Cornell–Syracuse lacrosse rivalry

The Cornell–Syracuse lacrosse rivalry is an intercollegiate lacrosse rivalry between Cornell Big Red and Syracuse Orange. The two New York state programs are historical lacrosse powers, combining for 23 national titles.[1] Since the creation of the NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship, Cornell and Syracuse have appeared in 40 Final Fours and captured 14 total titles. Syracuse leads the series 66–38–1 through 2020.[2]

Cornell–Syracuse lacrosse rivalry
First meetingMay 21, 1920
Syracuse 5, Cornell 3 (OT)
Latest meetingApril 2, 2024
Cornell 18, Syracuse 17 (2OT)
Statistics
Meetings total105
All-time seriesSyracuse leads, 66–42–1
Largest victoryCornell, 27–4 (1974)
Longest win streakSyracuse, 16 (1946–1957)
Current win streakCornell, 2 (2022–Present)

Series History

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Early Years (1920s to 1960s)

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Only an hour away from each in upstate New York, the two programs first met in 1920 and would meet annually until World War II would halt the matchup in 1943.[3] During this early stretch, both programs experienced streaks of success in the rivalry. Syracuse would win eight of the first nine meetings, including the initial game, a 5 to 3 victory.[4] Each team would maintain five game winning streaks in the 1930s, while Cornell won the last game prior to World War II.[2]

After the Big Red won the 1942 contest in Ithaca, Syracuse would embark on the longest streak in the history of the rivalry, ripping off 16 straight games from 1946 to 1957.[3] A 22–5 victory was the largest in series history at the time, but the following year the narrative flipped.

Cornell Dominance (1958 to 1982)

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Cornell would dominate the contest in 1958 and would take five of seven games for its best series stretch since the 1930s. In 1966, the Big Red would win the first of 12 straight meetings against the Orange. During this period, Cornell was one of the top lacrosse programs in the country, capturing three national titles and appearing in six Final Fours.[3] In contrast, under Roy Simmons Jr., Syracuse would only make their first NCAA tournament appearance in 1979.[5] The games were increasingly lopsided during this period; the Big Red won seven by at least ten goals, including a 27 to 4 rout in 1974. Simmons would call the era's Cornell squads "the finest attack I've ever seen."[4] Syracuse would halt the streak with a 1980 victory in Ithaca, but would not truly take back the series until 1983.

Syracuse's Rise to National Power (1983 to 1999)

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In the 1983 meeting, #4 Syracuse defeated Cornell en route to its first national title in 26 years. The next nine matchups would feature an unprecedented streak where the winning team was ranked either #1 or #2 on top of the polls. After four consecutive Orange victories, Richard Moran's team would sweep the 1987 meetings, including the first postseason game between in the two. In the 1987 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship,[1] the Big Red would top Syracuse in a thrilling Final Four game by a score of 18–15. The Orange would get revenge the following year,[6] topping unseeded Cornell in the championship game to capture their second NCAA title.[7] Syracuse would dominate the rest of the century, winning four more national titles and the remaining eleven matchups between the two. Cornell would struggle, only making two more tournament appearances, neither time escaping the first round.

Recent Years (2000 to Present)

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The 21st century brought renewed energy, as under third-year head coach Dave Pietramala, the Big Red would return to the tournament after a successful 2000 season, headlined by a 13–12 victory over the Orange in Ithaca. With Jeff Tambroni taking the helm in 2001, Cornell would return to the ranks of the nation's elite and restore balance to the series. The rivalry reached a new crescendo in 2009, as the two teams meet in Foxborough to decide the national title. In an instant classic, Syracuse nabbed its 11th national title with a 10–9 overtime defeat of the Big Red,[8] their second victory over the team in a championship game.[9] After forcing a turnover with 27.6 seconds remaining in the game, Cornell seemed poised for their fourth national title until Kenny Nims stripped the ball and finished the break with four seconds left to force an extra period.[10] In overtime, Syracuse senior Dan Hardy assisted Cody Jamieson, who sunk the game-winner to successfully defend the Orange's 2008 crown.[11] Since then, Syracuse has defeated in Cornell in six of the last eleven meetings, in a relatively balanced era for a rivalry driven by long streaks. Recently, Cornell prevailed over the Orange in their fourth postseason game,[12] a 10 to 9 victory in the 2018 First Round.[13] The 2020 contest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first year without the annual game since 1978 and only the fifth overall since the series began in 1920.[10]

Rival Accomplishments

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The following summarizes the accomplishments of the two programs.[14][15]

Team Cornell Big Red Syracuse Orange
Pre-NCAA National Titles 5 5
NCAA National Titles 3 11*
NCAA Final Four Appearances 13 27*
NCAA Tournament Appearances 28 38*
NCAA Tournament Record 33–25 68–27*
Conference Tournament Titles 2 4
Conference Championships 29 5
Tewaarton Award Recipients 2 3
Lt. Raymond Enners Award Recipients 6 7
Consensus First Team All-Americans 55 100
All-time Program Record 773–485–27 917–352–16
All-time Winning Percentage .612 .720
  • Due to NCAA violations, Syracuse was forced to vacate its 1990 NCAA title and tournament appearance.

Game Results

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Cornell victoriesSyracuse victoriesTie games
No.DateLocationWinnerScore
1 May 21, 1920 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 5–3OT
2 May 28, 1921 Ithaca, NY Syracuse 8–3
3 May 20, 1922 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 2–0
4 May 26, 1923 Ithaca, NY Cornell 3–1
5 April 26, 1924 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 4–0
6 May 16, 1925 Ithaca, NY Syracuse 6–1
7 May 1, 1926 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 9–0
8 April 23, 1927 Ithaca, NY Syracuse 4–0
9 April 28, 1928 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 5–2
10 April 27, 1929 Ithaca, NY Tie4–4
11 April 19, 1930 Syracuse, NY Cornell 6–4
12 April 11, 1931 Ithaca, NY Cornell 4–3
13 April 23, 1932 Syracuse, NY Cornell 4–2
14 May 13, 1933 Syracuse, NY Cornell 10–8
15 May 27, 1933 Ithaca, NY Cornell 8–7
16 April 21, 1934 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 17–7
17 May 26, 1934 Ithaca, NY Syracuse 14–4
18 May 25, 1935 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 19–9
19 May 23, 1936 Ithaca, NY Syracuse 17–7
20 May 19, 1937 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 19–5
21 May 21, 1938 Ithaca, NY Cornell 14–8
22 April 29, 1939 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 13–7
23 May 11, 1940 Ithaca, NY Syracuse 14–7
24 April 26, 1941 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 14–9
25 May 9, 1942 Ithaca, NY Cornell 7–4
26 April 24, 1943 Ithaca, NY Cornell 10–8
27 May 1, 1943 Syracuse, NY Cornell 7–5
28 April 20, 1946 Ithaca, NY Syracuse 8–3
29 April 27, 1946 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 12–2
30 April 26, 1947 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 10–9
31 May 22, 1948 Ithaca, NY Syracuse 10–6
32 May 18, 1949 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 17–7
33 April 15, 1950 Ithaca, NY Syracuse 9–4
34 May 2, 1951 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 8–7
35 May 16, 1951 Ithaca, NY Syracuse 11–10
36 April 30, 1952 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 10–4
37 May 14, 1952 Ithaca, NY Syracuse 12–3
No.DateLocationWinnerScore
38 April 29, 1953 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 10–6
39 May 9, 1953 Ithaca, NY Syracuse 8–5
40 May 19, 1954 Ithaca, NY Syracuse 12–8
41 May 18, 1955 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 13–12
42 May 16, 1956 Ithaca, NY Syracuse 13–11
43 May 15, 1957 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 22–5
44 May 14, 1958 Ithaca, NY Cornell 13–5
45 May 13, 1959 Syracuse, NY Cornell 11–8
46 May 11, 1960 Ithaca, NY Syracuse 7–6
47 May 10, 1961 Syracuse, NY Cornell 14–11
48 May 15, 1962 Ithaca, NY Cornell 8–6
49 May 15, 1963 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 16–11
50 May 20, 1964 Ithaca, NY Cornell 14–10
51 May 12, 1965 Syracuse, NY Syracuse 14–11
52 May 18, 1966 Ithaca, NY Cornell 19–2
53 May 16, 1967 Syracuse, NY Cornell 19–2
54 April 16, 1968 Ithaca, NY Cornell 16–5
55 May 24, 1969 Syracuse, NY Cornell 11–8
56 May 23, 1970 Ithaca, NY Cornell 11–7
57 April 21, 1971 Syracuse, NY Cornell 17–9
58 April 20, 1972 Ithaca, NY Cornell 21–3
59 April 18, 1973 Syracuse, NY #14 Cornell 12–3
60 April 3, 1974 Ithaca, NY #5 Cornell 27–4
61 April 28, 1975 Syracuse, NY #2 Cornell 16–5
62 April 12, 1976 Ithaca, NY #2 Cornell 24–6
63 March 24, 1979 Syracuse, NY #3 Cornell 10–6
64 April 8, 1980 Ithaca, NY #6 Syracuse 6–5
65 April 29, 1981 Syracuse, NY #13 Cornell 13–7
66 April 28, 1982 Ithaca, NY #9 Cornell 10–5
67 April 27, 1983 Syracuse, NY #4 Syracuse 17–8
68 April 25, 1984 Ithaca, NY #1 Syracuse 14–11
69 April 13, 1985 Syracuse, NY #1 Syracuse 12–10
70 April 12, 1986 Ithaca, NY #1 Syracuse 22–7
71 April 11, 1987 Syracuse, NY #2 Cornell 19–6
72 May 23, 1987 Syracuse, NY #2 Cornell 18–15
73 April 20, 1988 Ithaca, NY #1 Syracuse 19–7
74 May 30, 1988 Syracuse, NY #1 Syracuse 13–8
No.DateLocationWinnerScore
75 April 19, 1989 Syracuse, NY #2 Syracuse 20–12
76 April 18, 1990 Ithaca, NY #1 Syracuse 22–10
77 April 17, 1991 Syracuse, NY #7 Syracuse 13–5
78 April 15, 1992 Ithaca, NY #1 Syracuse 15–10
79 April 10, 1993 Syracuse, NY #3 Syracuse 15–5
80 April 9, 1994 Ithaca, NY #4 Syracuse 22–5
81 April 8, 1995 Syracuse, NY #4 Syracuse 24–13
82 April 10, 1996 Ithaca, NY #6 Syracuse 16–8
83 April 8, 1997 Syracuse, NY #5 Syracuse 16–7
84 April 7, 1998 Ithaca, NY #3 Syracuse 13–8
85 April 13, 1999 Syracuse, NY #5 Syracuse 15–10
86 April 11, 2000 Ithaca, NY #9 Cornell 13–12
87 April 10, 2001 Syracuse, NY #3 Syracuse 14–10
88 April 9, 2002 Ithaca, NY #9 Cornell 15–11
89 April 8, 2003 Syracuse, NY #4 Syracuse 13–8
90 April 13, 2004 Ithaca, NY #4 Syracuse 12–10
91 April 12, 2005 Syracuse, NY #8 Cornell 16–14
92 April 11, 2006 Ithaca, NY #12 Syracuse 12–11
93 April 10, 2007 Syracuse, NY #1 Cornell 16–15
94 April 8, 2008 Ithaca, NY #1 Syracuse 15–8
95 April 7, 2009 Syracuse, NY #5 Syracuse 15–10
96 May 25, 2009 Foxborough, MA #1 Syracuse 10–9OT
97 April 13, 2010 Ithaca, NY #2 Syracuse 8–7
98 April 13, 2011 Syracuse, NY #5 Cornell 11–6
99 April 10, 2012 Ithaca, NY #5 Cornell 12–6
100 April 10, 2013 Syracuse, NY #8 Syracuse 13–12
101 April 8, 2014 Ithaca, NY #7 Syracuse 14–9
102 February 15, 2015 Syracuse, NY #4 Syracuse 14–6
103 April 12, 2016 Ithaca, NY Cornell 10–9OT
104 April 11, 2017 Syracuse, NY #1 Syracuse 15–8
105 April 10, 2018 Ithaca, NY #11 Cornell 13–8
106 May 13, 2018 Syracuse, NY #8 Cornell 10–9
107 April 9, 2019 Syracuse, NY #11 Syracuse 13–8
108 April 11, 2022 Syracuse, NY #4 Cornell 16–15
109 April 2, 2024 Ithaca, NY #12 Cornell 18–172OT
Series: Syracuse leads 66–42–1
Source:[16]

References

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  1. ^ a b "NCAA Tourney (PDF)" (PDF). Cornell University Athletics. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  2. ^ a b "vs. Opponents (PDF)" (PDF). Cornell University Athletics. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  3. ^ a b c "All-Time Results (PDF)" (PDF). Cornell University Athletics. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  4. ^ a b "History (PDF)" (PDF). Cornell University Athletics. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  5. ^ "Media Guide (PDF)" (PDF). Syracuse University Athletics. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  6. ^ Wallace, William N.; Times, Special To the New York (1988-05-31). "N.C.A.A. Lacrosse; Orangemen (15-0) Win Championship". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  7. ^ "Syracuse vs. Cornell: The historic rivalry is set to add another great chapter | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  8. ^ "Syracuse rallies for another men's lacrosse title". ESPN.com. 2009-05-25. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  9. ^ Thamel, Pete (2009-05-25). "With a Late Rally, Syracuse Defends Its Title". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  10. ^ a b "2009 thriller invigorates historic Cornell-Syracuse lacrosse rivalry". The Ithaca Voice. 2015-03-05. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  11. ^ "NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!". Syracuse University Athletics. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  12. ^ "Cornell men's lacrosse knocks out Syracuse, advances to NCAA quarters". Ithaca Journal. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  13. ^ "Survived, Advanced: Men's Lax Squeezes Orange At The Dome". Cornell University Athletics. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  14. ^ RyanMcD29 (2013-04-10). "Rivalry Week: Cornell-Syracuse Infographic". College Crosse. Retrieved 2020-04-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ "YbY (PDF)" (PDF). Cornell University Athletics. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
  16. ^ "Johns Hopkins University Men's Lacrosse Record Book" (PDF). Retrieved 10 March 2019.