Cornell lacrosse Princeton 4/29/23 noon

This may be the most exciting home game of the year, especially with Syracuse off our schedule (and in 2023 on Princeton's schedule) most years anyway, even if Princeton is operating a notch below Cornell: 6-5 overall versus Cornell's 10-2. 12 noon at Schoellkopf. Saturday is also:

* Senior Day
* Pre-game ceremony (locker room area) honoring Richie Moran (RIP 4/24/22), the coach who took the reins of Cornell lacrosse from Ned Harkness and in his first decade won three NCAA championships and clarified that when it was a playoff not a USILA poll, the North had become the equal of the South and then with Syracuse's and Princeton's run of titles, more than equal.

Cornell is favored but Princeton is rolling (4-1 last 5 games) and sophomore attackman Coulter Mackesy (45-20--65 (CJ Kirst is 55-15--70)) had a 10-point game in their 17-11 win over Harvard at Princeton's fabulous Class of 1952 Stadium / Sherrerd Field (attendance: 1527, capacity 4000). Princeton's non-Ivy losses are to Syracuse 16-13, Maryland 11-5 (in February), Georgetown 13-10 and Rutgers 1`4-13 OT.

Whoever wins is the outright regular season champion, gets the 1-seed for the ILT and faces the winner of Harvard-Yale:

School     Ivy  Overall RPI Notes 
Cornell     4-1  10-2    6  Ivy loss Harvard 
Princeton   4-1   6-5   16  Ivy loss Penn 9-8 OT
Penn        4-2   6-5   10
Yale        2-3   7-4    8
Harvard     2-3   5-6   33 
Dartmouth   1-4   6-5   40  Will finish no worse the .500, fab season by D standards
Brown       1-4   5-8   31 
Cornell, Penn, Princeton have clinched Ivy tournament spots. 

Common opponents   Cornell  Princeton
Yale               W20-10    W23-10
Penn               W18-12    L9-8 OT
Dartmouth          W22-11    W17-7
Harvard            L10-8     W17-11
Brown              W16-9     W16-12

Cornell PR story: [cornellbigred.com]

It was a good win against Brown, but I'm still very worried about the lapses in the defensive slides and rotations, and about the lack of ball movement on offense when things tighten up -- not just for this game but also (especially) going into the postseason. If Brown can score 9, how many can Duke score?

The big issue is that we don want to lose 2 in a row and who knows they way the system works how far do we fall or even make the tourney with that. Most Brackets have us like 6-7-8 now.

we could go 0-2 we could go 1-1 we could go 1-2 we could go 2-1 we could go 3-0.

does 0-2 keep us ahead of yale/penn because Princeton is not in at this time but who knows if they beat us

mike1960
It was a good win against Brown, but I'm still very worried about the lapses in the defensive slides and rotations, and about the lack of ball movement on offense when things tighten up -- not just for this game but also (especially) going into the postseason. If Brown can score 9, how many can Duke score?

Sure we have occasional defensive lapses, but c’mon, Brown’s had a disappointing season but they aren’t Monmouth or Canisius and have beaten good teams like Villanova and Penn.

scoop85

mike1960
It was a good win against Brown, but I'm still very worried about the lapses in the defensive slides and rotations, and about the lack of ball movement on offense when things tighten up -- not just for this game but also (especially) going into the postseason. If Brown can score 9, how many can Duke score?

Sure we have occasional defensive lapses, but c’mon, Brown’s had a disappointing season but they aren’t Monmouth or Canisius and have beaten good teams like Villanova and Penn.

I re-watched some of the Marquette game. There were a couple of times when Marquette swung it around to top left and there was no one within 5 yards of the shooter. Trotsky could have drained the shots from there. So I worry for when we play top-flight teams.

Well I think you are right to worry, but I also think that our coaches and players will do everything possible to be ready. Will that be enough? I hope we'll get to find out.

But first is PU, then Y or Sucks, then PU/PeU again (assuming the best outcome in each case).

There's a lot of nervousness about our beating Princeton, then our ILT opponents. We're No. 6 for a reason. Interesting that if we beat Princeton and Yale beats Harvard, then the high seed/low seed semifinal has the two best RPI teams.

School     Ivy  Overall RPI 
Cornell     4-1  10-2    6   
Princeton   4-1   6-5   16  
Penn        4-2   6-5   10
Yale        2-3   7-4    8
Harvard     2-3   5-6   33 

Timeout: Cornell 3-0. Good ball movement. Last goal, Coyle drew a double side left and found Kelleher top center for a step down. Perfect.

4-1 Red after one. Princeton goal after two consecutive Cornell offsides on clears.

End of the first quarter: Cornell ahead 4-1. The offense is doing a lot of dodging and moving the ball. So far so good. The defense is bringing the slides early, but Princeton is getting a lot of mostly errant shots off. Ierland has been solid in the net. The only goal was a garden variety dodge against Chris Davis. Davis does a lot of things well but he's not the best one-on-one defense with his short stick. Cascadden is doing a great job turning his back and using his body to win faceoffs.

Pass the ball, Billy.

Cornell 7 Princeton 6 at 1:21 left in 2nd period. Lots of Cornell turnovers on clears.

defense falling apart. no structure at all and gaping holes right in front of ierlan.

Tied up at 7. Cornell has the ball with a minute left. Coyle has had a brutal game so far, with some really awful turnovers. Need to get CJ and Long more involved in the offense. Also hopeful Buczek has some halftime adjustments

7-7 at the half, after a strong Princeton 2nd period ties the game.

mike1960
Pass the ball, Billy.

Please. Turnovers and offsides hurting. Disorganized second period.

semsox
Tied up at 7. Cornell has the ball with a minute left. Coyle has had a brutal game so far, with some really awful turnovers. Need to get CJ and Long more involved in the offense. Also hopeful Buczek has some halftime adjustments

Coyle cradled into a double team and a triple team and lost the ball both times. We had three offsides penalties. That's five possessions too easily lost. We also need to help the short sticks with slides. Princeton had two or three goals there. Yes, I hope Coach Buczek gets them going after the half. He's done it before.

Coyle is simply awful today. Completely disrupting the Cornell offense. What is with the offsides??? Trying to go one on three (two or three times)? Long needs to take control

10 turnovers in the half

Shots 28-15 Pton

Kelleher's interior stick skills are lacking today

mike1960
Kelleher's interior stick skills are lacking today

But good there with the quick stick.

Cornell 8-7.

That was going to be a dispiriting possession for someone, and I'm glad it didn't end up being us. Kelleher taps it in off of a scramble after Princeton made several great defensive plays. 8-7 Cornell

Princeton is winning more faceoffs now.

What a goal from Wirtheim. What in the world

Beautiful sidearm whip by Wirtheim side right.

Cornell 10-8.

We have got to help the shorties.

Princeton score top center.

10-9 Cornell.

Are we sure that goal is regulation size? I think that's like 5 or 6 pipes we've hit

Beating C shorties

Kirst question mark side right through the 5 hole!

11-9

11-10

Alley dodge late help. Too easy.

Awful JJ shot choice

Nightmare game for Coyle continues

Help the shorty, Jack.

12-11 Princeton now. Too many turnovers for Cornell to win this game.

No slide from Princeton either.

Big Hugh down the alley.

12-12

Hasn't been a huge factor, but have not enjoyed the officiating this game.

semsox
Hasn't been a huge factor, but have not enjoyed the officiating this game.

That was a possession push. No complaint here.

Nice job by the D against the EMO.

They absolutely knew that we aren't getting out on the shooters on the weak side top right. It's been an issue in past games.

13-12 Princeton 2 minutes left.

Beautiful set play by Cornell. No one near Blake side right on the pass from top center.

13-13

Aiden Blake dodges against a pole side right and brings the axe overhead for the win!

Good guys win. Wouldn't have been so if Adler hadn't had a truly outrageous sequence to prevent a Princeton ground ball that was going to give them a numbers advantage with no defense really in place

This was such a frustrating game to watch. We have got to get better on defense to support the shorties. Offensively, we decided to do a lot of dodging today with a good amount of moving the ball. We had some success there but I personally would have like to see more ball movement.

Gavin Alder plays in the tradition of 21. That's the highest praise I can think of.

This team is clutch in the crunch. That gives me hope for a deep run.

That was insane.

And Yale beats Sucks, so we get Yale in the ILT.

Princeton with an excellent effort. They are injury depleted and their superman scorer was completely neutralized yet they still nearly won. Suberb effort and an all around terrific, hard fought, entertaining game.
Gavin Adler is better than all the praise he has received this year. What a great player. He is a warrior, a rock. Should be Ivy League player of the week. Maybe IL player of the year.

Better that Yale made it. Even with their slow start, they have a top 10 RPI.

Petrakis also had an excellent game down the stretch. He seems to get better when the stakes are raised.

mike1960
Petrakis also had an excellent game down the stretch. He seems to get better when the stakes are raised.

Cornell won 71% of faceoffs, and Petrakis alone was 13 for 15. Huge factor today.

Adler was unbelieveable. He held Mackesy scoreless. Mackesy also committed 3 turnovers and Gavin managed to pick up 6 groundballs along the way.

Ierlan also deserves credit for this win. He had 6 or 7 huge saves early that would have been the difference.

Nice article on the game at IL:

[www.insidelacrosse.com]

I miss Barry Leonard and…..the other guy whose mane I can’t remember.

Howie Borkan did color today. Tom LaFalce is the other color guy

jjanow99
I miss Barry Leonard and…..the other guy whose mane I can’t remember.

You know that Barry was doing the play-by-play for ESPN+, right?

CU77
Nice article on the game at IL:

[www.insidelacrosse.com]

Thanks for this article! An emotional day!

Maybe because of the lost Covid year, I thought Long was a junior. Maybe it was wishful thinking. Any chance he can or will stick around for a year?

I remember when he first stepped on the field at X. His first couple of games were an adventure, but after that he locked down that position and elevated the team.

Nice finish to the game. I definitely thought it was going to slip away.

ugarte
Nice finish to the game. I definitely thought it was going to slip away.

You weren't alone in thinking that. Army game redux.

Adler should be Ivy POTY after todays game. Nation’s leader in PPG (I believe) Coulter Mackesy (#3 GPG, Kirst #1 GPG) held to 0-0–0

mike1960
I thought Long was a junior. ... Any chance he can or will stick around for a year?

Per poster VeryRustyRed at fanlax:

the "front line" graduating players are Ierlan, Adler, Coyle, and Lombardi.
I'm not sure about Petrakis.
Long returns - his entry class graduates, but he took an LOA.

CU77

mike1960
I thought Long was a junior. ... Any chance he can or will stick around for a year?

Per poster VeryRustyRed at fanlax:

the "front line" graduating players are Ierlan, Adler, Coyle, and Lombardi.
I'm not sure about Petrakis.
Long returns - his entry class graduates, but he took an LOA.

Great news! Thanks!

I would be curious to see what Abladian could do playing with Long and CJ.

Just a thought.

And per fanlax poster laxfan1313:

Lombardi will be returning next year.

CU77
And per fanlax poster laxfan1313:

Lombardi will be returning next year.

Glad all these lax players are returning but I’m sad the hockey players couldn’t manage the same. Also bummer that Teat and Donville didn’t opt to extend their Cornell careers. Subtract Donville from Maryland and add him to Cornell last year and…well…you do the math…

BearLover

CU77
And per fanlax poster laxfan1313:

Lombardi will be returning next year.

Glad all these lax players are returning but I’m sad the hockey players couldn’t manage the same. Also bummer that Teat and Donville didn’t opt to extend their Cornell careers. Subtract Donville from Maryland and add him to Cornell last year and…well…you do the math…

I'm very disappointed in Donville. No longer a fan.

If you had offered to pay his tuition, maybe Donville would have stayed.

dag14
If you had offered to pay his tuition, maybe Donville would have stayed.

Not a fan.

BearLover

CU77
And per fanlax poster laxfan1313:

Lombardi will be returning next year.

Glad all these lax players are returning but I’m sad the hockey players couldn’t manage the same. Also bummer that Teat and Donville didn’t opt to extend their Cornell careers. Subtract Donville from Maryland and add him to Cornell last year and…well…you do the math…

While admittedly knowing nothing about the actual machinations necessary to extend their academic path within the Ivy guidelines, I would think lacrosse players have the benefit of having their entire season contained in a single semester, unlike the winter sports where it's spread over both.

BearLover
Also bummer that Teat and Donville didn’t opt to extend their Cornell careers.

AFAIK they had both exhausted their Ivy eligibility, which is different than their NCAA eligibility.

CU77

BearLover
Also bummer that Teat and Donville didn’t opt to extend their Cornell careers.

AFAIK they had both exhausted their Ivy eligibility, which is different than their NCAA eligibility.

You may be right about Teat, who was class of ‘20. (Did the 2020 season count towards the four years of Ivy eligibility?) But Donville was ‘21, same class as Piatelli, who played for Cornell last season, so Donville could have returned rather than transfer.

The Daily Princetonian offered predictions on this game (which I did not see until well after the game ended.) Two out of the three staff members in the article picked Cornell to win, but the one that didn't wrote this:

Daily Princetonian
The Big Red will struggle to contain Mackesy

Adler is such a great player.

So much for predictions, though I doubt many could have forseen the throttling that Adler laid on young Coulter. It will be interesting to see what the Princetonian clairvoyants will say should there be a rematch next Sunday. You would have to believe that Adler has taken up residence in the poor kid's head rent-free.

BearLover

CU77
AFAIK they had both exhausted their Ivy eligibility, which is different than their NCAA eligibility.

You may be right about Teat, who was class of ‘20. (Did the 2020 season count towards the four years of Ivy eligibility?) But Donville was ‘21, same class as Piatelli, who played for Cornell last season, so Donville could have returned rather than transfer.

According to Cornell’s online alumni directory, Donville received his AB (Government, History) in 2021, so he played at Maryland as a grad student. Piatelli apparently took an LOA and received his BS (Applied Economics and Management) in 2022.
.

Ivy League site

No. 6 Cornell Outlasts No. 13 Princeton in Overtime to Claim 31st Ivy League Title

PRINCETON, N.J. – Sixth-ranked Cornell's Aiden Blake netted the game-winner 1:37 into overtime to lift the Big Red to a 14-13 victory over 17th-ranked Princeton to claim it’s 31st-overall Ivy League Championship on Saturday at Schoellkopf Field.

mike1960

dag14
If you had offered to pay his tuition, maybe Donville would have stayed.

Not a fan.

Seems quite harsh, considering how the Ivies screwed the pooch for those guys. Donville, following on the heals of his brother, gave a lot to the Cornell program, got his degree, and then did a grad year. He owed Cornell nothing.

scoop85

mike1960

dag14
If you had offered to pay his tuition, maybe Donville would have stayed.

Not a fan.

Seems quite harsh, considering how the Ivies screwed the pooch for those guys. Donville, following on the heals of his brother, gave a lot to the Cornell program, got his degree, and then did a grad year. He owed Cornell nothing.

Maybe it's useful to think about this relationship transactionally. Maybe not. When times were tough, he jumped ship and helped another team beat Cornell for a national title. Those are just the facts. Do with them what you will.

mike1960

scoop85

mike1960

dag14
If you had offered to pay his tuition, maybe Donville would have stayed.

Not a fan.

Seems quite harsh, considering how the Ivies screwed the pooch for those guys. Donville, following on the heals of his brother, gave a lot to the Cornell program, got his degree, and then did a grad year. He owed Cornell nothing.

Maybe it's useful to think about this relationship transactionally. Maybe not. When times were tough, he jumped ship and helped another team beat Cornell for a national title. Those are just the facts. Do with them what you will.

I harbor far more ill-will towards the Ivies for canceling the 2021 season than I do towards the players for transferring. We would have had Teat and Donville back in 2021 (Teat announced he would return for a fifth year, then went ahead and graduated when the season didn’t occur). With that said, I don’t support the transfers either—they could have returned to Cornell like Piatelli, but chose not to.

jjanow99
I miss Barry Leonard and…..the other guy whose mane I can’t remember.

Mullet?

BearLover

mike1960

scoop85

mike1960

dag14
If you had offered to pay his tuition, maybe Donville would have stayed.

Not a fan.

Seems quite harsh, considering how the Ivies screwed the pooch for those guys. Donville, following on the heals of his brother, gave a lot to the Cornell program, got his degree, and then did a grad year. He owed Cornell nothing.

Maybe it's useful to think about this relationship transactionally. Maybe not. When times were tough, he jumped ship and helped another team beat Cornell for a national title. Those are just the facts. Do with them what you will.

I harbor far more ill-will towards the Ivies for canceling the 2021 season than I do towards the players for transferring. We would have had Teat and Donville back in 2021 (Teat announced he would return for a fifth year, then went ahead and graduated when the season didn’t occur). With that said, I don’t support the transfers either—they could have returned to Cornell like Piatelli, but chose not to.

I harbor no ill-will. I'm just not a fan. It's like when an NFL QB goes to another team in the same division.

nyc94
Ivy League site

No. 6 Cornell Outlasts No. 13 Princeton in Overtime to Claim 31st Ivy League Title

PRINCETON, N.J. – Sixth-ranked Cornell's Aiden Blake netted the game-winner 1:37 into overtime to lift the Big Red to a 14-13 victory over 17th-ranked Princeton to claim it’s 31st-overall Ivy League Championship on Saturday at Schoellkopf Field.

it’s? Apparently the League needs a better copy editor.

George64

nyc94
Ivy League site

No. 6 Cornell Outlasts No. 13 Princeton in Overtime to Claim 31st Ivy League Title

PRINCETON, N.J. – Sixth-ranked Cornell's Aiden Blake netted the game-winner 1:37 into overtime to lift the Big Red to a 14-13 victory over 17th-ranked Princeton to claim it’s 31st-overall Ivy League Championship on Saturday at Schoellkopf Field.

it’s? Apparently the League needs a better copy editor.

Or an on-staff grammar nazi.

Virginia looked really good against Notre Dame today.

I still hold my breath every time he wins a face off.

George64

nyc94
Ivy League site

No. 6 Cornell Outlasts No. 13 Princeton in Overtime to Claim 31st Ivy League Title

PRINCETON, N.J. – Sixth-ranked Cornell's Aiden Blake netted the game-winner 1:37 into overtime to lift the Big Red to a 14-13 victory over 17th-ranked Princeton to claim it’s 31st-overall Ivy League Championship on Saturday at Schoellkopf Field.

it’s? Apparently the League needs a better copy editor.

As does Inside Lacrosse.

ugarte
Nice finish to the game. I definitely thought it was going to slip away.

Princeton won 3 of its [or is it it's?] 6 national championships in overtime: 1994, 1996, 2001, no OT losses, also one regulation one-goal loss. That was on my mind: different Princeton coach, different players, great in overtime. But since 2002, no Princeton team has made the finals, two teams lost in the semifinals.

One positive difference versus teams of the last couple years? last decade? is that this year we don't go into tight-game, late-game situations where our getting a goal doesn't lead to the fear we'll gain possession after the faceoff via a caused turnover.

dupe

woodpile
So much for predictions, though I doubt many could have forseen the throttling that Adler laid on young Coulter. It will be interesting to see what the Princetonian clairvoyants will say should there be a rematch next Sunday. You would have to believe that Adler has taken up residence in the poor kid's head rent-free.

Princetonian has yet to print an article on last Saturday's game.

Al DeFlorio

woodpile
So much for predictions, though I doubt many could have forseen the throttling that Adler laid on young Coulter. It will be interesting to see what the Princetonian clairvoyants will say should there be a rematch next Sunday. You would have to believe that Adler has taken up residence in the poor kid's head rent-free.

Princetonian has yet to print an article on last Saturday's game.

Maybe they were only going to print one if Princeton won.

dbilmes

Al DeFlorio

woodpile
So much for predictions, though I doubt many could have forseen the throttling that Adler laid on young Coulter. It will be interesting to see what the Princetonian clairvoyants will say should there be a rematch next Sunday. You would have to believe that Adler has taken up residence in the poor kid's head rent-free.

Princetonian has yet to print an article on last Saturday's game.

Maybe they were only going to print one if Princeton won.

Print?

The DP did have staff picks for the game outcome: [www.dailyprincetonian.com]

Princeton 14-12
Cornell 14-11
Cornell 15-11

marty

jjanow99
I miss Barry Leonard and…..the other guy whose mane I can’t remember.

Mullet?

You'd be good smacking in rebounds the goalie lost control of.

.

While it was a close game, Cornell won, has won 4 in a row, has beaten all the other ILT qualifiers, and with the win over Princeton ... Terry Foy of Inside Lacrosse has Cornell ahead of Penn State:

6 PSU
5 Cornell
4 Hopkins
3 Duke
2 Notre Dame
1 Virginia
[www.insidelacrosse.com]

Minor breakthrough.

FWIW Quint Kessenich has Cornell 6, Hopkins 5, 4 Penn State, 3 ND, 2 Virginia, 1 Duke. [laxallstars.com]

The top 10 teams have 2 losses (Duke, ND, Cornell) to 5 losses (Penn).#2 Virginia (media poll) has 3 losses, #4 Hopkins has 4. Obviouisly, they didn't play the same teams.