A field lacrosse game was played between Canada and Great Britain at the 1908 Summer Olympics. The game was tied 9-9 in the fourth period, before Canada scored 5 straight goals to pull ahead. Canada won 14-10 to earn their second of two gold medals, the only lacrosse gold medals given out in the Olympic Games.
Background
The game marked the second appearance of lacrosse at the Olympics, the first being at the 1904 Summer Olympics. Only two teams competed — one fewer than in 1904. South Africa was slated to send a team but then withdrew prior to the tournament.
Both teams held try-outs to select the players to represent their country. The Official Report notes that it was the "first time in the history of Canadian lacrosse a team had been selected from all parts of the Dominion," with players from clubs "as far apart as New Westminster and Montreal."Official Report, p. 205. The report also credits the British team as "by far the strongest ever put into the field" by England, though admits the sport was "not yet as well-known as it ought to be on this side of the Atlantic."
Medal table
Position Country Gold Silver Bronze Total 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 1
Participants Gold Silver Bronze Frank DixonGeorge CampbellGus DillonRichard Louis DuckettGeorge RennieClarence McKerrowAlexander TurnbullHenry HoobinErnest HamiltonJohn BroderickTommy GormanPatrick Brennan (Capt.)Dan McLeodAndy MaraCharlie Fyon George AlexanderGeorge BucklandEric DuttonSydney HayesWilfrid JohnsonEdward JonesReginald MartinGerald MasonJohnson Parker-SmithHubert Ramsey (Capt.)Charles ScottNorman WhitleyC. J. MasonF. S. JohnsonV. G. GilbeyH. ShorrocksJames Caldwell AlexanderL. Blockey None awarded Source:
Results
Final October 24 Great Britain 10 - 14 Canada White City (1 - 5) (2 - 6) (7 - 9) Scoring summary FIRST QUARTER (5-1): Canada: Hoobin (2), Turnbull (2), Brennan; England: Buckland SECOND QUARTER: (6-2) Canada: Brennan; England: Buckland THIRD QUARTER (9-7): Canada: Brennan, Gorman, Turnbull; England: Buckland (3), Jones (2) FOURTH QUARTER (14-10): Canada: Brennan (3), Gorman, Turnbull; England: Jones (2), Alexander
See also Federation of International Lacrosse World Lacrosse Championship
References
Sources