#9/#8 Ohio State Tests Men's Lacrosse in Saturday Matinee

STREAKS, STORYLINES & SIDEBARS 
• Cornell fights to stay perfect with a 4-0 start after opening the season outscoring opponents 41-23
• The game will be broadcast live on B1G+.
• With two games in the books, the Big Red ranks third in the USILA Poll and the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll, improving from its preseason spot of 4th place in each.
• Cornell ranks second nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 7.67 goals per game. The Big Red also rank second in groundballs per game, averaging 40.33.
• 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 21 points in just three games played. He is tied with Brown's Devon McLane for first nationally in points per game (7.00).
• The Big Red boasts four preseason All-Americans entering 2023.

THE SERIES 
Overall: Cornell leads, 5-2
In Columbus, Ohio: Series tied, 1-1
Current Streak: Cornell, four games
Last Meeting: Cornell won, 15-8 on May 15, 2023 in Ithaca, N.Y.
Buczek vs. Ohio State: 2-0
Series Notes: 

• Ohio State is one of just two teams Coach Buczek has faced more than once before entering this season. He beat the top-15 ranked Buckeyes in both meetings.
• Cornell has won four straight meetings, dating back to the 2013 season when the Big Red downed the Buckeyes 16-6 in the National Quarterfinals.
• The Big Red faced off against the Buckeyes in the shortened 2020 season, winning, 17-16, in Columbus.
• Both contests in Columbus, Ohio have been decided by a single goal.
  
  A WIN OVER OHIO STATE WOULD ... 
  • mark the third consecutive year the Big Red opened the season at 4-0.
  • be the first win over a nationally-ranked opponent this season. 
  • be the highest ranked regular season win since the Big Red took down #5 Princeton on the road to close the 2022 regular season campaign.
  • extend its lead in the all-time series against the Buckeyes to 6-2.
  • mark the fifth-straight Cornell win in the series.
  • be the 792nd win in program history (791-491-27 in 126 seasons, .603).

LAST TIME OUT: Cornell 17, Hobart 8
GAME STORY I BOX SCORE I GALLERY
• In the 140th meeting between the two foes, the Cornell offense exploded for a season-high 17 goals, while the defense held strong, allowing just three goals in the second half.
• CJ Kirst led the Big Red attack with seven goals and four assists for 11 points. The seven goals and 11 points were each one shy of tying the Cornell record for most by a junior in a single game. Six of the seven goals were scored in two separate natural hat tricks.
• Kirst's 11 points marks the most by a Cornellian since Jeff Teat tallied 12 against Brown in the 2018 season.
• Aiden Blake notched his first goal of the season in the outing.
• Chayse Ierlan made 16 saves in the contest, the most since the National Semifinals, last season.
• Jack Cascadden continued a strong debut from the faceoff, going 7-for-11, and bringing his career total to 12-for-22.
• Hobart was led by John Jude Considine, who tallied a hot trick.

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