SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- On the road. In the Dome. Down six goals. Two days rest.

Seniors don't make excuses. The Cornell men's lacrosse team doesn't make excuses.

The Big Red scored the tying goal with 24 seconds left in regulation, then again 1:12 into overtime, for a wild 16-15 win on Monday evening at the Carrier Dome. Fourth-ranked Cornell improved to 10-1 on the season, while the Orange slipped to 4-7.

Hugh Kelleher knotted the game at 12-12 after Cornell trailed by as many as six (10-4) late in the second quarter, then scored on a low shot that beat the Orange goalkeeper and sent the Big Red rushing on to the field in celebration.

Kelleher was one of many heroes for Cornell in a game that lived up to the yearly hype of the Cornell-Syracuse series. John Piatelli had six goals and three assists, CJ Kirst (two goals, three assists) and Billy Coyle (three goals, two assists) each had five points and Michael Long scored four to lead the offense. The face-off unit won 18-of-34 face-offs against an Orange team that was winning draws at 59 percent. Danny Boccafola and Harrison Bardwell each won three ground balls and Wyatt Knust came off the bench to make eight saves in goal and provided a spark for the visitors. The defense, shredded for nine goals in the game's first 20:11. surrendered just six over the final 41:01. Syracuse got four goals and an assist from Brendan Curry and three from All-America candidate Tucker Dordevic. Bobby Gavin made eight saves for the Orange, which out-shot the Big Red 44-40 and controlled the first half.

Syracuse had four goals and three saves on Big Red shooters early to take the lead and force a timeout just over five minutes into the contest. It didn't get much better from there, as the lead grew to as many as six (10-4) before the Orange entered halftime with an 11-6 lead.

It was all Cornell from there.

The Big Red chipped away, scoring two quick goals in the third to set the tone, and after the home team got one back, Cornell embarked on a 5-0 run. Hugh Kelleher opened the fourth with the tying goal to make it 12-12 with 12:07 remaining and the Big Red took the lead, its first of the night, a minute later when Piatelli bookended the spurt with his sixth goal of the night.

It was his last point that was key, as his feed to Michael Long with 24 seconds left brought overtime after the Orange went ahead on Dordevic's third goal of the night with under two minutes remaining.

Cornell won the face-off in overtime as Joseph Bartolotto III won a loose ball and the Big Red called a timeout. The Big Red worked the ball around the perimeter before Kirst circled around the crease, found Billy Coyle who zipped it over to an open Kelleher who blasted it past Gavin for the winner.

The victory was the 13th consecutive non-league win for the Big Red dating back to 2019
 

UP NEXT

• The Big Red will return home for its final non-conference contest of the season when it meets No. 14 Army West Point on Saturday, April 16 at 3 p.m. at Schoellkopf Field. 
• The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
• The Black Knights lead the all-time series 24-15, though Cornell won the last meeting between the teams and seven of the last eight meetings dating back to 2006.