Final Four!!!! Princeton Finishes Off Penn State To Advance To National Semifinals

Sunday, May 17

Newark, Del.

Noon

Princeton University

15-2

Penn State

10-6

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Penn St.	2	4	3	1	10
Princeton	1	5	3	5	14

Princeton men's lacrosse to the Final Four

Photo by: Camryn Ley

Final Four!!!! Princeton Finishes Off Penn State To Advance To National Semifinals

May 17, 2026 | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score

A full year of frustration, exactly 365 days of frustration, hovered over the Princeton men's lacrosse team. And now history was 14 minutes away from repeating itself.

What did the Princeton men's lacrosse team have to say about that? No chance.

Princeton, down by one early in the fourth quarter in its NCAA quarterfinal against Penn State on a sweltering day at Delaware Stadium, ripped off the final five goals of the day, taking down the Nittany Lions 14-10 to reach the Final Four for the 12^th time in program history and second time in five years. Top-seeded Princeton will play in the national semifinals against the winner of the Duke/Georgetown game at Scott Stadium at the University of Virginia this coming Saturday, while Syracuse and Notre Dame will meet in the other semifinal.

TIGERS ADVANCE TO CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND pic.twitter.com/3tF7lCJRcs
— Princeton Men's Lacrosse (@TigerLacrosse) May 17, 2026

The win over Penn State came one year to the day when Princeton fell 19-18 to Syracuse in this same round, something that the Tigers have had to sit on for all this time. They weren't about to let it happen again.

Bang. Quinn Krammer finished a perfect fast break that started with Jackson Green's third caused turnover of the day and ended with a feed from Chad Palumbo. Tie game, 10-10.

Bang bang. Two goals in five seconds, the first a John Dunphey rip as the shot clock expired, the second an Andrew McMeekin goal after yet another face-off win. Princeton 12-10 with 6:38 to go.

A little more than a minute later, Tucker Wade struck again — for the fourth time — making it 13-10. Cooper Mueller sealed it with 56 seconds to go. Tiger win. Ghosts exorcised.

Princeton was playing a Penn State team that ruined opening day back in February with a 13-7 win at Sherrerd Field. This game was played in temps 50 degrees warmer, and it was back and forth one for three quarters and one minute.

Penn State went up 2-0. Princeton led 6-4. It was 6-6 at the half; 9-9 after three; 10-9 Nittany Lions with those 14 minutes to go. And then it was all out Tigers from there.

Palumbo had a 3G, 2A afternoon, giving him 101 goals for his career. Wade had his four, but this was a game that needed everyone.

Parker Reynolds had a goal and two huge assists to Wade. Jake Vana and Porter Malkiel had huge goals in the second midfield. Eight Tigers had one goal. Defensive depth was huge.

If there was a star, though, it was McMeekin, who completely dominated Penn State's 1-2 combination of Colby Baldwin and Reid Gills at the face-off X. Penn State came into the game fifth in Division I at .601 for the year; McMeekin put up a 19 for 26 day with 12 groundballs and the killer goal to put the Tigers up by two again in the fourth.