Syracuse women’s lacrosse: Emma Muchnick, handful of ‘Cuse alums to play at Pan-American Championship

This summer’s international tournament is a precursor to next year’s world championship and will feature plenty of Orange.

Rising senior Emma Muchnick is set to take the field alongside a handful of Syracuse Orange alums later this month at the Pan-American Lacrosse Association (PALA) Women’s Championship.

The PALA event is an eight-team tournament comprised of national teams from the Americas and the Caribbean that serves as a precursor to next summer’s world championship. The top four finishers at this event will officially qualify for the 2026 Women’s Lacrosse World Championship in Japan.

The tournament will feature the national teams of Argentina, Canada, Haudenosaunee, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico and the United States duking it out for those four bids. The event is set for June 26-30 in Auburndale, FL.

Muchnick made the final cut for the 22-player US roster, alongside former ‘Cuse defender Katie Goodale.

Maddy Baxter and Bianca Chevarie were named to Team Canada for both the PALA Championship as well as the World Games Olympic-style tournament later this summer in China. Additionally, the Haudenosaunee roster is loaded with former ‘Cuse players in Sierra Cockerille, Ally Trice, Alie Jimerson and Jalyn Jimerson.

This is a wonderful accomplishment for all the SU players, but it’s especially outstanding for Muchnick and Goodale making the cut of a 22-player roster for the senior US national team.

The American women are the best team in the world, and their roster at this tournament includes players who’ve combined to win six of the last seven Tewaaraton awards in Chloe Humphrey, Izzy Scane, Charlotte North and Sam Apuzzo.

Making the cut is quite the achievement, and it punctuates a meteoric-rise of a year for Muchnick. Last summer, she won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2024 U20 Women’s World Championship. Then, in her junior campaign, she became an All-American after leading the Orange in goals and setting career highs in points, goals, ground balls and caused turnovers this spring.

And now, she has made a senior-level US roster for the first time, doing so alongside some of the best players in the world. On top of that, she beat out a truly impressive list of midfielders to earn her spot, most notably 2024 Tewaaraton finalists Chase Boyle and Ellie Masera.

She just keeps impressing in a big way, and has now earned her chance to compete with and against the best players in the world at the PALA Championship. It’s a very exciting opportunity for a player who will play a key role on the field and as a leader for Regy Thorpe and the Orange next season.

Congratulations to Emma and all the SU alums who will be taking the field in the coming weeks!