WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (July 30, 2009)-William and Mary lacrosse volunteer assistant coach Meg Huether continued to establish herself as one of the world's top players this summer as she helped the United States National Team claim the 2009 Federation of International Lacrosse World Cup title in Prague, Czech Republic.

A goalkeeper, Huether was instrumental in helping the U.S. post a perfect 7-0 record at the event en route to claiming the championship. Her best performance came in the thrilling 10-9 comeback victory against Australia in the final contest of pool play, as she posted a shutout in the second half and totaled six saves to help the U.S. rally back from a 9-4 deficit.

After posting a perfect 4-0 mark in pool play and outscoring the opposition by a 64-33 margin, the U.S. opened the medal round with a 22-5 victory against Ireland in the quarterfinals. The squad then cruised past England, 20-3, in the semifinals before edging Australia, 8-7, in an exciting championship matchup. The victory marked the sixth time that the U.S. has claimed the World Cup title, having previously earned gold medal victories in 1982, 1989, 1993, 1997 and 2001.

"Representing the USA is one of the greatest honors, and I am so thankful to have been part of this team," Huether said. "This was an incredibly unique opportunity to be playing with and against the best athletes and lacrosse players in the world, in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. One of the images that will stay with me forever is standing at the center of the field, looking at the U.S. flag, and hearing the national anthem play. The chance to compete at the absolute highest level of lacrosse, for a World Championship, has been a dream."

Prior to serving as a Tribe assistant coach for the past three seasons, Huether was a four-year starter in goal at Duke University (2003-06). Honored as a First-Team All-American and National Goalkeeper of the Year by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) in 2005, Huether was also a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection. During her final three seasons at Duke, Tribe Head Coach Christine Halfpenny served as Huether's position coach.

Huether helped the Blue Devils earn three consecutive trips to the NCAA Championship (2004-06), including a pair of national semifinal appearances in 2005 and 2006. During her career, Duke posted an overall record of 61-18, which included a school-record 18 victories in '06.

Huether was a member of the U.S. National Developmental team from 2004-06.

2009-07-30