After enduring two frustrating setbacks, the Philippine women’s lacrosse team finally showed the form it had been searching for.

The Nationals erupted in the second quarter and never looked back, crushing Czech Republic, 11-5, to capture their first-ever victory in the World Lacrosse Women’s Championship last Monday at the Oi Hockey Stadium in Tokyo.

The breakthrough win snapped the Philippines’ two-game skid following losses to Israel and the Japanese while improving its record to 1-2 in Pool D of the prestigious global tournament.

Making their historic debut on the world stage, the Nationals shook off a slow start before unleashing five unanswered goals in the second period to open a comfortable 6-1 halftime lead.

Steph Lazo sparked the decisive run, firing three of her four goals in the second quarter as the Philippines seized complete control of the match.

The Nationals never allowed the Czechs back into the contest, dictating the tempo the rest of the way to book a spot in the classification round for ninth to 12th places.

Lazo finished with a tournament-high four goals, while Sarah Nelson added two.

Ria Lagdameo, Abby Manalang, Annika Bennett, Sophia Russo and Nia Carrera also chipped in one goal each in a balanced offensive effort.

Anna Lottmann and Marketa Fiserova tallied a goal and an assist apiece for the Czech Republic, which remained winless after dropping to 0-3.

The Philippines now advances to face the winner of the Pool B clash between Wales and Germany in Thursday’s classification round, with another victory keeping its bid for a ninth-place finish alive.

The Czechs, meanwhile, will battle the loser of that matchup in their final attempt to secure a win in the tournament. Ivan Suing

Although a podium finish is already out of reach, the campaign continues to serve as a valuable stepping stone for the Philippines as they gain experience against the world’s best teams while building toward a shot at qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where lacrosse sixes will make its debut.

In the other Pool D match, Israel completed a perfect 3-0 campaign after edging host Japan, 11-9, to secure the top spot in the group.