ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany men's lacrosse team continues its NCAA Tournament run with a First Round matchup against top-seeded Cornell. The Great Danes will travel to Ithaca to take on the Big Red on Sunday, May 11, at 7:30 p.m. at Schoellkopf Field. Fans can watch the game live on either ESPNU or ESPN+.
 
UAlbany advanced to the First Round after defeating Siena, 11-9, in the Opening Round at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium.
 
The winner of Sunday's game will move on to the NCAA Quarterfinals to face the winner of North Carolina and Richmond on Saturday, May 17.
 
Game Info
Sunday, May 11
UAlbany at No. 1 Cornell
Schoellkopf Field in Ithaca, N.Y.
7:30 p.m.
ESPNU | ESPN+ | Live Stats | Tickets
 
Leading the Pack

• Silas Richmond leads the America East in both assists (46) and points (87). His assist total ranks fifth in all of division one while his points total ranks second overall behind Cornell's CJ Kirst. The America East Offensive Player of the Year collected five points (2G, 3A) in the Opening Round on Wednesday night. 
• Ryan Doherty scored a team-high three goals in UAlbany's Opening Round Game against Siena. The sophomore sits atop the America East with 45 goals on the season, averaging 2.5 per game. He was named an AE Second Team All-Conference selection before the playoffs. 
• Koleton Marquis sits third in points with 24 goals and eight assists, followed by Daniel Kesselring with 14 goals and 12 assists.
• Jackson Palumb has chipped in 19 goals and five assists, while Amos Whitcomb and Alex Pfeiffer each have 14 goals.
• On the defensive end, Max Neeson, the America East Defensive Player of the Year, anchors the unit with a team-best 25 caused turnovers and 47 ground balls. He has also scored six goals with the long pole. He scored twice in the America East Championship Game. 
• Jacob Smith ranks second on the team with 21 caused turnovers and leads all field players with 50 ground balls.
• Cade Galko has added 47 ground balls, 11 caused turnovers, and one goal. 
• In net, Brady Smith has been on fire as of late. He was named the America East Tournament's Most Outstanding Player after holding both UMBCA and Bryant to just seven goals. In the Opening Round, the rookie made 11 saves, eight of which came in the second half. 
• UAlbany has utilized five players at the faceoff X:
  • Rocco Mareno leads the group, going 89-for-177 (.503)
  • CJ Schwarz has gone 52-for-121 (.430)
  • Jezayd Hall stands at 55-for-129 (.419)
  • Austin Oppenheim is 14-for-37 (.378)
  • Dillon Mehta is 2-for-11 (.182)

 
All-Championship Team
Four Great Danes were recognized on the America East All-Championship Team following the program's title run. Freshman goalkeeper Brady Smith was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player after delivering standout performances in both rounds - recording 13 saves and allowing just seven goals in the championship and stopping nine shots in the semifinal win over UMBC.
 
He was joined on the All-Championship Team by Silas Richmond, Max Neeson, and Jacob Smith for their key contributions throughout the tournament.
 
All-Conference
UAlbany collected 12 awards last week when the America East released its end-of-year honors. Headlining the list were Silas Richmond (Offensive Player of the Year) and Max Neeson (Defensive Player of the Year).
 
Richmond and Neeson were both named All-Conference First Team selections alongside Daniel Kesselring and Conner Fingar. Earning All-Conference Second Team recognition were Ryan Doherty, Jackson Palumb, and Jacob Smith. Freshman goalkeeper Brady Smith was named to the America East All-Rookie Team. Doherty and Cade Galko represented the Great Danes on the All-Academic Team.
 
Last Time Out
The University at Albany men's lacrosse team defeated Siena, 11-9, in the NCAA Tournament Opening Round to advance to the First Round for the second consecutive season. The Great Danes jumped out to an early lead and held off a late push from the Saints, using three man-up goals and a five-point performance from Silas Richmond to secure the win.

• Silas Richmond led UAlbany with five points, scoring two goals and dishing out three assists.
• Ryan Doherty recorded a hat trick with three goals on six shots.
• Amos Whitcomb and Jackson Palumb each finished with one goal and one assist, both scoring during man-up opportunities.
• Koleton Marquis added one assist and picked up three ground balls.
• Alex Pfeiffer, Jacob Moran, Ben Wimmer, and Parker Emmett each contributed one goal.
• Daniel Kesselring tallied one assist and picked up one ground ball, while also drawing a penalty.
• Max Neeson led the team with five ground balls and added one caused turnover.
• Rocco Mareno went 13-for-20 on faceoffs and picked up seven ground balls.
• Jacob Smith collected four ground balls and caused one turnover.
• Brady Smith made 11 saves in net, finishing with a .550 save percentage to help seal the win.

 
History with Cornell
UAlbany and Cornell have faced off 11 times since their first meeting on May 19, 2007, with Cornell leading the all-time series 6-4. The Great Danes' most decisive victory came on March 5, 2017, in a dominant 17-6 win, while their narrowest win was an 11-9 decision on March 4, 2018.
 
Cornell has won each of the last four matchups, most recently defeating UAlbany 18-11 on April 1, 2025, in Ithaca. Other recent results include a tight 12-10 Cornell win in 2023 and a 16-8 outcome in 2022.
 
Scouting the Big Red
Cornell enters the NCAA Opening Round with a 14-1 overall record, including a perfect 6-0 mark in Ivy League play. The Big Red are riding a 10-game win streak and recently took down Princeton, 20-15, to win the Ivy League Championship.

• Head Coach Connor Buczek has built one of the most dominant offenses in the country, averaging 16.47 goals per game while allowing just 10.53 goals against. Cornell holds a .375 shooting percentage and clears at an .887 success rate.
• The Big Red are 19-for-32 on man-up opportunities, converting at a .594 clip, one of the best in the nation.
• CJ Kirst leads the offense with 98 points (68g, 30a), followed by Ryan Goldstein with 79 points (34g, 45a), Michael Long with 57 points (27g, 30a), and Willem Firth with 43 points (28g, 15a).
• At the faceoff X, Jack Cascadden has dominated possession, winning 230 of 376 draws (.612). Michael Melkonian (26-57, .456) and Sam Ricci (7-20, .350) have also contributed.
• In goal, Wyatt Knust has played nearly 892 minutes, boasting a 10.43 goals-against average and a .544 save percentage, leading the team to a 14-1 record in net.

 
Next: The winner of Sunday's game will move on to the NCAA Quarterfinals to face the winner of North Carolina and Richmond on Saturday, May 17.
 
Stay up to date with UAlbany men's lacrosse by following the team on X (@UAlbanyMLax) and Instagram (@ualbanymlax) for all of the latest news and highlights throughout the year.