Ivy Play Opens at Yale for Men's Lacrosse

STREAKS, STORYLINES & SIDEBARS 
• Cornell looks to get back in the win column when it takes on Yale for its first conference game of the season.
• The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
• The Big Red has outscored opponents 63-46 across the first four games of the season.
• Yale has just one loss so far this season, coming from a home match against Penn State. The Bulldogs, rank number one in the nation in opponent clear percentage, allowing a successful clearance on only 72.3% of attempts.
• Cornell dropped to 7th in both the USILA Coaches Poll and Inside Lacrosse Media Poll following the loss to Penn State.
• Cornell ranks eighth nationally in scoring defense, allowing 9.20 goals per game. The Big Red also ranks seventh in groundballs per game, averaging 38.20, and 10th nationally in caused turnovers per game (10.00). Yale also boasts the #2 saves per game nationally, averaging 16.50.Primary goalkeeper Jared Paquette ranks number one nationally in saves per game (16.25) and third in save percentage (.596).
• Cornell returns the Ivy League Rookie of the Year in CJ Kirst, who notched 55 goals and 79 points for the Big Red last year. Kirst has 29 points in five games played. He ranks second nationally in goals per game (4.40) and third in points per game (5.80). Following his 11-point performance at Hobart and five-point day at #9/#8 Ohio State, Kirst was named the Ivy League Player on the Week (March 5).
• The Big Red boasts four preseason All-Americans entering 2023.

THE SERIES 
Overall: Cornell leads, 53-29-1
In New Haven, Conn: Cornell leads, 21-14-1
Current Streak: Yale, one game
Last Meeting: Yale won, 14-11 on May 6, 2022 in Providence, R.I.
Buczek vs. Yale: 1-1
Series Notes: 

• Yale is the third youngest Ivy League opponent for the Big Red behind Dartmouth and Brown. The first meeting in the series vs. the Bulldogs was a 5-1 Cornell win in 1916.
• While Cornell boasts the lead in the all-time series, Yale has had the recent success, winning six of the last nine meetings.
• The Big Red and Bulldogs have a recent history of post-season meetings, matching up in the Ivy League Tournament in the 2018, 2019, and 2022 seasons.
• Cornell's most recent win came in the regular season last year, from a narrow 13-12 victory at Schoellkopf Field on March 19.
  
  A WIN OVER YALE WOULD ... 
  • be the second-straight year Cornell opened conference play with a win.
  • be the second win over a nationally-ranked opponent this season. 
  • be just the third Big Red win in the series since the 2016 season.
  • extend its lead in the all-time series against the Bulldogs to 54-29-1.
  • mark the second consecutive win over the Bulldogs in the regular season.
  • be the 793rd win in program history (792-492-27 in 126 seasons, .603).

LAST TIME OUT: Penn State 10, Cornell 6
GAME STORY I BOX SCORE I GALLERY
• Cornell tallied its first loss of the year to an #8/#8 Penn State, who has now beaten three straight opponents ranked in the top-10 nationally..
• A quite day for the Big Red offense generated just two multi-point scorers. CJ Kirst led the way with three points on two goals and an assist. Billy Coyle followed with two goals.
• Jack Cascadden continued an impressive debut season from the faceoff, winning 5-of-9 battles.
• Penn State goalkeeper, Jack Fracyon made 16 saves in the contest.
• Jack and Matt Traynor of the Nittany Lions combined for five goals and seven points.
• Penn State tallied five multi-point scorers, and four more with one point.

Photos by Dave Burbank, Madison Epperson, Eldon Lindsay, and Darl Zehr.