal differential determined that Sweden would finish first, with the Netherlands taking the second spot of the group. The Dutch team went on to beat Ireland and Germany in elimination play before losing to perennial champions England in the championship final.
Many attributed the team's success in Finland to the two weeks of isolation and training in Den Helder prior to the tournament.
Game results The Netherlands opened the tournament with a convincing win over Austria, beating Sweden the very next day in a tightly contested 1 goal match. They then went on to beat Denmark before losing a controversial one goal game to Scotland. The team concluded group play with a lopsided victory over newcomer France.
A second-place finish in Group C advanced the Dutch team to the knockout stage of the tournament. They beat Ireland in a closely fought one-goal quarterfinal game before rolling the Germans in a convincing 12-6 semi-final victory.
The Dutch team played 8 games in 10 days at various fields throughout Lahti, Finland. Detailed game results are listed below.
+ Date Opponent Score Thursday, August 7, 2008 Austria W, 25-4 Friday, August 8, 2008 Sweden W, 8-7 Saturday, August 9, 2008 Denmark W, 17-5 Sunday, August 10, 2008 Scotland L, 6-7 Monday, August 11, 2008 France W, 20-1 Tuesday, August 12, 2008 Ireland W, 11-10 Thursday, August 14, 2008 Germany W, 12-6 Saturday, August 16, 2008 England L, 4-14
Team organization At the helm of the men's national program was long time lacrosse business man, John Bergsma. John's wealth of experience within the National Lacrosse League and Team Canada was supported by coaches from both North America and the United Kingdom. Travis Taylor, a native of New Westminster, British Columbia and head coach at the University of Bristol, was named head coach, while MacGregor Stockdale (a former defenseman at Brown University), Nigel Greenall (head coach of Ashton lacrosse in Northern England), and Richard Bos (Groningen Lacrosse, Netherlands) were all hired as assistant coaches.
The team formed new sponsorships for the European campaign, dropping their previous partnerships with Riddell and STX. Team helmets were provided by New York–based Cascade Sports and all equipment and apparel was provided by Michigan based Warrior Sports.
Tournament preparation The Dutch team centralized in the Netherlands two weeks before the European Championships, bringing all players to Den Helder (in the north of the Netherlands) for an intensive 14-day training camp.
The NLB formed a strategic partnership with the Royal Netherlands Navy, using their extensive facilities in Den Helder as preparation grounds for the campaign in Finland. In addition to their grueling three-a-day practice schedule, the Dutch team took part in several naval training exercises, followed a strict eating regime, and stayed in barracks on the base.
For press purposes, one practice was scheduled at a field outside of the base. On July 27 friends, family, and the public at large came to watch as the team practiced under a hot, sun-drenched afternoon in the city centre of Den Helder.
Men's 2006 World Championship campaign