ALBANY, N.Y. — Defending national champion Cornell opened its 2026 season with a non-conference bout with the Great Danes, escaping Casey Stadium with an 11-10 victory over University at Albany on Saturday afternoon.

The Big Red (1-0), ranked fourth nationally leaned on timely goals down the stretch to outlast the Great Danes (0-1) in a tightly contested season opener.

Preseason All-American attack Ryan Goldstein led Cornell with two goals and three assists as the Big Red offense fought to find its rhythm against a stout UAlbany defense. Junior attack Willem Firth had three goals, including the game-winner, while Ryan Waldman added a pair of tallies and Jaden Ciappara finished with two assists and his first career goal.

Goalkeeper Matthew Tully got the start in the cage and finished with 13 saves. Tully was particularly sharp in the second half, recording nine saves after the intermission as UAlbany mounted pressure throughout the final two quarters.

Senior faceoff specialist Jack Cascadden controlled the dot for Cornell, winning 17 of 24 faceoff attempts. Cascadden's work helped Cornell secure a 38-24 advantage in ground balls, a crucial edge in a game decided by one goal.

UAlbany struck first in what was a back-and-forth first quarter in which the Great Danes took a 4-3 lead into the second stanza. The Big Red received goals from Goldstein, as well as the first career goals from Bowie Horsman and Ciappara.

The Great Danes held a 6-4 lead in the second with under eight minutes to play before Firth scored his first of the game and Brian Luzzi tallied one with 1:45 to go in the half, tying the game at 6-6 for the Big Red.

The scoring slowed in the third, with Cornell goals from Waldman sandwiching a UAlbany tally, allowing the Big Red to take an 8-7 lead into the final 15 minutes of action.

Cornell maintained its lead for most of the fourth, taking a 10-8 lead on Goldstein's second of the contest at the 7:13 mark. However, the Great Danes mounted a comeback, scoring back-to-back goals to tie the game at 10 apiece with 2:34 to go.

That is where the score remained heading into the final minute of action when Firth snuck past the Great Dane defender and scored what would be the game-winner with 37 seconds remaining.

Game Notes
• Cornell improves to 9-4 all-time against UAlbany, extending its win streak over the Great Danes to seven. 
• The Big Red has won 15-straight games dating back to last season. 
• Ciappara and Horsman each tallied their first career goals in the win. 
• Firth recorded his fifth career game with at least three goals. The junior now has 11 goals scored in three career season opening games. 
• Goldstein now has 15 career games with five or more points. 
• Tully made his first start in goal since his freshman season, matching his career-high with 13 saves which he set against Yale on March 23, 2024. 

Next Up
Cornell will travel to Denver, Colo., to take on the Pioneers of Denver on Saturday, Feb. 21. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET (12 p.m. local time).