There is nothing better than the NCAA lacrosse semifinals. Championship weekend returns to Gillette Stadium with a pair of high-stakes semifinals on Saturday. Cornell vs. Penn State at noon. Maryland vs. Syracuse to follow. Two games, four power programs, one shot at the title. Let’s break it down the NCAA lacrosse semifinals.
1 Cornell vs 5 Penn State
NCAA Lacrosse Semifinals | Saturday | ESPN2 @ 12:00pm
(Anish Shroff, Paul Carcaterra, Quint Kessenich, Dana Boyle)
Who are the stars?
CJ Kirst (Cornell) and Matt Traynor (Penn State) are the headliners. Kirst will win the Tewaaraton in a landslide. He leads the nation in points per game at 6.35. Traynor, #22, was the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and scored six goals in the quarterfinal win over Notre Dame. He was unstoppable during the Nittany Lions’ 8-0 comeback run to end the game.
Offense vs. Balance
Cornell ranks #1 in scoring offense, shot percentage (36.7%), and assists per game. They’ve been a juggernaut, held to fewer than 12 goals just once all season—by Dartmouth on April 26. The Big Red (16-1) have the nation’s most potent attack with Kirst, Ryan Goldstein, and Michael Long. Their first midfield of Hugh Kelleher, Willem Firth, and Andrew Dalton has combined for (74,34).
Penn State’s strength is balance. All units are solid. They don’t have a glaring weakness, and their even stats in all departments reflect that. They rank #18 in scoring offense and #8 in both scoring defense and face-off percentage (60%).
X-Factor
The Cornell close defense is sound, and DC Jordan Stevens uses up to four LSMs and six SSDMs. They’ve played both man and zone. After a shaky outing in the Ivy League semifinals against Yale, their slide and recovery execution has been much improved against Princeton, Albany, and Richmond. The Big Red have created transition looks directly off face-offs and the ride, with ten pole goals and nine from FOGO Jack Cascadden.
Cornell has 16 seniors who are on a mission. They lost in the 2022 NCAA final 9-7 against Maryland and are back on the hunt. Penn State’s senior class is elite as well, with players like Traynor, Ethan Long, Luke Walstrum, Will Peden, Kevin Parnham, Jack Fracyon, and Kyle Aldridge. They, too, have championship weekend experience to draw from.
Matchup that Matters
Penn State lefty defender Alex Ross (#6) draws the CJ Kirst (#15) assignment. Ross did excellent work in the regular season meeting between these teams. Penn State won that game in overtime after a miracle comeback, aided by a Cornell non-releasable penalty on Cascadden late in regulation.
Kirst has all the tools to be a future PLL all-star. His cutting ability jumps off the screen. After a summer in Canada sharpening his eyes and hands, his shooting percentage has taken off. He buckles goalies with deception and uses head and shoulder leaner fakes to make it look easy.
Penn State’s defense must also account for Big Red catalyst Ryan Goldstein (#30). The sophomore’s foot speed and change of direction at X can break ankles and hearts. Albany did a terrific job pressing out at X in the first round, limiting ball reversal and holding Cornell to five goals in the first half. Kevin Parnham (#16) or Will Costin (#28) likely draws that assignment.
Important Stats
Cornell FOGO Jack Cascadden has nine goals on 28 shots. Goalie Wyatt Knust made just five saves last week in the close win over Richmond. Penn State netminder Jack Fracyon had been only 34% in the three outings prior to Notre Dame but played a very strong game in Annapolis and has big stadium experience from 2023.
Under-the-Radar Hero
For Cornell, it could be Ryan Waldman, who has 20 points running on the second midfield. Penn State’s Jon King is a scrappy SSDM from Draper, Utah, with over 40 ground balls. He’s a weapon on face-off wings, attacking the draw man’s butt end. With Colby Baldwin injured, freshman Reid Gillis has done great work, but King is a big reason why the Nittany Lions are above 60% at the face-off dot.
2 Maryland vs 6 Syracuse
NCAA Lacrosse Semifinals | Saturday | ESPN2 — 35 minutes following Game #1
(Anish Shroff, Paul Carcaterra, Quint Kessenich, Dana Boyle)
Defense vs. Offense
Terp structure and discipline vs. Orange free-flowing creative skill. Maryland relies on high-percentage shot selection and endless ball movement to generate layups. Syracuse has soft hands, deft passers, and magical abilities in the offensive gray areas.
X-Factor
FOGO John Mullen (SU) and Syracuse’s game management will be critical when matched against Maryland’s iron will. The Terps are the poster child for structure and discipline. Too often in 2025, Syracuse has mismanaged late-quarter or end-game scenarios—giving the ball away prematurely and then conceding goals in the final 30 seconds. It’s happened against Harvard, Princeton, and in the regular season meeting with Maryland.
Matchup that Matters
Maryland defender Will Schaller (#27) is likely to cover Syracuse quarterback Joey Spallina (#22). Schaller is a sturdy left-handed jackhammer, but his off-ball play can be vulnerable. With that in mind, Syracuse should use Spallina as a picker—both from the wings and from X. This would be my bread and butter if I’m Pat March, SU offensive coordinator.
Injury impact
Syracuse SSDM Nathan Levine was injured at Duke and is out for the remainder of the year. That’s significant. Levine was quietly outstanding and gave DC John Odierna the freedom to short-stick opposing attackmen. Without Levine, Syracuse has had to dig deeper into their bench. After Carter Rice, the shorties (#50, #1, and #2) have been exposed. Expect Maryland to target them like an itchy scab.
Important Stats
Maryland has only 70 unassisted goals in 16 games. They prefer to pass, pass, pass. When possessions bog down, the Terps won’t force bad shots—instead, they’ll toss the ball into the parking lot and take a shot clock violation. Maryland has 32 such violations. Coach John Tillman eschews the ride—attackmen drop to the midline or sub box, middies run off, and opponents clear at a 91% rate (ranked 73rd out of 74 D1 teams). Tillman wants a six-on-six game.
It would benefit Syracuse to grab an early lead—Rutgers and Ohio State did that in wins over Maryland. The Orange must inject tempo into this game. If it becomes a strictly half-field affair, the edge shifts to Maryland.
Under-the-Radar Hero
Terp veteran Daniel Kelly—a lefty finisher from the slot and midrange—has been money lately. He’s shooting 32-for-72 this season. Syracuse’s do-it-all midfielder Sam English will log heavy minutes, playing first midfield, man-down, and in transition. He reminds me of Matt Abbott. His overall impact can’t be overstated. Cooler temps (56° and rainy) are ideal for marathoners—and English will be asked to run.
