Cavaliers Now

Conrad and Bertrand Power USA's Strong Start at World Lacrosse Championship

Former Wahoos Ryan Conrad and Charlie Bertrand have scored in each game to lead the Americans to an unbeaten run through pool play

Matt Newton

USA Lacrosse

The United States men's national lacrosse team is off to a strong start at the 2023 World Lacrosse Men's Championship in San Diego, going a perfect 4-0 in pool play after earning hard-fought victories over Canada (7-5) and the Haudenosaunee Nationals (9-7) and blowout wins over Australia (12-3) and England (18-1) to enter the single-elimination playoffs as the No. 1 overall seed. 

Two former Virginia men's lacrosse stars - Ryan Conrad (2019) and Charlie Bertrand (2021), pivotal members of UVA's two most recent national titles - have played key roles in the Americans' strong start. Conrad and Bertrand have accounted for a combined nine goals and have both scored at least one goal in each of USA's four games so far. 

In the highly-anticipated showdown between the United States and Canada on the opening night of the Championship, Conrad and Bertrand scored a couple of crucial goals for the Americans, tallying the first two goals of the second half to swing momentum in their favor. Bertrand's goal broke a 4-4 tie and Conrad's goal proved to be the eventual game-winner. 

In another battle on Saturday night against the Haudenosaunee, who were being coached by UVA men's lacrosse head coach Lars Tiffany, Bertrand and Conrad showed off their long-distance shooting prowess with a couple of catch-and-shoot lasers that ripped the back of the net. 

Conrad added another highlight goal in USA's dominant 18-1 win over England on Sunday evening, shaking his defender, who also happened to be his Waterdogs teammate Christian Scarpello in the PLL, with a smooth spin move before finishing with a lefty rip. 

After going 4-0 in pool play, the United States will get a bye into the quarterfinals of the World Championship and will face an opponent to be determined on Wednesday, June 28th. Conrad and Bertrand are looking to help USA win the World Lacrosse Men's Championship for the second time in a row and 11th time in history. 

Click here to see the full game schedule for the 2023 World Lacrosse Men's Championships.

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Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.

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