Cornell vs Richmond
The Cornell University men’s lacrosse team outlasted the University of Richmond 13-12 in the NCAA Championship Quarterfinals at Hofstra University’s own James M. Shuart Stadium on Saturday, May 17. No. 1 Cornell improved to 16-1 on the season and advanced to the championship semifinals for the 15th time in school history.
Saturday was Richmond’s first appearance in the NCAA Championship quarterfinals.
The game was a rematch from the regular season, where Cornell defeated Richmond 12-11 on March 2. Neither team ever led in the game by more than two goals in Saturday’s contest.
Sophomore Ryan Goldstein led the Big Red in scoring with four goals and two assists in the afternoon. Goldstein is second on the team in scoring with 88 points, trailing only the NCAA’s scoring leader CJ Kirst. Kirst and Michael Long both had a four-point effort while Max Merklinger led Richmond with four points.
The Big Red and the Spiders battled from the opening draw, which was won by Cornell. Cornell went 18-28 on faceoffs and outshot Richmond 50-31, but the Spiders kept the game close because their goaltender, Zach Vigue, made 14 saves.
Goldstein opened the scoring just over two minutes into the contest, which was immediately answered by the Spiders. Cornell had more time for possession and shots in the opening quarter, but the Spiders’ defense was able to disrupt Cornell’s top-ranked offense.
Thirteen goals is the third-lowest total Cornell has scored in a game this season, trailing only their 10-goal game against Dartmouth University and their previous game with Richmond.
The game continued back and forth with Richmond taking a one-goal lead with Merklinger’s second of the game. The Spiders maintained at the end of the first quarter 3-2, and at halftime 6-5. Cornell thought they scored in the final seconds of the first half to tie the game, but the goal was called back as the referees ruled that the ball hit the crossbar and never entered the net.
In the third quarter, the Spiders continued to hold the edge, scoring four of their five shots on frame. Cornell’s goaltender Wyatt Knust made just five saves. Cornell’s defense forced Richmond to take multiple long possessions that looked like they would come up empty. However, the Spiders scored on a few incredible shots from tough angles that kept them ahead.
The Big Red recovered well in the fourth quarter. Cornell opened the quarter with two quick goals to give them their first lead in over 30 minutes of game time. Then, Joe Sheridan scored two goals in 42 seconds giving Richmond the lead back.
Kirst broke through with a goal moments later. Then, Andrew Dalton completed his hat trick to reestablish Cornell’s lead with 5:28 left in the contest.
Down one in the final minute, Richmond forced a shot clock violation on the Big Red to regain possession with 31 seconds left. The Spiders took a timeout after clearing the ball to set up their final plays.
They entered the offensive third with 26 seconds left only to turn the ball over in the dying seconds. Cornell battled for the ground ball and drained the remaining time from the clock to outlast Richmond.
Cornell held the Spiders scoreless and shotless in the final six and a half minutes, which helped seal their victory.
The Spiders ended their season with a 14-4 record, a win in the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament and a victory over No. 8 University of North Carolina in the NCAA tournament’s first round. They were the only team that was not from the Big 10, Ivy League or Atlantic Coast Conference to appear in the quarterfinals.
Cornell took on Penn State University in the NCAA men’s lacrosse Championship semifinals on Saturday, May 24. The game will be at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, at noon. Penn State gave Cornell their only loss of the season previously on March 8.
Princeton vs Syracuse
The No. 6 Syracuse University men’s lacrosse team defeated No. 3 Princeton University 19-18 in the second NCAA Championship quarterfinal game at James M. Shuart Stadium on Saturday, May 17.
The Orange punched their ticket to the semifinals for the first time since 2013 and the 27th time overall. Junior Joey Spallina contributed four goals and four assists in the win.
Princeton failed to make its 12th-ever semifinal appearance with the loss. The Tigers have missed the semifinals in both of the last two years after advancing that far in 2022 and 2023. Chad Palumbo netted six goals for the Tigers in the loss.
In a game that featured 11 tied scores and nine lead changes, it was the Orange who found the first goal. Michael Leo scored goal number 28 of the year on Syracuse’s first possession. Leo also scored the game-winning goal for the Orange in overtime of their first-round match with Harvard University.
The lead did not last long. Palumbo got Princeton on the board 35 seconds later to knot the game back at one. Peter Buonanno added to the Tigers’ lead with a beautiful tornado move on a pass. Buonanno reeled in a pass over his head and spun between two Syracuse defenders before putting the ball into the net and knocking down the Orange’s goaltender Jimmy McCool.
The Orange stormed back with a run over their own, scoring the next four, including a behind-the-back snipe from Spallina.
Princeton regained the lead within seconds of starting the second frame. Palumbo scored on a behind-the-back shot, followed by Buonanno completing the hat trick.
The teams traded runs for the entire second quarter. With seconds left on the clock, Princeton’s Jackson Green took a shot that was stopped by McCool. The ground ball laid outside the crease and was corralled by Coulter Mackesy, who put Princeton up by one with his 44th of the season.
The Orange didn’t let the late goal affect their second half–they came out firing in the third quarter. Sam English and Owen Hiltz, who were both drafted in the Premier Lacrosse League’s draft last week, willed the Orange back into the lead. The Orange shut the door on Princeton in the third quarter, shutting them out 6-0.
Syracuse could only hold down the No. 2-ranked offense in the country off the board for so long. Princeton found four goals in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter to tie the game back up at 16.
The James M. Shuart Stadium sat still as Nate Kabiri gave Princeton the lead back with nearly five minutes to go at 18-17. From there, the Orange trusted their veteran players to hold Princeton off the board and find a few goals of their own. After Princeton’s goal, the Orange’s faceoff specialist John Mullen won a crucial draw to get Syracuse rolling. It did not take long for Leo to score another massive goal.
On the next draw, Princeton’s own faceoff specialist, Andrew McMeekin, was called for a violation, giving the ball to Mullen and the Orange. Hiltz makes the Tigers pay by putting Syracuse up by one on a beautiful pass from Spallina with just under four minutes left.
Princeton had a few possessions for Hiltz’s goal, but the Orange caused a few turnovers and shot clock violations. McCool handled the only two shots Princeton got on net. With 28 seconds left, Syracuse cleared the ball to seal their victory.
The Orange went back into action on Saturday, May 24. Syracuse took on No. 7 University of Maryland in Foxborough, Massachusetts at 2:30 p.m. The Terrapins beat the then No. 2 Syracuse 11-7 on Feb. 15, at home. Maryland made the championship game last season, where they fell to the University of Notre Dame.
