The University of Pennsylvania men’s lacrosse team lost to Cornell, 16-8, at Franklin Field on April 4. The Quakers, ranked fifteenth nationally, were unable to repeat last week’s comeback and fell to an even record both overall (5-5) and in Ivy League play (2-2). Cornell improved its league record to 3-1 and is now 6-3 overall.
This result matters as it impacts Penn’s standing in the Ivy League and their chances for postseason play. Last week, Penn had rallied from a similar deficit for a win but could not replicate that performance against the defending NCAA champions.
Cornell outshot Penn by a narrow margin of 38-34, although the Quakers held a second-half advantage in shots. At the faceoff X, Cornell led with seventeen wins compared to Penn’s ten. Senior Ethan Costanzo won six out of ten draws for Penn. Griffin Scane led the Quaker offense with three goals—his fourth hat trick this season—and added an assist. Freshman Quinn Langton contributed three assists as well.
Other contributors included junior Davis Provost who extended his goal and point streaks with one goal, while Anthony McMullan, Nate Lucchesi, Jackson Maher, and Quinn Ball also scored for Penn. Ball recorded his first collegiate point during the game. On defense, sophomore Dante Vardaro caused two turnovers and picked up five ground balls.
In goal for most of the match was Jack Pelot who made eleven saves before being replaced by senior Frank Cacciutti late in the game. For Cornell, Willem Firth tallied four goals and one assist while Brian Luzzi added three goals and two assists; goalkeeper Matthew Tully also recorded eleven saves.
Looking ahead, Penn will finish its regular season on the road with three games remaining. Their next matchup is against No. 4 Princeton next Saturday at noon.
