(Rochester, NY)… The 2026 Atlas Cup took place over three days, Oct. 23 through 25, at the USA Lacrosse Headquarters in Sparks, Md. Four Knighthawks played on three teams, and a fifth Knighthawk coached in the tournament.
Thomas McConvey and Finn Thomson played for Team Canada and hoisted the trophy after going 3-0 on the weekend. Blaze Riorden played on the field and in goal for Team USA en route to a second-place finish. Zed Williams helped lead the Haudenosaunee squad to a 1-2 tournament, with a win over Ireland and a one-goal loss to the United States. Dan Coates was an assistant coach with Team Canada’s women’s squad for the second year in a row, helping them to a second-place finish. Williams and McConvey were both named to the All-Tournament Team.
The Atlas Cup is a tournament hosted by USA Lacrosse that features the sixes format that will be played in the 2028 Olympics. Games are 32 minutes long, in four eight-minute quarters. Four men’s teams and four women’s teams from the world’s top programs come together for a round-robin tournament. This was the second year, and it was the second time Canada hoisted the trophy for the men and the United States hoisted it for the women.
“It’s super special. Being a young kid, you never would’ve thought that lacrosse would be in the Olympics, or you would have a chance to go.” McConvey said. “Any time you put on that Canada jersey, whether it’s the Olympics or the World Championship, or even the tryout or evaluation camps, it’s obviously an honor. To be able to put that jersey on and compete against the best in the world is super special and even more special when you get to win.”
McConvey led Team Canada in goals with 13 and finished second in points with 18. Thomson followed with 11 goals and 13 points. The pair of first-overall NLL draft picks combined for one goal. Thomson assisted a cutting McConvey with 40 seconds left in their first game of the tournament to seal a 25-14 victory over Williams and the Haudenosaunee Nationals. Thomson’s efficiency was off the charts throughout the tournament; he took 12 shots and scored 11 goals.
The sixes format is a completely different discipline. The game has only four faceoffs; after each goal, the other team pulls the ball out of the back of their net and restarts play on the clear (similar to basketball). There are no six-foot poles, and teams often can’t get a full line change in between offense and defense.
“It’s a fast pace,” McConvey said about the sixes game compared to box or field. “You’re up and down, and there’s not much time to think out there. You’re going out there and getting in the flow state, and you’re just playing the game, so it’s fun in that way. You have to be able to play both ways, offense and defense, and be in shape; it’s really tiring. I love the way you just have to be an all-around player, you gotta be versatile, you have to be able to do a lot of things, and it’s been a lot of fun, and I’m enjoying it so far.”
Riorden didn’t light up the stat sheet the same way that Canada’s pair of Knighthawks did, but he sure did fill it. With the recent development of the sixes format, many teams have explored ways to flex their roster when they only have 12 spots to fill. One way Team USA did that this year was by utilizing Riorden as both a runner and a goaltender. With the tournament only having three games, you don’t have the luxury of testing it game to game, so it was quarter to quarter.
In the United States’ first game of the tournament, against Ireland, Riorden scored the team’s fourth goal and then, less than five minutes later, switched helmets and stick and went into the crease. In the second half, he trotted onto the field again, with his short stick, and scored the team’s 18th goal of the game before slotting himself between the pipes for the fourth quarter and closing out the game with five total saves.
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Riorden finished the tournament with nine saves in 31:59 minutes in goal. He also scored three goals, tallied one assist, and scooped up three groundballs. He was also the oldest player on the Team USA roster, one of two Knighthawks to bring veteran presence to their respective squads.
The other player who brought that leadership to a young group was Williams for the Haudenosaunee Nationals. He was one of only two players over 30 on the roster and brought plenty of previous experience to a young group eager to run the field. His transition play and physical midfield presence fit what teams want in a sixes player.
He averaged two ground balls per game and utilized his ability to draw attention to tally seven total assists. He scored one goal in each of his first two games before exploding in the matchup with the United States for a seven-goal performance. He led his team in goals, assists, and points and was second on the team in groundballs to earn his All-Tournament selection.
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This was the last tournament for international play before NLL training camps kick into full gear. The Knighthawks will report to camp in November. McConvey sees it as an opportunity to train with his stick in his hands instead of just in the gym.
“It definitely helps having to actually play games,” McConvey said. “We have a great strength and conditioning program going right now (in Rochester) that we’re all following to get us ready to go, but to play actual live events and games and actually play with your stick in your hand, I think it definitely helps.”