Cornell men’s lacrosse dropped its second consecutive game Saturday, falling 19-7 to Penn State at Panzer Stadium to move to 3-2 on the season.
The Nittany Lions set the tone early, scoring the first seven goals of the game and building a large lead in the opening quarter. Kyle Lehman led Penn State with six goals on eight shots, while Liam Matthews and Michael Faraone each added three goals. Penn State outscored Cornell 17-3 over the first three quarters to take control of the game.
Cornell was held without a shot on goal until late in the opening period as Penn State controlled possession throughout the first half. The Nittany Lions also dominated the faceoff circle, with Reid Gills winning 13-of-16 opportunities to help limit Cornell’s offensive chances. Penn State finished with advantages in ground balls (41-28) and converted its lone extra-man opportunity in the fourth quarter.
Cornell showed improvement in the second half. Willem Firth scored twice in the third quarter, and Matthew Perfetto, Luke Robinson and Ryan Goldstein each added goals in the fourth. Firth and Perfetto finished with two goals apiece, while Goldstein and Ryan Waldman led the Big Red with three points each.
Goalkeeper Matt Tully recorded eight saves against a Penn State offense that produced 27 shots on goal. Cornell also forced a season-high 11 caused turnovers, with Luke Gilmartin, Firth, Brendan Staub and Jack Cascadden recording two each.
Cornell returns home next Saturday to open Ivy League play against Brown. The game is scheduled for 12 p.m. at Schoellkopf Field.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].