CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- In the sweltering evening heat of 90 degrees, the Cornell men's polo team took on the Red Raiders of Texas Tech at the national championship tournament in Charlottesville, Va. The Big Red ended its season with a record of 14-5.

Connor Pardell, Max Constant and Branden Van Loon were a bit taken back at the unorthodox style of the Red Raiders in the first minutes of the game, but it looked like they were adjusting about halfway through the first chukker. A troubling trend seemed to be arising that would plague the Big Red throughout the balance of the game. There were eight fouls called on Texas Tech in the first chukker (two No. 3 penalties, two No. 2 penalties and four No. 5 penalties). Cornell, however, didn't convert on any of them and trailed after the first 3-2. This overall trend continued in the second as Texas Tech made seven more fouls, Cornell converted one. The halftime score was 8-4 for Texas Tech. In the first half, Cornell was just 1-for-6 on open goal penalty shots.

The third chukker saw Cornell come back and tie the game at 8-8, only to lose ground again and end the third down 12-9. Penalty shots improved to 2-of-3 open goal shots in the third. Cornell would pull within one twice in the fourth. The Big Red never could find the equalizer and the Red Raiders took the game 17-15.