NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Yale women's lacrosse team was well-represented at the recent World Lacrosse Women's World Championship, as rising junior goalkeeper Niamh Pfaff (Garden City, N.Y.) played for Ireland while attacker Bri Carrasquillo '24 and incoming first-year midfielder Lucia Nash (Denville, N.J.) played for Puerto Rico and attacker Megan Kitagawa '26 played for Japan.
 
The World Championship took place in Tokyo, Japan, from July 24 to Aug. 2. The United States defeated Canada 16-4 in the gold medal game to earn its fifth straight world championship. Israel defeated Haudenosaunee 7-4 for the bronze medal.
 
The event featured the top women's lacrosse athletes in the world with a new 16-team format. Teams were drawn into four pools ahead of the race for the eight-team playoffs for the championship. 
 

• No. 13 Ireland (Pfaff) was in Pool A with No. 8 Haudenosaunee, Chinese Taipei and No. 1 United States.
  • Ireland went 1-2 in pool play, finishing third in Pool A
  • Ireland fell to Argentina 10-9 in the 9-12 placement game
  • Ireland defeated Wales 12-8 in the 11th place game
• No. 5 Japan (Kitagawa) was in Pool D with No. 7 Czechia, No. 6 Israel and the Philippines.
  • Japan went 2-1 in pool play, finishing second in Pool D
  • Japan fell to Canada 5-4 in overtime in the quarterfinals
  • Japan fell to England 10-5 in the 5-8 placement game
  • Japan defeated Puerto Rico 17-11 in the seventh place game
• No. 11 Puerto Rico (Carrasquillo, Nash) was in Pool C with No. 26 Argentina, No. 3 England and No. 10 Scotland.
  • Puerto Rico went 2-1 in pool play, finishing second in Pool C
  • Puerto Rico fell to the US 23-4 in the quarterfinals
  • Puerto Rico fell to Australia 10-9 in the 5-8 placement game
  • Puerto Rico fell to Japan 17-11 in the seventh-place game

 
This was the 11th edition of the event. It was last held in 2022, when the U.S. beat Canada 11-8 for the championship in Towson, Md. 

Here is a look at the Bulldogs in the World Championship:

Bri Carrasquillo
Carrasquillo, who spent last season as an assistant coach at Vermont, scored eight goals at the championship. She also played for Puerto Rico at the 2022 Women's Lacrosse World Championship and the 2023 PALA Sixes Cup. Playing for Yale from 2020 through 2024, she totaled 51 goals and 11 assists in 39 games. She led the team in draw controls in 2020 with 31 in six games.

In addition to her time with the Puerto Rican National Team, Carrasquillo also has experience with USA Lacrosse. In 2018 she earned a tryout with the U.S. U19 National Team. In 2021 she took part in USA Lacrosse's training camp for lacrosse sixes competition. 
 
Carrasquillo is a graduate of Milton High School and played for the Long Island Yellow Jackets. 
 
 
Megan Kitagawa
Kitagawa scored four goals at the championship. She helped Japan win the 2025 Asia-Pacific Women's Lacrosse Championship, held in Sunshine Coast, Australia. She had a goal in Japan's 9-5 win over Australia in the championship game. 

Kitagawa's international playing experience also includes being part of a historic performance at the 2024 World Lacrosse Women's U20 Championship in Hong Kong. She helped Japan to a bronze medal, the country's first medal in eight appearances at the championship. 

Kitagawa appeared in 47 games for Yale, totaling 44 points on 21 goals and 23 assists. She is a graduate of Syosset High School and played for the Swarm.
 
Lucia Nash
Nash scored 10 goals at the World Championship. She also played for Puerto Rico at the PALA Championships in Florida and the PALA Sixes in Puerto Rico in 2025. She also played for the Puerto Rico U20 team at the World Championships in Hong Kong in 2024, earning player of the game against China.

At Morris Knolls High School, Nash was a USA Lacrosse All-American and a USA Lacrosse All-Academic honoree. She was first team all-division, first team all-county and first team all-group NJ. She led her team in goals (76), points (105), ground balls (67), draw controls (114) and caused turnovers (28) and finished among the top two in school history in career points (331), goals (214), assists (117), ground balls (213), draw controls (323) and caused turnovers (105).

Nash was a member of the USA U-16 National Team in 2024 and the USA U-19 National Team in 2025. She also played for BBL. 
 
Niamh Pfaff
Pfaff made 27 saves on 74 shots at the championship. She is coming off a season in which she earned honorable mention All-America honors from USA Lacrosse and second team All-Region honors from the IWLCA. She also was a second team All-Ivy League pick. Her honors this past season also include earning a spot on the Tewaaraton Award Watch List and being named second team ILWomen Midseason All-America. 

Pfaff started all 18 games for Yale in 2026, finishing eighth in the nation and first in the Ivy League in goals-against average (8.17). She was 20th nationally in save percentage (.472).

Pfaff is a graduate of Garden City High School. She played for Long Island Liberty Lacrosse.