Cornell men’s lacrosse is headed back to Championship Weekend after gutting out a hard-fought 13-12 win over Richmond in the NCAA Quarterfinals. With the victory, the Big Red tied a program record with their 16th win of the season and advanced to the Final Four for the 15th time in school history.
Senior Andrew Dalton netted the game-winner with 5:28 remaining, capping a hat trick in a contest where grit and ground balls told the story. None were bigger than the final scrum with under 10 seconds left, as Cornell’s hustle sealed the result and ran out the clock.
CJ Kirst, already known for his scoring, showed why he’s the nation’s top player by leading with 10 ground balls and three caused turnovers, including two critical ground ball wins in the final two minutes. He also tied the game at 12 before Dalton’s decider and set a new Cornell single-season points record with 108.
Ryan Goldstein tallied four goals and two assists, while faceoff specialist Jack Cascadden dominated the X, winning 17 of 25 and breaking Cornell’s single-season faceoff wins record.
Cornell has now won 12 straight and will face the winner of Penn State vs. Notre Dame in the national semifinals on May 24.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].