CHAMPS! Cornell men’s lacrosse wins national title

The 48-year wait is over for Cornell men’s lacrosse.

On May 26, the Big Red captured its fourth NCAA national championship—and its first since 1977—after taking down Maryland 13-10 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

It was a battle of the top two teams in the nation on a beautiful Memorial Day afternoon, with Cornell coming in as the number-one seed and Maryland as the second seed. It was a back-and-forth start as the Big Red and Terrapins alternated goals three times. But once Cornell took a 4-3 advantage with 7:52 remaining in the second quarter, it would never relinquish the lead.

The Terrapins hung in there with the Big Red, trailing by no more than three goals the entire game and cut the deficit down to just one goal with 9:52 remaining. But Cornell stood strong and closed out the game on a 3-1 run to seal its place in Big Red folklore.

“They’re a resilient group,” said head coach Connor Buczek after the game. “They’re a tough group. They led one another. The ownership was from within, and when you got a team that does that with as many leaders as we have on this team, the ceiling’s really incredibly high. For these guys to achieve this goal, to bring a title back to Cornell for the first time in 48 years, I simply don’t have the words for it. I’m so proud as an alum and as a guy that gets to work with them every single day. They’ve earned everything they’ve gotten, and I’m really glad we get to enjoy this moment together.”

One of the big differences? Cornell had CJ Kirst. Maryland did not.

The all-time leading scorer in Division I lacrosse history made his final game with the Big Red a masterpiece, pacing the attack with six goals. It was also another milestone performance for the Tewaaraton Award shoe-in, tying the single-season goals record with 82. After being held to zero points for the first time in his career in the semifinals against Penn State, everyone expected Kirst to have a bounceback game. He more than delivered.

“Coach Buczek pulled me aside before the second quarter and said, ‘Play your game, have some confidence, have the belief that you’re going to run hard and get it done,’” Kirst said. “With that little word of wisdom, I was able to do it. I have my teammates to thank because they had my back this whole run.”

On the other side of the field, Wyatt Knust came up huge in goal throughout Championship Weekend. Against Penn State, the senior made nine saves (including six in the first quarter) to prevent the Big Red from a significant early deficit. Then in the final, he dazzled once again with 12 saves, outdueling Corning native Logan McNaney’s 11 saves.

“Our defense stepped up huge,” Knust said. “We brought it in after they scored those two goals in the fourth and just knew that we needed to up our communication, play more aggressive, get out, get on their hands. I think we really brought it to them for those final possessions. [Brendan] Staub came up huge in the middle of the field with some tough ground balls, giving the offense some extra possessions.”

Kirst and Knust are part of a big 16-player senior class. When they were all freshmen, they made it to the national championship game but lost to an undefeated Maryland team. It was also Buczek’s first year as head coach. Three years on from that heartbreak, they made sure to make amends and make their swan song for Cornell lacrosse a triumphant one.

“Those guys are enforcing the standard,” Buczek said. “Those guys are demanding a lot of their teammates. It makes a different team. When every guy only has to impact two or three guys through your whole roster, it makes you a dangerous team. Everybody is held to task. Everybody is demanded. Well done is better than well said. For every one of those guys, if they are not doing it themselves, they can’t hold anybody else to that standard. That is a Cornell lacrosse tradition thing.”

While Cornell will lose a good chunk of their starters heading into next season, the standard has been set. With players like Ryan Goldstein returning and his tremendous production of 43 goals (including four in the championship) and a team-high 50 assists, the Big Red will continue to contend for more national titles in the years to come.

“Having the opportunity to play with Ryan the past two years has been incredible,” Kirst said. “He’s just a fearless competitor. He brings everything he has every single day. He’s the biggest lax rat I know, watches every single game you can imagine, every single highlight tape, and that’s just who he is.”

The Big Red ends an unforgettable season with an 18-1 mark, setting the program record for most wins in a single season.