Cornell lacrosse 2025

[George64]

For 2026's entering class, which was the point of concern when this topic previously came up, we appear to be sorely lacking. Harvard is doing very well with this class, including two 5* recruits. I know it was mentioned previously that perhaps these rankings will be further updated and that could change things.

Starting with the class entering in 2025, Harvard will cover the full cost of tuition for students from families with an annual income of $200k or less.  According to the American Community Survey conducted annually by the US Census Bureau, the median household income in 2023 was $96.4k, with 87.6 percent of households earning below $200k.  Households headed by individuals aged 45 to 54, the likely age of parents with college-age kids, had an even lower median HH income of $61.1k, so even a higher proportion would likely be below $200k. That's potentially a lot of "scholar-athletes."

Some significant caveats, however. The Bureau defines a family as two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together, so the more general term "households" includes the elderly, empty-nesters and 400 pound loners living in their parents' basements with presumably lower incomes. I assume, however, that most hockey players and laxers, come from suburban families with higher incomes and with a significantly smaller proportion below $200k.
.

[ugarte]

it may also be a function of recruiting against our own recruiting success with underclassmen expected to hoover up minutes. it is much more likely just variance and it's too soon to tell much of anything.

[RichH]

it may also be a function of recruiting against our own recruiting success with underclassmen expected to hoover up minutes. it is much more likely just variance and it's too soon to tell much of anything.

I also feel like the "wahhh, we're not getting any 5***** A+++ rated recruits" Chicken Little panic has been happening with varying frequency for the past 15 years. Yet we still have continued to field some exceptional teams with regularity. Talented teams develop with good coaching and conditioning programs.  We keep "finding" superstars like Seibald, Pannell, Teat, Adler, and Ceejus Kirst and surrounding them with incredibly deep support most years.

[scoop85]

it may also be a function of recruiting against our own recruiting success with underclassmen expected to hoover up minutes. it is much more likely just variance and it's too soon to tell much of anything.

I agree with the above. We may just have had a bit of a down year with the class of '26, even though no one really knows for sure. Most guys who see playing time this year are 4 or 5 star recruits, and we have plenty of 4 stars who don't see the field. Given our coaching staff and the success we're having, I expect we'll see a stronger class of '27 when the HS juniors can commit this September.

[BearLover]

it may also be a function of recruiting against our own recruiting success with underclassmen expected to hoover up minutes. it is much more likely just variance and it's too soon to tell much of anything.

I also feel like the "wahhh, we're not getting any 5***** A+++ rated recruits" Chicken Little panic has been happening with varying frequency for the past 15 years. Yet we still have continued to field some exceptional teams with regularity. Talented teams develop with good coaching and conditioning programs.  We keep "finding" superstars like Seibald, Pannell, Teat, Adler, and Ceejus Kirst and surrounding them with incredibly deep support most years.

Well, here's an interesting question: how many stars did those guys have when they matriculated?

[CU77]

Really? You guys want to spend time worrying about future years when THIS YEAR'S team is unanimously viewed by cognoscenti as being the TOP TEAM IN THE COUNTRY with the best chance to win a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP since 2007?

[BearLover]

Really? You guys want to spend time worrying about future years when THIS YEAR'S team is unanimously viewed by cognoscenti as being the TOP TEAM IN THE COUNTRY with the best chance to win a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP since 2007?

Can't argue with that. I think I was just looking for reasons to not feel like this year's team has to be the one that will finally take us back to the promised land.

[RichH]

Really? You guys want to spend time worrying about future years when THIS YEAR'S team is unanimously viewed by cognoscenti as being the TOP TEAM IN THE COUNTRY with the best chance to win a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP since 2007?

You probably haven't seen the wreckage of the hockey board. Well, it's about to happen here, unfortunately.

[BearLover]

Really? You guys want to spend time worrying about future years when THIS YEAR'S team is unanimously viewed by cognoscenti as being the TOP TEAM IN THE COUNTRY with the best chance to win a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP since 2007?

You probably haven't seen the wreckage of the hockey board. Well, it's about to happen here, unfortunately.

Let's Go Red!

[CU77]

All three of Cornell's starting attackmen are on the list of 25 Tewaaraton nominees:

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/25-nominees-named-for-2025-men-s-women-s-tewaaraton-award/65063

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

All three of Cornell's starting attackmen are on the list of 25 Tewaaraton nominees:

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/25-nominees-named-for-2025-men-s-women-s-tewaaraton-award/65063

25?  Can we just skip the theatrics and go right to the 5 finalists?

[Trotsky]

the "wahhh, we're not getting any 5***** A+++ rated recruits" Chicken Little panic has been happening with varying frequency for the past 15 years. Yet we still have continued to field some exceptional teams with regularity.

Also true of hockey.

[scoop85]

Since this was debated by others awhile back, I went on insidelacrosse.com to see how our recruiting is looking.

For 2025's entering class, we are holding our own. Our recruiting is around that of the other Ivies. The ACC is dominating, however, with Duke, UVA, UNC, and Notre Dame way ahead of the Ivies.

For 2026's entering class, which was the point of concern when this topic previously came up, we appear to be sorely lacking. Harvard is doing very well with this class, including two 5* recruits. I know it was mentioned previously that perhaps these rankings will be further updated and that could change things.

I would expect us to be doing better in recruiting given our recent success and all the #1 picks we've had the last few years (Teat, Adler, Kirst). What do you think explains why our recruiting has not caught up to our success? Lack of facilities (indoor practice facility might help)? Or is it as simple as lack of scholarships (despite generous financial aid)?

For the past 10-20 years our on field performance has exceeded our recruiting rankings. Parnell of course famously wasn't even a top 100 recruit his senior year of HS, and only Seibald was truly a "blue chip" recruit on those great teams of his era. But Buczek and Stevens have elevated our on paper recruiting profile, even though many of our recruits only get a bump in ratings well after they have committed to Cornell. Ryan Goldstein, for example, was no stars when he committed, then was bumped to a 3 star, and in his PG year was elevated to a 4 star and ranked 50th overall in his class.

As for the current regulars, most were highly rated in IL's final ratings for their respective classes:

5 stars — Kirst, Long, Staub, Firth, Nikolic (injured of course)
4 stars — Cascadden (was a 5 star but ended up just out of the 5 star group), Goldstein, Dalton, Graham, Waldman, Dooley, Singer, Rayhill, Wallace (as a goalie!), Melkonian, Schwartz, Box, Gilmartin, Kelleher
3 stars — Sheehan, Luzzi
No stars — Bozzi, Knust, Davis

Our backup goalie, sophomore Matt Tully, was a 5 star, and freshman goalie Tim Piacentini (who I believe is injured) was a high 4 star.

While we don't know where the incoming class of 2026 will ultimately fall when the final rankings come out, even if the class turns out to be lower than our recent norm, I would expect it to be an outlier as long as our current coaching staff remains intact — unless the new financial landscape of college sports has a greater impact on lacrosse than seems to be the present case.

[BearLover]

Since this was debated by others awhile back, I went on insidelacrosse.com to see how our recruiting is looking.

For 2025's entering class, we are holding our own. Our recruiting is around that of the other Ivies. The ACC is dominating, however, with Duke, UVA, UNC, and Notre Dame way ahead of the Ivies.

For 2026's entering class, which was the point of concern when this topic previously came up, we appear to be sorely lacking. Harvard is doing very well with this class, including two 5* recruits. I know it was mentioned previously that perhaps these rankings will be further updated and that could change things.

I would expect us to be doing better in recruiting given our recent success and all the #1 picks we've had the last few years (Teat, Adler, Kirst). What do you think explains why our recruiting has not caught up to our success? Lack of facilities (indoor practice facility might help)? Or is it as simple as lack of scholarships (despite generous financial aid)?

For the past 10-20 years our on field performance has exceeded our recruiting rankings. Parnell of course famously wasn't even a top 100 recruit his senior year of HS, and only Seibald was truly a "blue chip" recruit on those great teams of his era. But Buczek and Stevens have elevated our on paper recruiting profile, even though many of our recruits only get a bump in ratings well after they have committed to Cornell. Ryan Goldstein, for example, was no stars when he committed, then was bumped to a 3 star, and in his PG year was elevated to a 4 star and ranked 50th overall in his class.

As for the current regulars, most were highly rated in IL's final ratings for their respective classes:

5 stars — Kirst, Long, Staub, Firth, Nikolic (injured of course)
4 stars — Cascadden (was a 5 star but ended up just out of the 5 star group), Goldstein, Dalton, Graham, Waldman, Dooley, Singer, Rayhill, Wallace (as a goalie!), Melkonian, Schwartz, Box, Gilmartin, Kelleher
3 stars — Sheehan, Luzzi
No stars — Bozzi, Knust, Davis

Our backup goalie, sophomore Matt Tully, was a 5 star, and freshman goalie Tim Piacentini (who I believe is injured) was a high 4 star.

While we don't know where the incoming class of 2026 will ultimately fall when the final rankings come out, even if the class turns out to be lower than our recent norm, I would expect it to be an outlier as long as our current coaching staff remains intact — unless the new financial landscape of college sports has a greater impact on lacrosse than seems to be the present case.

Thanks. Very helpful information. FWIW, Kirst and Teat were 5* recruits and Adler was 4*. Similar to hockey, our performance has exceeded our on-paper recruiting. But, similar to hockey, we are in the midst of a long national title drought. So if recruiting can pick up that is one way to finally end the drought. Another way to end the drought is to finally go all the way with our great team this season...!

[scoop85]

Since this was debated by others awhile back, I went on insidelacrosse.com to see how our recruiting is looking.

For 2025's entering class, we are holding our own. Our recruiting is around that of the other Ivies. The ACC is dominating, however, with Duke, UVA, UNC, and Notre Dame way ahead of the Ivies.

For 2026's entering class, which was the point of concern when this topic previously came up, we appear to be sorely lacking. Harvard is doing very well with this class, including two 5* recruits. I know it was mentioned previously that perhaps these rankings will be further updated and that could change things.

I would expect us to be doing better in recruiting given our recent success and all the #1 picks we've had the last few years (Teat, Adler, Kirst). What do you think explains why our recruiting has not caught up to our success? Lack of facilities (indoor practice facility might help)? Or is it as simple as lack of scholarships (despite generous financial aid)?

For the past 10-20 years our on field performance has exceeded our recruiting rankings. Parnell of course famously wasn't even a top 100 recruit his senior year of HS, and only Seibald was truly a "blue chip" recruit on those great teams of his era. But Buczek and Stevens have elevated our on paper recruiting profile, even though many of our recruits only get a bump in ratings well after they have committed to Cornell. Ryan Goldstein, for example, was no stars when he committed, then was bumped to a 3 star, and in his PG year was elevated to a 4 star and ranked 50th overall in his class.

As for the current regulars, most were highly rated in IL's final ratings for their respective classes:

5 stars — Kirst, Long, Staub, Firth, Nikolic (injured of course)
4 stars — Cascadden (was a 5 star but ended up just out of the 5 star group), Goldstein, Dalton, Graham, Waldman, Dooley, Singer, Rayhill, Wallace (as a goalie!), Melkonian, Schwartz, Box, Gilmartin, Kelleher
3 stars — Sheehan, Luzzi
No stars — Bozzi, Knust, Davis

Our backup goalie, sophomore Matt Tully, was a 5 star, and freshman goalie Tim Piacentini (who I believe is injured) was a high 4 star.

While we don't know where the incoming class of 2026 will ultimately fall when the final rankings come out, even if the class turns out to be lower than our recent norm, I would expect it to be an outlier as long as our current coaching staff remains intact — unless the new financial landscape of college sports has a greater impact on lacrosse than seems to be the present case.

Thanks. Very helpful information. FWIW, Kirst and Teat were 5* recruits and Adler was 4*. Similar to hockey, our performance has exceeded our on-paper recruiting. But, similar to hockey, we are in the midst of a long national title drought. So if recruiting can pick up that is one way to finally end the drought. Another way to end the drought is to finally go all the way with our great team this season...!

This year's team has all the elements needed for a championship run—-dynamic attack, excellent midfield (even with 2 key injuries), solid goaltending and an improved defense. A lot needs to go right to make it happen, but we have as good a chance as anyone.