Box Score Postgame Press Conference
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Cornell senior
Rob Pannell registered two goals and one assist to set the Ivy League record for points in a career, and the No. 7 Big Red men's lacrosse team won the outright conference title, securing home field for the Ivy League tournament, with a 13-7 victory over Brown this evening in Providence, R.I.
After registering an assist early in the first quarter, the record breaking goal came with 2:14 remaining in the third, as Pannell wrapped around the crease and scored to put the visitors up, 8-3. The previous record of 316 career points was held by Brown's Darren Lowe, who played for the Bears from 1989-92.
With one Ivy League contest remaining, the Big Red has secured its 18th outright conference crown, its 27th title overall, as well as the right to host the Ivy League tournament for the third time in four years.
In addition to Pannell's three points,
Steve Mock finished with a team-high four points on three goals and one assist, while
Connor Buczek (two goals, one assist) and
Max Van Bourgondien (one goal, two assists) had three points apiece.
John Hogan was the team's only other multi-point scorer, with two goals, while a pair of senior defensemen –
Shane Henry and
Tom Trasolini – each registered their first career goals.
The Big Red dominated all facets of the game, beginning in the faceoff circle, where
Doug Tesoriero won 19-of-24 restarts and picked up 12 ground balls. Tesoriero helped Cornell to a 47-24 advantage off the ground with
Thomas Keith and
Jordan Stevens adding six and five ground balls, respectively.
In goal, senior
AJ Fiore made 10 saves, including several brilliant stops in the third quarter.
Cornell also held the edge in shots (42-37) and cleared the ball successfully 21-of-23 times. The Big Red also killed four man-up opportunities, while scoring on one of its five chances.
The Bears were kept in the game by the play of goalie Will Round, who finished with 16 saves, but couldn't overcome 21 turnovers and five failed clears (25-of-30).
Brown (6-6, 1-4 Ivy) was led offensively by Alex Jones' hat trick and Sam Hurster's three points on two goals and one assist.
Cornell got off to a quick start, taking a 3-0 lead just 6:07 into the contest with three different Big Red finding the net. The scoring started less than one minute in when a save by Fiore led to a long outlet to Van Bourgondien, who found Mock on the doorstep. Tesoriero won the restart and a great dodge by Hogan made it a 2-0 lead for the visitors.
On Cornell's next goal, Pannell tied the Ivy League record for career points, setting up Van Bourgondien's goal at the 8:53 mark.
Brown scored two of the next three taliles, sandwiching goals around a goal from Buczek to make it a 4-2 game with 11:28 to go in the second quarter, but Cornell responded with two in a row to push its lead to 6-2 at halftime. The first goal came from an unlikely source, as Henry scored after a turnover in the defensive end led to a fastbreak goal by the senior defender. The goal to close the half came on a great individual effort by Buczek, who dodged past his defender for his second goal of the quarter.
Jones scored the first goal of the third quarter to make it a 6-3 game, but that was as close as it would get the rest of the way as four unanswered goals put the game out of reach at 10-3 with just under 12 minutes to play in the game. During the run came Pannell's record breaker.
A goal by Sam Ford at 11:04 ended a 17:05 scoring drought for the home team but the teams traded goals the rest of the way to account for the 13-7 final.
The Big Red will play its regular-season finale against Princeton as part of Inside Lacrosse's Big City Classic, held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Saturday, April 27 at 4 p.m. The Big City Classic will also feature a game between Notre Dame and Syracuse at 6:30 p.m. To purchase tickets, visit CornellBigRedTickets.com. Lacrosse fans can also visit BigCityClassic.com online to find out the latest information regarding the 2013 Konica Minolta Big City Classic.
