The stage was set. It was 364 days since men’s lacrosse defeated Princeton to win the 2025 Ivy League Men’s Lacrosse Tournament. If the Red wanted to kick off its postseason campaign with the same magic as last year, it would need a mirror performance.
Unfortunately for the Red, this is not what occurred. The Tigers were seeking revenge and got exactly that, this time successfully taking down the Red by a score of 19-9 to become the champion. Throughout the course of the game, No. 2 Princeton (13-2, 5-1 Ivy) mounted multiple offensive runs that became too significant for No. 6 Cornell (11-4, 5-1 Ivy) to overcome.
“[Princeton] executed at a really high level at all facets of the game today,” said head coach Connor Buczek ’15 MBA ’17. “Kudos to their goalie [and] their faceoff guy that really put some pressure on us. Once they started having some success there, we didn't stop the bleeding.”
Schoellkopf was the venue of the championship for the second year in a row, once again providing Cornell with an immediate advantage over Princeton. However, it immediately became clear that the Tigers had learned a lot since the 2025 tournament.
The game began with the Tigers swarming the Red, scoring three unanswered goals to take a swift lead in the championship.
It almost seemed as if the Tigers caught Cornell off guard. Only a day prior, the Red had a dominant showing against No. 13 Harvard (9-5, 3-3 Ivy), facing little pressure throughout the course of the game.
While Princeton may have taken the Red by surprise, the Red demonstrated why it is the reigning NCAA champion.
Jack Cascadden '27 shoots against Princeton.
Despite the pressure mounting from a growing Princeton lead, the Red responded with two goals of its own. Freshman attacker Rowyn Nurry kicked it off for the Red, scoring a quick goal past the Princeton defense. The large Red fanbase in the stands of Schoellkopf roared. It was clear the Red’s momentum was beginning to build.
As the first quarter was entering its final minutes, junior midfielder AJ Nikolic scored for the Red, cutting the Princeton lead down to a single goal.
The second quarter began mirroring the first. Princeton once again scored three unanswered goals, rebuilding a secure lead over the Red.
Junior attackman Willem Firth provided an answer for the Red, scoring his 50th goal of the season, setting the score at 6-3 in favor of Princeton.
While Princeton quickly responded with another goal of its own, the Red once again seemed to be building momentum.
Junior attackman Ryan Waldman scored the Red’s fourth goal, which was quickly followed by Nikolic’s second goal of the matchup. Despite the two goals, Princeton finished the first half holding a 7-5 lead over the Red.
AJ Nikolic '27 shoots and scores his second against Princeton.
The opening minutes of the third quarter can be described as the gritty lacrosse fans of the Red are used to. However, after Princeton scored its first goal of the half, something clicked for the Tigers. One goal became two, then three, then four, and the Tigers just kept scoring.
Princeton ultimately scored nine unanswered goals before the Red could find its footing. Nurry’s second of the day provided the Red with its only goal of the third quarter.
“You got to find a way to stop the bleeding,” said Buczek. “Today, we just didn't. Whether that's a stop, a clear, a faceoff win, a good possession that ends in a goal — that complementary lacrosse that we're always looking for.”
The fourth quarter began with Princeton holding a 10-goal lead and all the momentum. The Red secured another three goals throughout the course of the quarter from Firth, junior attackman Ryan Goldstein and sophomore attackman Jack Herendeen. However, Princeton also secured another three goals.
The final whistle blew with Princeton still holding their commanding 10-goal lead, securing the 2026 Ivy League Men’s Lacrosse Tournament championship trophy.
While the Red will not be back-to-back Ivy League Tournament champions, it can still be back-to-back national champions.
In just a few hours, the NCAA will hold its selection show where it will present the 18-team bracket that will play for the national championship.
“A lot to learn from it,” said Buzeck when speaking about the loss. “The hope is that this is not fatal, it's not final, but we [have] to learn from it and be ready to attack next week, because there's plenty to get better at.”
The selection show will begin at 9:30 p.m. and will be available to watch on ESPNU.
Matthew Leonard is a member of the Class of 2028 in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He is the sports editor of the 144th Editorial Board and was previously the assistant sports editor of the 143rd Editorial Board. He can be reached at mleonard@cornellsun.com.
