The standout attackman. The offensive depth. The dominant faceoff. What makes No. 4 Syracuse University great may also describe what has given No. 1 Cornell its success this season. What made the difference when they went head-to-head?
“It‘s execution,” said head coach Connor Buczek ’15 prior to the weekend. “This is as close to a playoff atmosphere as we get in the middle of the season. It’s going to come down to execution.”
The unique “atmosphere” of the Red-Orange meeting was a product of a change of scenery. This year, the battle between upstate rivals moved to a new stage: Mitchel Field in Uniondale, New York.
Despite unusual territory, the Red pulled ahead of the Orange and didn’t let up. In a show of its adaptability and power, Cornell (10-1, 4-0 Ivy) sent Syracuse (9-3, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) packing and won the match 17-12.
The game started slow, the first goal coming over six minutes in. It was scored, of course, by senior attackman CJ Kirst, his 50th of the year. This goal opened the floodgates and the first quarter ended with Cornell in a 5-2 lead.
Cornell pushed its lead to six late in the second quarter, but Syracuse was able to rally. Halftime came with Cornell still in the lead, 9-5.
Syracuse continued its push to start the second half, cutting the lead to two. Cornell then got on a run of its own, scoring four straight. Syracuse did not give up though, and had its own four goal run to close a third quarter with 10 total goals between the two teams.
Cornell opened the final quarter with a 13-7 lead and, behind two quick goals from sophomore attackman Ryan Goldstein, would hold this lead. The Red allowed the dangerous Syracuse offense just one goal in the final frame.
The game ended as a 17-12 victory for Cornell — upholding its No. 1 national ranking.
Kirst led the way for the Red, notching eight points on five goals and three assists. Kirst is now six goals away from breaking the all-time National Collegiate Athletics Association goals record. The record is currently held by Payton Cormier, who scored 224 goals in five years at the University of Virginia.
Goldstein also had an outstanding game, match Kirst’s eight points with three goals and five assists. He also picked up four ground balls.
Senior goalkeeper Wyatt Knust again held it down in goal for the Red, saving 14 of 26 shots on goal for a .540 save percentage.
Junior faceoff Jack Cascadden had another great game, winning over half of his draws against John Mullen, the player with the fifth best faceoff win percentage in the country. The Cornell backup struggled again, with freshman Michael Melkonian not winning either of his two draws.
Cornell will now look forward to its matchup against another top 10 opponent, Harvard University. A win against the Crimson would mean that Cornell is guaranteed to host the Ivy League tournament.
The game will be played in Cambridge at 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 19. Coverage will be available on ESPN+.
Alexis Rogers is the sports editor on the 143rd editorial board. She is in the Class of 2028 in the College of Arts & Sciences, and she can be reached at arogers@cornellsun.com.
