Perfect 14 Minutes Give Princeton 19-9 Win Over Cornell For Ivy Tournament Title

Sunday, May 3

Ithaca, NY

1:00 PM

Princeton University

13-2, 5-1Ivy

Cornell

11-4, 5-1Ivy

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Princeton	3	4	9	3	19
Cornell	2	3	1	3	9

Princeton 2026 Men's Lacrosse ILT Champs

Photo by: Nick Ierardi

Perfect 14 Minutes Give Princeton 19-9 Win Over Cornell For Ivy Tournament Title

May 03, 2026 | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score

All of it. Every minute of those seven losses. Every "Go Big Red" chant. Every frustrating moment of an eight-year losing streak. All of it gone — in as perfect a 14 minutes of lacrosse as a team can play.

Princeton overwhelmed Cornell in the third quarter Sunday afternoon en route to an unanticipated 10-goal win, taking down the Big Red 19-9 in the Ivy League tournament final to win the championship for the third time in four years. It was Princeton's first win over Cornell since 2018, and it positions the Tigers for a possible No. 1 seed when the NCAA selections are announced at 9:30 Sunday night.

How did it happen?

Princeton jumped out to a 3-0 lead, and of course Cornell came back. It was 7-5 at the half, and this one looked like it was headed to another close finish — and perhaps another frustrating ride back from Ithaca. What played out from there was astonishing.

First, there was the Princeton defense. Cornell had possession for the first 3:51 of the third quarter, including a one-minute extra man advantage for the No. 1 EMO team in Division I. A goal and it would During that 3:51 Princeton never possessed the ball across midfield, Cornell took seven shots and got four shot clock resets — and came up empty.

Next, there was the explosion. By the time Cornell scored again, with less than a minute left in the quarter, Princeton had scored nine goals on 15 shots and blown the game wide open at 16-5.

CAN YOUR FOGO DO THIS?!?!?!?! pic.twitter.com/cKSp4Sh3N8
— Princeton Men's Lacrosse (@TigerLacrosse) May 3, 2026

It was one incredible goal after another, coming from Chad Palumbo, and then Parker Reynolds, and then Palumbo again, and then two from Colin Burns, and then face-off man Andrew McMeekin — behind the back for good measure — and then Aidan McDonald and Porter Malkiel and finally a massive rip from Jackson Green with 1:02 left in the quarter. There was never a doubt in the fourth quarter.

Nate Kabiri was the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after having two goals and five assists against Cornell after a three-assist performance in the 12-10 semifinal win over Yale. Chad Palumbo (6G, 4A in the two games) made the all-tournament team for the third straight season, and Princeton's other representatives were Tucker Wade (6G, 1A), Ryan Croddick (18 saves against Cornell, 28 for the tournament with 19 goals against) and defenseman Finn Fox, who guarded Cornell's Ryan Goldstein and held him without a point until the fourth quarter.

OH MY JACKSON GREEN pic.twitter.com/zzN0CV5JsX
— Princeton Men's Lacrosse (@TigerLacrosse) May 3, 2026

Princeton's second midfield unit of Porter Malkiel, Jake Vana and Aiden McDonald combined for five goals on six shots, three of which came from Malkiel with one each for Vana and McDonald.

McMeekin went 14 for 26 on face-offs with seven groundballs; he broke Greg Waller's 34-year-old Princeton record for career face-offs with his second win of the day.