Cornell Lacrosse Splits Weekend, Faces Penn State Next

ITHACA, N.Y. – The No. 5 Cornell men’s lacrosse team began its season with a strong showing, defeating Hobart 19-8 before narrowly falling to Richmond 8-7 on Saturday. The Red will travel to State College to face Penn State on March 7th.

Dominant Win Over Hobart

Cornell (3-1) continued its winning streak against Hobart, securing a 19-8 victory on Tuesday. This marks the seventh consecutive win against the Statesmen dating back to 2018. The offense led the way, scoring 19 goals on a cold Ithaca evening. Senior midfielder Bowie Horsman recorded a hat trick, while junior attackman Willem Firth excelled with eight points from four goals and four assists. Firth has seamlessly transitioned from a midfield role in 2025 to attack in 2026.

“A lot of guys have made it pretty easy,” Firth said. “Ryan [Goldstein] has helped me out a ton, and watching CJ [Kirst] in that spot last year was a blast. He’s taught me so much, I still stay in contact with him.”

The Cornell defense also performed well, limiting Hobart to eight goals. Junior goalkeeper Matt Tully made seven saves on 15 shots, and junior defender Ike Lohnes contributed with four ground balls. Cornell dominated faceoffs, winning 21 of 31 for a 68% win rate.

Head coach Connor Buczek ’15 MBA ’17 praised the team’s effort. “I’m proud of the effort. It’s a good team, a historic rivalry. I think we showed a lot of really good stuff and stuff we’ve got to clean up,” Buczek said. “But it’s still early season lacrosse, so I’m proud of the effort, proud of the way we finished the game.”

Narrow Defeat Against Richmond

The game against Richmond proved to be a defensive battle, resulting in an 8-7 loss for Cornell. The Spiders took an early lead, and the game remained closely contested throughout.

Tully kept Cornell in the game early, saving six of Richmond’s first seven shots. Firth scored two goals to grant Cornell the lead. Richmond adjusted its defense, leaving Ryan Goldstein uncovered behind the net, believing his dodging was less dangerous than his passing.

Junior short stick defensive midfielder Luke Gilmartin and senior attackman Matthew Perfetto also scored for Cornell. Perfetto started in the third attack spot after a potential injury to freshman Rowyn Nurry.

Tully finished with 16 saves on 24 shots for a 67% save percentage. But, Cornell struggled on faceoffs, with Cascadden winning just seven of 16 and Melkonian going winless. The team also had issues with clears, converting only 20 of 27 attempts.

“They’re the best clearing team in the country, they’re excellent at it. So a lot of kudos to them, they make it hard on us,” Buczek said.

Despite the loss, Buczek remained optimistic. “We’ve got to learn from our mistakes and we’ve got to accept this the right way. It’s not fatal, it’s not final, it’s still February,” Buczek said. “If we learn from our mistakes I think this could be a great jumping pad for us.”

Looking Ahead to Penn State

Cornell will travel to Penn State for a 1 p.m. Game on Saturday, March 7th. Coverage will be available on B1G+.