Andrew Cordia (St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School) and Forrest Cox (West Potomac H.S.) played for the Iroquois Nationals U19 Team in the World Lacrosse Championships 2008 in British Columbia Canada, and took home the bronze medal. It was the first U19 medal since 1999.

The Iroquois beat England (19-10) while Team USA defeated Canada
(19-12) for the gold. Cordia played attack and Cox played defense. The Iroquois played a run-and-gun game that proved to be too much for the English and too much for many teams. The Iroquois lost only to Canada and the USA during the July 3-12, 2008 games.  They beat the Australians who had won the silver three times in previous World Championships.

The Iroquois are the only internationally sanctioned indigenous lacrosse team to play in the World Games since they are the originators of lacrosse. The other 11 teams represented countries the United States, Canada, England, Australia, Japan, Germany, Bermuda, South Korea, Wales, Scotland and Finland.

To play for the Iroquois, Native American boys from the U.S. and Canada try out in the Fall preceding the World Games. Cordia is Choctaw and Cox is Prairie Band Potawatomi while many of their teammates are from Tribal Nations as far North as Montreal and as far west as Arizona.

“It was a privilege to play with and against these very gifted athletes from all around the world,” Cordia said.