Men’s lacrosse entered its clash against Dartmouth with a lot on the line. Cornell needed to defend its senior day ceremony, protect its No.1 rank in the media polls and launch senior attackman CJ Kirst into the record books as the player with the highest career goals in National Collegiate Athletics Association history.
In the end, Cornell (12-1, 6-0 Ivy) defended its home field from the Big Green (8-5, 2-4 Ivy) and won 10-8.
On the first possession of the game, Kirst cut in front of the goal and got the ball from fellow senior and long-time attack partner Michael Long. Kirst shot and scored his 225th career goal, leaving him as the sole record holder for career goals in NCAA lacrosse.
“If I were to draw it up it couldn't be any better,” Kirst said. “Michael Long is someone I've been playing with since sophomore year of high school, so we've been through a lot together. I know our parents are pretty happy about it too.”
Kirst’s goal was followed by another senior, midfielder Andrew Dalton, finding the back of the net before Dartmouth made its first two tallies of the game to tie it up.
Sophomore midfielder TJ Lamb put the Red back on top with a low to high rip. He was followed with a goal from sophomore attackman Ryan Goldstein.
After Dartmouth scored one of its own, sophomore midfielder Ryan Waldman slipped on the wet turf and spilled the ball. He won possession back for Cornell after laying a massive hit along the sideline, but Goldstein could not finish the play.
Dartmouth then took the lead. Kirst scored number 226 with an on-the-run shot with his weak hand while the shot clock was winding down. Dalton scored again, and the Red ended the half with a 6-5 lead.
Dartmouth goalkeeper Mason Morel made two great saves to start the second half, and the Big Green tied the game again. Sophomore Luke Gilmartin then took a two minute, non-releasable penalty for a hit to the head, but the Red killed off the chance.
Kirst stole the ball on a Dartmouth clear, which left the net wide open for sophomore midfielder Willem Firth to put the Red back up. Junior faceoff Jack Cascadden took the ensuing faceoff and scored Cornell’s second goal in five seconds.
The teams entered the game’s final stanza with Cornell in the lead 8-6.
Dartmouth clawed one back before Goldstein slipped one by the Dartmouth goalkeeper. Senior midfielder Hugh Kelleher was next, giving the Red its first comfortable lead of the game.
A hit by senior long stick midfielder Walker Wallace in the final two minutes gave the Red possession and allowed them to kill most of the remaining time.
With just 22 seconds remaining on the clock, Colin McGill buried a behind-the-back shot for the Big Green, but Cornell held on to come away with a 10-8 senior day win.
“We grew up with those guys [the seniors]. I got this job when I was 26 and those guys were freshmen,” said head coach Connor Buczek ’15 MBA ’17, fighting back tears. “It's going to be tough to say 'bye to them.”
In Cornell’s lowest scoring game of the year, its defense was an essential component to victory.
“Wyatt [Knust], one of the better goalies to go against every single day… [Jason] Singer, the guy has been able to guard number one attackmen on every team,” Kirst said, praising the team’s defenders. “Brendan Staub, he's done a tremendous job all year… Matt Dooley is the voice down there who is screaming left and right.”
Morel stood on his head, ending with a 58 percent save percentage against the highest-scoring offense in the country. Senior goalkeeper Wyatt Knust saved 6 of 14 shots on goal for a 43 percent save percentage.
“Their goalie was excellent … [he] made a lot of really good point blank saves,” Buczek said.
Goldstein led the team with five points. The Dartmouth defense performed very well, allowing nobody to score more than two goals and limiting Kirst to just two shots on goal, though he scored on both opportunities.
“Being able to do it on senior day with my best friends truly meant a lot,” Kirst said of setting the record.
Cornell was dominant on faceoffs, winning 73 percent. Cascadden won 12 of 18 and Melkonian won all four of his draws.
Next weekend Cornell will host the Ivy League Tournament at Schoellkopf Field. The Red will face fourth-seeded Yale in the first semifinal on Friday, which starts at 4 p.m.
“It's a great opportunity for us to be home and sleep in our own beds,” Buczek said. “We’re going to enjoy every second of it.”
