Cornell University’s men’s lacrosse team began its 2026 season with a narrow 11-10 win over the University at Albany on Saturday afternoon at Casey Stadium in Albany, New York. The Big Red, who are ranked fourth nationally and are the defending national champions, managed to secure the victory in a closely contested match.
Ryan Goldstein, a preseason All-American attackman, led Cornell with two goals and three assists. Junior attack Willem Firth contributed three goals, including the decisive game-winner in the final minute. Ryan Waldman added two goals while Jaden Ciappara recorded his first career goal and two assists.
Goalkeeper Matthew Tully started for Cornell and made 13 saves, nine of which came in the second half as UAlbany increased its offensive pressure. Senior faceoff specialist Jack Cascadden won 17 out of 24 faceoffs, helping Cornell gain a 38-24 advantage in ground balls.
The match saw both teams exchanging leads throughout. UAlbany opened the scoring and led 4-3 after the first quarter. Cornell responded with goals from Goldstein, Bowie Horsman (his first career goal), and Ciappara (also his first). UAlbany extended their lead to 6-4 before Firth and Brian Luzzi scored to tie it at halftime.
In the third quarter, Waldman scored twice for Cornell around a single UAlbany goal, giving Cornell an 8-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Big Red maintained their lead until late in the game when UAlbany tied it at 10 with just over two minutes remaining. Firth then scored with 37 seconds left to secure the win for Cornell.
After this result, Cornell improves its all-time record against UAlbany to 9-4 and extends its winning streak over them to seven games. The team has now won fifteen consecutive games dating back to last season. Other notable achievements include Firth’s fifth career hat trick game and Goldstein’s fifteenth career game with five or more points. Tully matched his career-high of thirteen saves, previously set against Yale on March 23, 2024.
Cornell will next play against Denver on February 21 in Denver, Colorado.
