CORNELL WINS 2025 MENS LACROSSE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!

[mike1960]

I've been listening to podcasts about championship weekend, and almost universally, commentators have been happy for the Cornell win. Part of the reason is the length of time between championships. Another is the culture and tradition of the program. Also, players they've interviewed have given thoughtful and respectful answers to questions. It's been very satisfying to hear how the program has put such a positive step forward.

What are your favorite podcasts/episodes? Winning the whole shebang is like a drug hit I can't get enough of.

Here's what I've heard so far. If anyone knows of others, please post!

Quint's Lacrosse All Starts Podcast Network:
 6/5 Anish Shroff
 5/28 Brendan Staub (Great!)
 5/20 Championship week preview (interesting)

Inside Lacrosse
 6/1 The Tailgate
 5/30 It's a Big Red World (somewhat self-involved, but interview with Ryan Goldstein from before the Harvard game)

First Class Lacrosse Podcast
5/30 First part of the podcast about Cornell's run

[LGR14]

I've been listening to podcasts about championship weekend, and almost universally, commentators have been happy for the Cornell win. Part of the reason is the length of time between championships. Another is the culture and tradition of the program. Also, players they've interviewed have given thoughtful and respectful answers to questions. It's been very satisfying to hear how the program has put such a positive step forward.

What are your favorite podcasts/episodes? Winning the whole shebang is like a drug hit I can't get enough of.

Here's what I've heard so far. If anyone knows of others, please post!

Quint's Lacrosse All Starts Podcast Network:
 6/5 Anish Shroff
 5/28 Brendan Staub (Great!)
 5/20 Championship week preview (interesting)

Inside Lacrosse
 6/1 The Tailgate
 5/30 It's a Big Red World (somewhat self-involved, but interview with Ryan Goldstein from before the Harvard game)

First Class Lacrosse Podcast
5/30 First part of the podcast about Cornell's run

The College Lacrosse Show (Jonathan Donville is a co-host) - posted yesterday.

[JasonN95]

The College Lacrosse Show (Jonathan Danville is a co-host) - posted yesterday.

I second this one. I have been listening to this show all season and very much enjoyed the banter. Donville is a bit unpolished, but infectious and funny and, of course, loves Cornell so how could you not like him? :-)

[mike1960]

I've been listening to podcasts about championship weekend, and almost universally, commentators have been happy for the Cornell win. Part of the reason is the length of time between championships. Another is the culture and tradition of the program. Also, players they've interviewed have given thoughtful and respectful answers to questions. It's been very satisfying to hear how the program has put such a positive step forward.

What are your favorite podcasts/episodes? Winning the whole shebang is like a drug hit I can't get enough of.

Here's what I've heard so far. If anyone knows of others, please post!

Quint's Lacrosse All Starts Podcast Network:
 6/5 Anish Shroff
 5/28 Brendan Staub (Great!)
 5/20 Championship week preview (interesting)

Inside Lacrosse
 6/1 The Tailgate
 5/30 It's a Big Red World (somewhat self-involved, but interview with Ryan Goldstein from before the Harvard game)

First Class Lacrosse Podcast
5/30 First part of the podcast about Cornell's run

The College Lacrosse Show (Jonathan Donville is a co-host) - posted yesterday.

I still haven't forgiven Donville but I'm glad I gave it a listen.

[Trotsky]

Last week, Walker Wallace, a first-team All-Ivy League long stick midfielder, helped the Cornell men's lacrosse team win the national title. Now, the Richmond native is transferring to #UVa to play football. He will be a tight end for the Cavaliers.

To play football??

Yes, for football. Several lacrosse players have made the switch, most famously Chris Hogan, a Penn State midfielder who did a grad year playing football at Monmouth and then went on to have a decent pro career as a wide receiver.

We had a wrestler, Ben Honis, who played linebacker (well, special teams) at Syracuse for his grad school year.

Wow. The more you know. Didn't Wallace also switch positions in lacrosse at some point? Feels like I recall that.

I mean it's probably difficult to go play lacrosse somewhere else after winning the NC, so probably best to play a different sport entirely. Guess he doesn't play hockey like his brother?

I think Walker Wallace came to the team as a goalie.

I thought Winter and Walker Wallace were unrelated?

I think it started as a joke but was taken seriously. Walker from Virginia; Winter from Colorado.

Otherwise 2 points for nominal determinism.

[Swampy]

I still haven't forgiven Donville but I'm glad I gave it a listen.

Forgiven him for what? Thanks to COVID and the IV League shutdown, he had one more year of eligibility. But he graduated from Cornell, and IV rules wouldn't let him play as a graduate student. So, he went to Maryland to earn a graduate degree, play lacrosse, and win an NC in 2022.

In that championship game, he scored one goal, I believe. So, a fair assumption is that if he had been able to play for Cornell instead, Maryland would have had one fewer goal, and Cornell, one more. Since the actual final score was 9-7, graduate-student Donville playing for Cornell would have made the score 8-8 and go to overtime. Given how the actual 2022 game ended, it's also fair to say Cornell would have been the favorite to win in overtime.

So, don't blame Donville. Unless you think he should have quit lacrosse and stayed at Cornell for graduate school, he did nothing wrong, and there's nothing to forgive. Instead, perhaps blame the IV League for its somewhat hypocritical practice of giving athletes an additional year of eligibility but banning them from playing as gradual students.

[BearLover]

I still haven't forgiven Donville but I'm glad I gave it a listen.

Forgiven him for what? Thanks to COVID and the IV League shutdown, he had one more year of eligibility. But he graduated from Cornell, and IV rules wouldn't let him play as a graduate student. So, he went to Maryland to earn a graduate degree, play lacrosse, and win an NC in 2022.

In that championship game, he scored one goal, I believe. So, a fair assumption is that if he had been able to play for Cornell instead, Maryland would have had one fewer goal, and Cornell, one more. Since the actual final score was 9-7, graduate-student Donville playing for Cornell would have made the score 8-8 and go to overtime. Given how the actual 2022 game ended, it's also fair to say Cornell would have been the favorite to win in overtime.

So, don't blame Donville. Unless you think he should have quit lacrosse and stayed at Cornell for graduate school, he did nothing wrong, and there's nothing to forgive. Instead, perhaps blame the IV League for its somewhat hypocritical practice of giving athletes an additional year of eligibility but banning them from playing as gradual students.

It is definitely the Ivy League's fault far more than it is Donville's. But I don't think it's a fair assumption that removing the (second?) best player from the opponent and putting him on your team is worth only a 2-goal swing. Also, there were other players in Donville's shoes who unenrolled to preserve their Cornell eligibility, right?

The Ivy rules have always been incredibly stupid, but much more so now in our new world of players regularly seeing 5 or 6 years of eligibility. I'm wondering—for the Ivy to reverse course on grad student eligibility, what mechanically would need to happen? Would the presidents of the 8 Ivies need to agree? Is it the Ivy League commissioner's call?

[rss77]

ADs vote-Ivy Council (Faculty Reps) vote and finally Presidents vote.  To move through each level there must be a vote of 6 in favor to move and pass at each level.

[mike1960]

Lacrosse coach Max Silberlicht reviews film on each score in the championship game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LocG6rUL6Pc&t=163s

[KenP]

Was it ever confirmed is CJ was playing with a broken hand and a pulled hamstring? And if yes, (seriously) how is it possible that he could play and perform at the level he did?

[RichH]

Was it ever confirmed is CJ was playing with a broken hand and a pulled hamstring? And if yes, (seriously) how is it possible that he could play and perform at the level he did?

After seeing a passing reference to surgery and him being placed on the PLL injured list, I found this:

https://premierlacrosseleague.com/articles/cj-kirst-moved-to-the-pup-list

Kirst played through a right hand injury for most of his senior season at Cornell.

"I broke my hand in the middle of the year this spring and I was able to play through it," Kirst said. "I'm going to get surgery later this week and then be out and doing PT for three to four weeks and hopefully be back as soon as possible."

[mike1960]

Was it ever confirmed is CJ was playing with a broken hand and a pulled hamstring? And if yes, (seriously) how is it possible that he could play and perform at the level he did?

I haven't seen a good post-championship interview with him yet where the interview would ask.

[stereax]

Was it ever confirmed is CJ was playing with a broken hand and a pulled hamstring? And if yes, (seriously) how is it possible that he could play and perform at the level he did?

After seeing a passing reference to surgery and him being placed on the PLL injured list, I found this:

https://premierlacrosseleague.com/articles/cj-kirst-moved-to-the-pup-list

Kirst played through a right hand injury for most of his senior season at Cornell.

"I broke my hand in the middle of the year this spring and I was able to play through it," Kirst said. "I'm going to get surgery later this week and then be out and doing PT for three to four weeks and hopefully be back as soon as possible."

Jesus... Kirst, I guess. That sounds painful. And to still put up those kinda goals.

[CU77]

Re the 2022 championship game, and taking off the carnelian tinted glasses: yes, the final score was 9-7, but undefeated #1 seed Maryland led 9-2 late in the first half. It was a hot day, it was the 2nd game in 3 days, and the Terps realized they were in full control. So they let up a bit. Had Cornell made a serious threat to win (they did not), I have no doubt that the Terps would have come back up to full speed and dominated again. The Terps had lost the previous year's national championship game to UVa 18-17, and they were on an absolute mission in 2022, much like Cornell this year.

[BearLover]

Re the 2022 championship game, and taking off the carnelian tinted glasses: yes, the final score was 9-7, but undefeated #1 seed Maryland led 9-2 late in the first half. It was a hot day, it was the 2nd game in 3 days, and the Terps realized they were in full control. So they let up a bit. Had Cornell made a serious threat to win (they did not), I have no doubt that the Terps would have come back up to full speed and dominated again. The Terps had lost the previous year's national championship game to UVa 18-17, and they were on an absolute mission in 2022, much like Cornell this year.

I think this is wrong. As Cornell was cutting into the lead, it became clear Maryland was totally exhausted. If there was a fifth quarter, Cornell very likely would have won the game. During the championship game this year the commentators told the story of seeing Tillman in the airport after the 2022 championship game. Tillman told them: "I'm glad the game wasn't two minutes longer, because we would have lost." Maryland won that game fair and square (well, except for the fact they were loaded with transfers/fifth years and we weren't), but they were trending way downwards and barely hung on with everything they had.