Dutch Lacrosse Association

STAFF

• Head coach: Neal Powless
• Assistant coach: Bill Bjorness
• Assistant coach: Jared Fotis
• Assistant coach: Ryan Demorest
• Physio: Mary Stein
• Team Manager: Mary Bergman

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

STAFF

• Head coach: Travis Taylor
• Assistant coach: Macgregor Stockdale
• Assistant coach: Travis Gillespie
• Physio: Bart Hendriks
• Physio: Daan Reutelingsperger
• Team Manager: Guy Kessels

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.

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.

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.

The Netherlands played 7 games in 8 days, all at the North London Athletic Fields. The game results are listed below.

The staff, led by General Manager Cornelius Derks, was composed entirely of North American coaches during the 2006 tournament. Corny, a native of Oshawa, Ontario, performed managerial duties while David Leich (head coach of the University of Western Ontario Mustangs), Jason Crosbie (standout player from the Buffalo Bandits of the NLL), and Jim Huelskamp (Former Salisbury State University All-American) acted as assistant coaches.

Waterford Development (a Washington D.C.-based real estate developer) was the team's main sponsor. Exclusive partnerships with lacrosse equipment and apparel suppliers were formed: STX (based out of Baltimore, Maryland) provided the team with equipment while Riddell supplied the team with helmets. Atlantic Sportswear provided apparel for the Netherlands and the team was outfitted in their famous "Orange" colors.