For the first time since 2005, the two top-ranked teams will meet in the national championship. This year, the Memorial Day clash will be between two lacrosse dynasties, No. 1 Cornell and No. 2 Maryland.
The Terrapins enter the National Collegiate Athletics Association final with plenty of momentum after dominating No. 6 Syracuse in the semifinal round, winning by a score of 14-8.
Maryland has seen great success in the NCAA Tournament in recent years under head coach John Tillman. Tillman hails from Corning, New York, an hour southwest of Ithaca, and played for the Red in 1991 after transferring from Colgate. Monday will be the fourth championship that the Terrapins have competed in in the last five years, and the seventh in the last 10.
This will also be the fourth time that these two schools meet in the national championship, the previous three being 1971, 1976 and 2022. Cornell came out on top in the first two meetings, but Maryland bested the Red 9-7 in 2022.
Much of the credit for Maryland’s 2022 national title went to the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, goalkeeper Logan McNaney, who is also from Corning. McNaney is still the starter for the Terrapins and has put up impressive save percentages of 77 percent, 65 percent and 75 percent in this year’s tournament.
The defense backed by McNaney is the calling card of this Maryland team, as the Terrapins rank second in the nation in scoring defense, allowing opponents less than eight goals per game on average. This, combined with the fact that Cornell boasts the best scoring offense in the country by a wide margin, promises to make the championship an exciting watch.
The Cornell offense will need much more production from senior attackman CJ Kirst and sophomore attackman Ryan Goldstein, who combined for just one point against Penn State. This was the first time in his career that Kirst was held scoreless, and the first time this season that he has not posted multiple goals. It was also the first time that Goldstein was held to less than two points since the third game of his career.
Contrasting the Cornell offense that is dominated by Kirst and Goldstein, who have 108 and 90 points respectively, Maryland has a less potent and more balanced offense. The Terrapins’ highest scorer has just 51 points on the season.
The matchup on faceoffs will be key in the final. Junior faceoff Jack Cascadden has won more than half of his faceoffs in every game this season since the first matchup against Penn State at the beginning of March, granting the Red dependable possession time.
Maryland uses a committee to take its faceoffs and will look to take advantage of fresher legs against Cascadden, who takes nearly every faceoff for the Red. The Terrapins usually ride the hot hand between senior Shea Keethler and freshman Jonah Carrier.
The national championship will take place at 1 p.m. on Monday, May 26 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Coverage will be available on ESPN.
