The 2025 DI men’s lacrosse tournament semifinals ended in a chaotic quarterfinal. Here’s everything you need to know to prepare for Saturday’s action in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
First, here’s the schedule:
- No. 1 Cornell-5 vs. Penn State, 12 p.m. ET | ESPN2 | Live statistics
- No. 2 Maryland vs. No. 6 Syracuse, 2:30 p.m. | ESPN2 | Live statistics
Lanes at Gillette Stadium
#1 Cornell The team headed by Tewaaraton Award leader CJ Kirst entered the tournament to win. “Big Red” defeated “Albany” 15-6 in the first round and showed the dominance fans are used to. Kirst scored six goals in the win to move closer to the DI single-season scoring record.
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The top seed faced off against a red-hot Richmond team in the quarterfinals, defeating the Spiders 13-12 to advance to the semifinals. Cornell came out strong, scoring four goals in the fourth quarter to prevent Richmond from scoring in the final seconds. Kirst had two goals and a career-high 10 possessions in the win, and is now just six shy of the season-high.
#2 Maryland It also faces a hungry Georgetown team that advanced to the quarterfinals with a 13-5 win over Air Force and upset No. 7 Duke in the first round. But as it has done all year, the Terrapins’ second-ranked defense stifled the Hoyas’ offense in a 9-6 victory to lead Maryland to its second straight championship.
Penn State is number 5 It was a tight battle throughout the tournament, winning each game by just two goals. Colgate’s No. 4 scoring offense embarrassed the Nittany Lions, but the defense came up with a big fourth-quarter stop to pull out a 13-11 first-round win.
But it was in the quarterfinals that Penn State proved it belonged, beating the reigning national champions 14-12 for a remarkable fourth quarter. Notre Dame was in the semifinals for the third straight time, and it looked like it was leading by three goals for the fourth time. But things came together for the Nittany Lions in the final 15 minutes. Kyle Lehmann and Matt Trainor scored twice in the first eight minutes of the fourth quarter to keep the Irish defense scoreless.
#6 Syracuse Had the toughest road trip to Foxboro, beating Harvard 13-12 in overtime in the first round and outshooting No. 3 Princeton 19-18 in shots. The Orange trailed 11-6 with 10 minutes left in the game and scored 6 unanswered to take a 12-11 lead with 3 minutes left. The Crimson forced OT and scored with six seconds left, but All-American Joey Spallina hit Owen Hiltz in the first minute of sudden death to seal the OT win.
Spallina and Hiltz rebounded in the Orange season, combining for 13 points as Syracuse scored six goals in the fourth quarter of Princeton en route to the title game.
Game preview
No. 1 Cornell vs. No. 5 Penn State
Cornell gets the rematch. The only blemish on the Big Red’s 16-1 record is the Nittany Lions, who defeated Cornell 13-12 in overtime on March 8. Penn State held Kirst to just 3 points, its fewest of the season.
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Penn State, which boasts the No. 8 defense in the nation, had a game plan to stop Kirst, and while other teams tried, the Nittany Lions did. PSU averages more than 10 steals per game, led by senior wide receiver Kevin Parnham, who ranks eighth in the nation at 1.93. He and Alex Ross will be among the most ferocious defenders in the country, and they’ll be tasked with slowing down Kirst and company once again.
Conversely, Cornell is looking for revenge and has averaged more than 17 goals per game in its last four contests. Penn State has been able to contain Kirst, but the leader still has four other players with 20 or more goals, including Ryan Goldstein, who ranks fourth in the nation with Kirst’s 6.35 ppg (5.18).
Against Penn State’s defensive duo, this offensive pairing will certainly be one to watch on Saturday.
No. 2 Maryland vs. No. 6 Syracuse
Two of the most prestigious programs in lacrosse are battling it out for a championship. Maryland’s 11-7 victory saw Syracuse’s sixth scoring offense reach half its season average and best the Orange in a regular season game. Duke is the only team to hold the Orange to just seven goals all season.
Like the rest of the semifinals, it will be a superior offense versus a superior defense. Maryland allowed just 11 goals in the entire contest, while Syracuse scored 32. Spallina leads the Cuse offense with 89 points on the season (3rd in the nation), and Owen Hiltz (72 points) has been on fire through the first two games of the two-conference contest. The Terps have a solid team defense led by Defensive Player of the Year Will Schaller. Schaller continued Maryland’s five-year streak of winning the Big Ten’s DPOY award, and he has been a nightmare for opponents every year.
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Syracuse quarterback John Mullen has the lead, leading the nation with 274. He has a 64% field goal percentage on the year and played a key role in the fourth quarter comeback against Harvard, winning a possession during the Orange’s 6-0 run.
If Mullen is available Saturday, Cuuse will have an advantage in possession. But I don’t believe seven goals will be enough to put the Terps down, so Spallina and Hiltz will have to find ways to penetrate Maryland’s defense with a consistent offense.
Head-to-head statistics
| Cornell | Stat | Penn State |
|---|---|---|
| 16.18 | Goal/game | 12.40 |
| 10.35 | Goal against the play | 9.07 |
| 14.76 | TO/game | 14.27 |
| 7.06 | TO/game created | 10.67 |
| .893 | Cleaning % | .894 |
| Maryland | Stat | Syracuse |
|---|---|---|
| 11.13 | Goal/game | 13.89 |
| 7.93 | Goal against the play | 10.17 |
| 13.60 | TO/game | 13.50 |
| 7.33 | TO/game created | 8.50 |
| .912 | Cleaning % | .863 |
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