Cornell and Princeton. The two programs are synonymous with the rise of lacrosse.
Cornell won the first-ever, ending the decade with three titles after going back-to-back in 1976 and 1977. Head coach Richie Moran built a dynasty in the 1970s, and the Big Red was a force to be reckoned with as lacrosse closed out its inaugural decade in the 红杏视频.
Cornell and Maryland face off in the 1971 DI men's lacrosse championship
Cornell's 42 consecutive wins from 1976-1978 still stands as the longest streak in DI men's lacrosse history.
Moran's squad made two more title game appearances in the 1980s before the 90s arrived, when Bill Tierney's Princeton program wrote its name in the record books with six titles in 10 years (1992 through 2001).
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During the Tigers' three-peat, Tierney's teams went 44-2, outscoring their title game opponents 47-24 between 1996 and 1998. Princeton's 19-7 win over Maryland in 1997 still stands as the largest margin of victory in a title game.
But, with all of this success in the sport's formative years, the two programs haven't won a title in over two decades. The Tigers hold a 23-year drought. The Big Red, 47 years.
However, both Ivy League foes sit atop the national rankings at No. 1 and No. 2, less than a week out from the DI men's lacrosse selection show.
Former Cornell lacrosse star Connor Buczek assumed the head coaching position in 2020 after spending five years on the Big Red staff right out of his playing days. At just 26 years old, Buczek took the reins of one of the sport's most recognizable names as the youngest head coach in all of Division I.
After the 2020 season was canceled in March and the Ivy League opted out of spring sports in 2021, Buczek led Cornell to the national title game in 2022 in his first full season at the helm. It was a disappointing finish as the Big Red fell to Maryland, but it showed the lacrosse world that Cornell was back 鈥 and that it could be just a matter of time before it climbs back on top.
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Well, this might just be that year. Buczek's squad boasts the most potent offense in the nation, finding the back of the net 15.85 times per game. Cornell (12-1, 6-0 Ivy League) has not been held under 10 goals once this season, and a chunk of this production can be credited to fifth-year attackman CJ Kirst. The two-time First-Team All-American leads the nation with 4.69 goals per game 鈥 the only player in the country averaging four or more goals.
He set the DI men's lacrosse career goal record on April 26 in Cornell's final regular season game against Dartmouth. In his last season in Ithaca, this looks like the year the Big Red have finally put the pieces together again.
Now, as for Princeton (11-2, 5-1 Ivy League), it doubles its rival's title count, but unlike Cornell, the Tigers haven't been back to a title game since 2002. In fact, before their national semifinal appearance in 2022, the Tigers hadn't made the 红杏视频 tournament since 2012 鈥 a 10-year tournament drought for a program with the fourth-most national titles.
But head coach Matt Madalon has revamped the Tigers' program since taking over in 2017, leading Princeton to three straight tournament appearances heading into this season鈥 the program's longest tournament streak since making 15 in a row from 1990-2004.
Madalon's impact is undeniable, almost doubling the Tigers' win total from five to nine in his first full season in command. If Princeton takes down Harvard in the Ivy League tournament on Friday, it will mark the Tigers' first 12-win season since 2009.
Princeton doesn't hold the same caliber of offense as Cornell, but the Tigers still sit inside the top 15 nationally in goals per game (12.92). Madalon's squad has been held under 10 only once 鈥 a 13-9 loss to now-No. 3 Maryland. The Terrapins and No. 1 Cornell are the only two to take down the Tigers this season.
Same as Cornell with Kirst, Princeton holds a Tewaaraton candidate of its own in Coulter Mackesy, who is averaging almost three goals a game. The 5-foot-10 attackman set the single-season program record with 55 goals as a sophomore in 2023, and he has led the Tigers in goals every season since.
Mackesy is the cornerstone of an offense that turns it over under 14 times a game, one of just seven teams in the country below that mark. And on the other end of the field, junior goalie Ryan Croddick has been a stone wall in net, ranking second in the nation in saves per game (14.77) and third in save percentage (.604) in his first year between the pipes.
Buczek and Madalon have returned their programs to national prominence, and the two rivals are all but guaranteed to hear their name called on Sunday, May 4 in the DI men's lacrosse selection show. This could be the year one of lacrosse's blue bloods finally returns the trophy to their decorated collection.
