The #13 Bears took down the #3 Big
Red of Cornell. The question remains...If the Brown Bears don't deserve some
respect now... I don't know who does. Revenge? Maybe. Proof that the Bears
deserve some recognition as a powerhouse? Definitely.
This one is long, but if you make it to the end, you'll hopefully see why.
Last year, the Bears and the Big Red shared the Ivy League title, but when it came down to who got the tournament bid, it was the Big Red who defeated the Bears in the head-to-head matchup. Not one of the Bears on the field today has ever tasted a victory over Cornell, with the Bears' last win over the Big Red in a 2002 overtime match. But today, things were different.
In 60 minutes of cut-throat passion, skill and drive, the Brown Bears and the Big Red of Cornell duked it out in one of the most exciting games I've seen. Growing up watching some of the best college lacrosse, I've yet to see many games that compare to what I just saw today.
It started off with a win by Brown face-off guy Joel Tracy as possession ping-ponged with two jittery teams that were itching to get the first goal. The first 5 minutes changed possessions with stripped balls, sloppy turnovers but a drive from both sides that let you know this was gonna be a fun game. Then with a Cornell possession, George Calvert found an open spot stick-side high on Burke for a quick goal that put the Big Red up by one with just under 10 minutes to go.
The Bears were ready for the challenge, regaining possession and taking a few missed shots. Then, the recently silent threat from behind, Kyle Hollingsworth reminded the Big Red that they weren't invincible. Coming from behind the crease, Hollingsworth got a lefty high-to-low goal on Jake Myers. Then in a man-up situation thirty seconds later, Muldoon found Feinberg for his first goal and the first of three times Feinberg would give the Bears the lead.
Then it was Cornell's turn to remind the Bears that they're ranked up high for a reason. Pierce Dierkac got on the board before John Glynn scored his sole point of the day. Glynn just above .500 at the X with 11-of-20 face-off wins. The face-off battle proved to be one of the deciding factors of the game as the Bears took advantage of 10-of-24 face-offs, which Coach Tiffany pointed out isn't typical for his squad.
Hollingsworth tied things back up at 3-3 before the Big Red got back on the board with two more back-to-back goals by Rob Pannell and Ryan Hurley. Keeping the Bears defense on their toes all game long, Cornell peppered Jordan Burke and the Bears' defense with 45 shots throughout the game. Muldoon kept things interesting with an unassisted goal with 6:49 to play in the first half to make it 5-4. The Bears wouldn't be able to make it even before the time ran out, but with a huge save by Burke in the last second, the Big Red advantage wouldn't be more than one.
Words can't describe the rough and outstanding play by both defensive units on the field. For the Bears, they almost shutout Max Seibald and John Glynn who were both held to one goal apiece. The Bears picked up 30 ground balls, including six from an outstanding effort by Ryan Cassil. Midfielder Jack Walsh was, as always, all over the place on the field also picking up a total of six ground balls.
Muldoon and the Bears came out on fire again scoring just over three minutes into the second half. As the Bears passed around the perimeter, Muldoon took his opportunity when he could with a sniper lefty goal that went top shelf. The Bears were even again before Pannell from Cornell got another tally of the day.
Then came my Play of the Game #1. After a messy shuffle behind the Bears' goal, Ryan Cassil swooped in for a ground ball launching it to Jake Hardy down the field. The fast break kept its momentum as Hardy got the ball off to Feinberg for a quick pass to Hollingsworth for the goal. With the score, Hollingsworth got a hat trick and tied it up for the second time for the Bears. Feinberg got on the board again with 1:16 left in the third as he came around the goal's left side and fired it past Myers before he could react.
Then, the man held quiet for much of the game, Max Seibald got on the board after Pannell saw him from down the field, launching the ball to where Seibald was ready to strike on the crease. He offered a quick fake before firing high on Burke for 7-7 tie to close out the quarter.
Feinberg opened up the fourth in a man-up goal for a hat trick off a feed from Seligmann. The efforts by the Bears all over the field in the final quarter were outstanding. After Feinberg's goal, Rocco Romero got his second point of the day with an unassisted mark to tie it up at 8-8. From there, the Bears dominated despite tons of pressure from the Cornell defense. Seligmann broke the tie after a pass from Hollingsworth before my Play of the Game #2. Rob Schlesinger came onto the field at full speed when his defender slipped out for a sub as Feinberg saw his open at the top. First-year Schlesinger caught to pass and fired it low for the game-winning goal to make it 10-8 Bears.
Cornell took 17 shots in the final quarter as my Player of the Game, Jordan Burke put up his biggest numbers of the game with 7 saves. Burke's efforts in the final quarter and the defensive unit as a whole gave the offense those needed opportunities in the final mintues.
When I thought the plays couldn't get much messier, the Big Red was determined to regain possession with 3:58 to play after Schlesinger's goal. With Myers out playing D and the Big Red double teaming the offensive unit, Bears were falling at the touch of the ball. With three men down, literally, and Myers out of the goal, Brady Williams caught a pass on the right and fired into the empty net to secure the victory for the Bears 11-8 with :53 seconds to play. The Big Red still wouldn't go down without a fight as Derkac struck low on Burke for a final goal of the game to finish the game 11-9.
So yeah, it was an awesome game, but what does this all mean for the tournament? Potentially, a lot. For one, the Big Red can no longer win the Ivy League title outright as they have one Ivy loss along with Brown and Princeton. However, they're win over Princeton could give them the automatic qualifier for the NCAA if Brown falls to them next week. But for now, let's let the Bears revel in their victory and prepare for next week.
With the win, the Bears move on to 12-2 overall and 4-1 in the Ivy. They meet up with the Tigers on Princeton's home turf Saturday at 1 p.m.
With the loss, Cornell falls to 9-3 overall and finishes out the Ivy League 5-1. They play their final game against Hobart Saturday.
Be sure to check out the highlights at LaxUnited.com with interviews from Feinberg, Burke and Coach Tiffany.
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