Women's lacrosse assistant coach
Riley Ewing has been
named to the inaugural U.S. women's box lacrosse team by head coach Ginny Capicchioni for the
World Lacrosse Box Championship later this month.
Ewing, a two-time graduate of Ohio State, was a five-year letter-winner with the Buckeyes lacrosse program and a member of the George Mason women's lacrosse staff since August 2023.
A native of Marietta, Ga., Ewing feels her path to competing with U.S. Lacrosse was non-traditional, and she carries that as she heads into this tournament. "I feel like I'm representing more than just my country and myself," said Ewing. "I think being from the state of Georgia and being from a non-traditional area [for lacrosse players], as well as representing Ohio State and George Mason […] it's just really cool."
Making this team has been a year long process. In September of 2023,
Ewing was named to the U.S. women's box lacrosse training team as one of 48 players who would go through three ID camps before the final roster was named. Ewing attended those camps, continuously making the cut, and was finally named to the official U.S. women's box lacrosse roster in August.
"It's been such a long time coming, but more so than just representing my country I think representing everyone who's come before me and everyone who's kind of had a hand on me in helping me get here, it just means a lot," said Ewing. "And especially since it's the first team ever, I think as much as that is exciting, [it's also] an honor."
Box lacrosse, while very similar to field lacrosse, draws more similarities to hockey with its physicality, rink-like arena, and quick subbing rates. Box lacrosse has been big in other countries – it's the national sport of Canada – for a long time, but the U.S. has never fielded a women's box lacrosse team. With the 2028 Olympics adding lacrosse, U.S. Lacrosse decided to add box lacrosse to their repertoire.
Ewing and the U.S. women's box lacrosse team will be competing at the World box lacrosse championship in Utica, N.Y. on September 20-29, 2024.
