ITHACA, N.Y. – Rob Pannell '13, Cornell lacrosse's all-time leader in points is now the all-time leader in professional points as well, adding to a legacy that began in Ithaca and has continued on the game's biggest stages. The 2013 Tewaaraton Award winner etched his name into pro lacrosse history over the weekend, breaking the Premier Lacrosse League's career points record during Maryland's win over the California Redwoods on Friday night.
Pannell, who set the school and NCAA Division I career points record (354) during his decorated Cornell career from 2009-13, needed just one point to pass Paul Rabil's mark of 657 entering the weekend. He got it in the third quarter, tapping in a feed from TJ Malone for his 658th career point to move past Rabil and become the all-time leading scorer in pro field lacrosse history. He went on to finish the night with six points.
Roughly 50 family members, friends and former teammates were on hand to witness the milestone.
The 2013 Tewaaraton Trophy winner became the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 MLL Draft and has gone on to a 14-year professional career split between the MLL and PLL. A 12-time PLL/MLL All-Star, Pannell has also won a league championship (2015), two Offensive Player of the Year awards (2016, 2018) and the 2018 MVP award, in addition to being the 2013 Rookie of the Year.
Rob Pannell's Cornell Career: A Timeline
2009 – A Record-Breaking Debut
Pannell's Cornell career started immediately. In his first collegiate game against Binghamton, he scored three goals and added four assists for seven points, setting a Cornell record for assists by a freshman in a single game. He went on to break his own mark with five assists against Harvard on April 4. The Ivy League Rookie of the Year finished the season with a team-high 67 points, breaking the Cornell rookie scoring record, and posted at least one point in every game he played. He ranked second nationally in assists per game (2.47) and fifth in points per game (3.94), and closed the year with third-team All-American and first-team All-Ivy honors.
2010 – National Attention
Pannell's sophomore season brought him to the forefront of college lacrosse. He ranked second in the country in assists per game (2.83) and third in points per game (4.44), finishing with 51 assists, 29 goals and 80 points. He reached 100 career points in just his 25th game, the fastest by a Cornell player since 1987, and delivered a game-winning goal in the final seconds against Harvard. The season ended with unanimous first-team All-American, unanimous Ivy League Player of the Year and first-team All-Ivy honors, along with the USILA Jack Turnbull Award as the nation's top attackman.
2011 – Turnbull Repeat and a National Scoring Title
As a junior, Pannell led the nation in points per game (5.24) and became the first Cornell player since 2001 to lead the team in points, goals and assists in the same season. He repeated as Jack Turnbull Award winner, becoming the first Cornellian to win the award twice, and claimed his second straight Ivy League Player of the Year award and first-team All-America honor. He was also named Most Outstanding Player of the Ivy League Tournament and closed the year with 236 career points and 140 career assists, both among the best marks in Cornell history at the time.
2012 – A Season Cut Short
Pannell's senior year began in dramatic fashion, with a six-goal, four-assist performance against Binghamton that included the game-tying and go-ahead goals in a comeback win. The 10-point outing was the first by a Cornell player since 1995, and it made him the 34th player in NCAA history to reach 100 career goals and 100 career assists. He followed with a five-assist game against Army before a season-ending injury cut his senior campaign short.
2013 – A Fifth Year and a Historic Farewell
Granted an additional season, Pannell closed his Cornell career as one of the most decorated players in program history. He finished the year with 102 points, three shy of Mike French's single-season school record set in 1976, while ranking third nationally in points per game (5.67) and assists per game (3.06). He capped his career with the Tewaaraton Trophy, a third Ivy League Player of the Year award and a fourth first-team All-Ivy selection.
Pannell finished his Cornell career as the school's all-time leader in points (354) and assists (204), with his 150 goals ranking second at the time of graduation in program history, closing out a career in which he registered a point in all 72 games he played.
