Men's Lacrosse Hosts Penn State in Second Straight Top-10 Game

STREAKS, STORYLINES & SIDEBARS 
• Cornell battles Penn State in its quest to stay perfect, chasing a 5-0 start.
• The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
• The Big Red has outscored opponents 57-36 across the first four games of the season.
• Penn State is led by Jeff Tambroni, a former Cornell head coach. During his 10 season with the Big Red, Tambroni led the team to a 109-40 record, including eight NCAA Tournament appearances. Since joining the Nittany Lions in 2011, Tambroni boasts a 100-73 record and has returned the team to the top-10 nationally for the first time since the 2021 season.
• Cornell held the third place ranking in both the USILA Poll and the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll for the second straight week, improving from its preseason spot of 4th place in each.
• Cornell ranks sixth nationally in scoring defense, allowing 9.00 goals per game. The Big Red also ranks fifth in groundballs per game, averaging 39.25, and fourth nationally in caused turnovers per game (11.50).
• 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 26 points in just four games played. He ranks fourth nationally in points per game (6.50). 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, 23-22
In Ithaca, N.Y: Penn State leads, 12-11
Current Streak: Cornell, two games
Last Meeting: Cornell won, 16-15 on March 12, 2022 in University Park, Pa.
Buczek vs. Penn State: 1-0
Series Notes: 

• Penn State has not been ranked in the series meetings since the 2020 season, when the Nittany Lions entered the contest ranked #2/#2. Cornell won the meeting, 18-17 as its final game of the season before college athletics was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Cornell has won three of the last four meetings, dating back to the 2018 season when the Big Red beat the Nittany Lions on March 8, 9-7, in Sparks, Md.
• The lone loss in the fourth most recent games for the Big Red was in 2019, the season Penn State went on to its first final four appearance, ending the season as national semi-finalist.
• Both of the most recent contests have been decided by a single goal.
  
  A WIN OVER PENN STATE WOULD ... 
  • mark the third consecutive year the Big Red opened the season at 5-0.
  • be the second win over a nationally-ranked opponent this season. 
  • be the first back-to-back ranked wins for the Big Red Since defeating Ohio State and Penn State in the 2020 season.
  • extend its lead in the all-time series against the Nittany Lions to 24-22.
  • mark the third-straight Cornell win in the series.
  • be the 793rd win in program history (792-491-27 in 126 seasons, .603).

LAST TIME OUT: Cornell 16, Ohio State 13
GAME STORY I BOX SCORE I GALLERY
• Billy Coyle led the Big Red attack with four goals and two assists for a team-high six points.
• CJ Kirst followed closely with four goals and an assist.
• Jack Cascadden notched his first-career goal, and the first goal by a freshman this season.
• Ohio State goalkeeper Skylar Wahlund made 15 saves in the contest.
• Christopher Davis was responsible for three caused turnovers and three groundballs.
• Buckeye Ed Shean led OSU with four goals.

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