Cornell men’s lacrosse opened the 2026 season with an 11-10 victory over UAlbany on Saturday afternoon, using a late goal to secure the nonconference win at Casey Stadium.
The fourth-ranked Big Red (1-0) relied on balanced scoring and strong second-half defense to outlast the Great Danes (0-1) in a tightly contested matchup. Willem Firth led Cornell with three goals, including the game-winner with 37 seconds remaining, while preseason All-American Ryan Goldstein recorded two goals and three assists. Ryan Waldman added two goals, and Jaden Ciappara contributed a goal and two assists.
Cornell goalkeeper Matthew Tully finished with 13 saves, nine coming after halftime as UAlbany pressured throughout the final two quarters. Faceoff specialist Jack Cascadden also played a key role, winning 17 of 24 draws to help the Big Red secure a 38-24 ground-ball advantage.
UAlbany built an early 4-3 lead after the first quarter and later went ahead 6-4 in the second before Cornell responded with late goals from Firth and Brian Luzzi to tie the game at halftime. The Big Red carried an 8-7 lead into the fourth quarter and extended the margin to 10-8 midway through the period before the Great Danes scored twice to even the contest at 10-10.
Firth’s late strike ultimately proved decisive, lifting Cornell to its 15th consecutive victory dating back to last season.
The Big Red will travel to Denver to face the Pioneers on Saturday, February 21, at 2 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].