A dominant third quarter proved decisive as the Cornell Big Red fell to the Princeton Tigers 19-9 in the Ivy League Men’s Lacrosse Tournament championship game on Sunday afternoon at Schoellkopf Field. Cornell dropped to 11-4 with the loss, while Princeton improved to 13-2 after turning a tight contest into a rout.
Cornell battled early and trimmed a four-goal deficit to 7-5 by halftime, fueled by two late goals from AJ Nikolic, including one with 16 seconds left in the second quarter. But any momentum disappeared quickly after the break. Princeton erupted for nine goals in the third quarter, flipping a competitive game into a 16-6 advantage entering the final period.
The Tigers’ offense was balanced and relentless. Colin Burns, Chad Palumbo, Tucker Wade and Porter Malkiel each scored three goals, while Nate Kabiri controlled the pace with two goals and five assists to earn Most Outstanding Player honors. Princeton capitalized on key opportunities, including two man-up goals during its decisive run.
Cornell found production from Willem Firth, AJ Nikolic and Rowyn Nurry, who each scored twice. Firth added two assists to lead the Big Red with four points, and Ryan Goldstein contributed a goal and an assist. Despite outshooting Princeton 48-42 and holding a slight edge in ground balls, Cornell struggled to convert, finishing 0-for-4 with the extra man. Goaltender Ryan Croddick anchored the Tigers with 18 saves.
Cornell will await its postseason fate with the NCAA Tournament selection show set for Sunday at 9:30 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].