Courtesy of The World Games
Ryan Conrad Powers Team USA to Sixes Lacrosse Win at The World Games
Ryan Conrad is no stranger to winning championships.
Before becoming a two-time All-American at Virginia, he won a high school state championship at Loyola Blakefield in 2013. Conrad went on to win an ACC Championship and an NCAA National Championship with the UVA men's lacrosse team in 2019 and was also a part of Team USA's gold-medal winning U19 World Lacrosse Championship team in 2016.
Now, Conrad looks to win yet another championship as he suits up for Team USA once again, this time in the inaugural Sixes competition at The World Games taking place this week in Birmingham, Alabama.
Some of the best players in lacrosse are participating in the international debut of Sixes, a 6-on-6 version of field lacrosse which includes a shortened field, faster-paced play, and very few stoppages. Sixes will serve as the version of the sport played if and when it is adopted as an Olympic sport. See more information about the sport and its rules here.
This variation of the game is built for players like Ryan Conrad, two-way midfielders who have the athleticism and endurance to move up and down the field and the offensive and defensive skills needed to excel on both ends. Through Team USA's first two matches at The World Games, Conrad is already making a case as the team's most valuable player.
He leads the team with eight total goals, including a fantastic five-goal performance to lead the Americans to a 17-9 win over Great Britain on Saturday. He also had a hat trick in the team's crushing 27-10 victory over Germany on Friday.
READ MORE: Virginia Men's Lacrosse Announces No. 1-Ranked 2022 Signing Class
USA Lacrosse Magazine's recap of the game featured some great quotes from Conrad and detailed the value that he brings to the team:
The Team USA roster also includes another former Wahoo in goalkeeper Adam Ghitelman, who won the 2011 National Championship at Virginia. Ghitelman, Conrad, and the Americans will look to remain unbeaten in Birmingham as they face Australia on Sunday to conclude the qualifying round. The semifinals will be held on Monday and the final takes place on Tuesday.
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