FOXBOROUGH — In early March, when Cornell men’s lacrosse squandered a four-goal lead to Penn State and suffered its only loss to date, the Big Red vowed to learn from the experience and redeem themselves if they got the chance. In a rematch Saturday at Gillette Stadium, Cornell flipped the script, using a five-goal flurry to erase a second-half deficit and earn an 11-9 triumph in the Division 1 semifinals at Gillette Stadium. “Everyone was saying this was our game,” Cornell standout CJ Kirst said. “Everyone had that look in their eye that we were going to get it done.” This time, when the Nittany Lions chipped away in the fourth quarter, the top-seeded Big Red (17-1) held their ground. Cornell advances to its second national title game in four years, earning a 2022 rematch with second-seeded Maryland (14-3) in Foxborough on Monday at 1 p.m. The Terrapins dispatched sixth-seeded Syracuse, 14-8, in the second semifinal. All four teams put on a show for 31,524 fans, as a sea of red, orange, and blue flooded the stands. Maryland is after its fifth national title and third since 2017. Cornell is one win from capturing its first national championship since 1977. “Even though there were pockets of that game that weren’t as pretty as we’d like, it’s about surviving and advancing right now,” Cornell coach Connor Buczek said. Hugh Kelleher paced Cornell with three goals, while Liam Matthews tallied four for the fifth-seeded Nittany Lions (12-5). The Big Red took a 1-0 edge through one quarter, thanks to a strike from Willem Firth with 9.9 seconds left. Lincoln-Sudbury product Matt Dooley dictated the action defensively for Cornell, serving as a shield for goalie Wyatt Knust (nine saves). Both teams found their offensive rhythm in the second, shaking off some early jitters and moving the ball with precision and poise. Matthews buried a behind-the-back beauty and Will Peden put the Nittany Lions ahead, 2-1, with 12:45 left in the half. Penn State took a 5-4 edge into the break thanks to a delivery from Matt Traynor with 42 seconds left. It maintained momentum early in the third, then Cornell ripped off five straight in the final 9:21 to take a 10-6 edge into the fourth. Suddenly, the floodgates opened as the Big Red displayed their usual dose of firepower and finesse, and began to create separation. “It was just staying the course,” Buczek said. Ryan Waldman provided a highlight with an 80-mile-per-hour bullet to vault the Big Red back in front, then Ryan Goldstein delivered from his knees to give Cornell its first two-goal lead with 6:08 left in the quarter. The Nittany Lions trimmed it to 10-9 early in the fourth, as a beautiful day briefly turned into a torrential downpour. Kelleher scored with 5:49 left — to cement his third hat trick in four games — and Dooley and the Big Red held on from there. “All eyes to Monday,” Kirst said. “We’re excited for the opportunity to compete for a national championship.” They’ll be up against a Terrapins team that outlasted Cornell, 9-7, in the 2022 title game when this year’s seniors were freshmen. The Big Red seniors are grateful for a chance to complete the full-circle journey. Maryland left no doubt against the Orange. Eric Spanos paced Maryland with four goals, and Logan McNaney made 14 saves. Finn Thomson and Michael Leo scored two each for the Orange. The Terrapins poured in eight straight goals to take a commanding 8-2 halftime edge. “Just be selfless,” midfielder Bryce Ford said. “If you break down that run, there were a lot of different hands in that scoring. Every single time we came back to the sideline, it was just be patient, make sure we make the extra pass, and get the best shot.” Boston native Jimmy McCool did what he could in net for the sixth-seeded Orange (13-6) with 12 saves, but the Terrapins kept coming in waves. Syracuse trimmed it to 11-6 early in the fourth, on a goal from Norwell product and faceoff specialist John Mullen. The Terrapins immediately responded, as they have all season, to set up a heavyweight showdown Monday afternoon. “I’m certainly proud of our guys and excited to have two more days together,” Maryland coach John Tillman said. “Obviously a lot of work to do to play a really good team, but just proud of the effort today, the unselfishness, what these guys have done all year.”
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