2023 NCAA Lacrosse Rankings: No. 4 Cornell (Men)

The 2023 college lacrosse season is almost here. As is our annual tradition, we’re featuring every team ranked in the Nike/USA Lacrosse Preseason Top 20.

Check back to USALaxMagazine.com each weekday this month for new previews, scouting reports and rival analysis.

TOP RETURNERS

C.J. Kirst, A, So.

Kirst has developed into one of the most lethal scorers in Division I — and he’s only played one season of college lacrosse. He dropped 55 goals and 24 assists in the 2022 season, and he will be asked to carry even more of a load this spring.

Michael Long, A, Sr.

Long is a senior despite only playing in 22 collegiate games. He showed plenty of firepower in the Big Red’s run to the national championship game and will likely be Cornell’s No. 2 threat on offense.

Gavin Adler, D/LSM, Sr.

Adler was Cornell’s lone member on the USILA first-team All-America list after forcing 34 caused turnovers and tallying 75 ground balls. He’s the anchor to the Big Red defense that allowed 11.16 goals per game in 2022.

KEY ADDITIONS

Ben Abladian, A, Jr. (Bryant)

Abladian was the 2021 NEC Rookie of the Year for a talented Bryant team. He followed that performance with 42 goals and five assists in 2022, sitting third on the Bulldogs in points. He should be an instant contributor on the Big Red offense.

Brendan Staub, LSM/D, Fr.

Staub comes to Ithaca after captaining the New York state championship Garden City team in the spring of 2022. One of the most dominant forces in Nassau County over the past few years, Staub could contribute immediately on the Cornell defense.

Jack Cascadden, FO, Fr.

Cascadden was part of that same Garden City team that won the state title in 2022, serving as the lead faceoff man. He was also voted as the most outstanding football player in Nassau County. Cascadden could serve as a complement to Angelo Petrakis at the X.

KEY DEPARTURES

Graduations: John Piatelli, A; Matt Licciardi, M; Dom Doria, D; Ian Jacobs, D

STORYLINES TO WATCH

Who will replace John Piatelli?

Star players who drop 66 goals and throw in 17 assists don’t develop every single year. In the case of John Piatelli, he was the latest in a pipeline of attacking talent at Cornell that includes Rob Pannell, Jeff Teat and Johnathan Donville.

Piatelli was the anchor of the Big Red offense, although C.J. Kirst certainly made his presence felt toward the tail end of last season. Kirst can make an impact both on and off the ball, but he won’t be able to shoulder the entire load left after Piatelli’s departure.

Michael Long (34 goals in 2022) figures to be in the conversation, although he missed a portion of the fall season. Transfer Ben Abladian could make an immediate impact on offense with two years at Bryant already under his belt.

How does Cornell return to Championship Weekend?

Cornell made a surprise trip to the national championship game last spring, in Connor Buczek’s first full season at the helm of the program. If the Big Red had 10 more minutes, they might have gone home with a monumental win over Maryland.

Alas, Cornell settled for national runners-up and plenty of motivation going into the 2023 season. The path to another trip to the final four will not be easy, with the Ivy League as strong as it has ever been and teams like Yale and Penn returning most of their cores.

For this team to have a shot at winning a national title, Kirst might need to develop into a Tewaaraton candidate and the Cornell defense could need to be even better than it was last season. These aren’t farfetched goals because the Big Red have one of the deeper rosters in the nation.

ENEMY LINES
WHAT RIVALS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE BIG RED

“The year after going to the championship is never easy. I think those guys have a culture to protect against a letdown or anything like that. I think they have a really good chance to do a lot of damage. Kirst is about as good a player as you’ll probably see this year.”

BEYOND THE BASICS
POWERED BY LACROSSE REFERENCE

3.48

John Piatelli has moved on, and the Cornell offense would seem to be at a crossroads. When Jeff Teat was on campus, the offense finished no worse than second in opponent-adjusted offensive efficiency. Last year, after their run to the finals, they finished 11th. Does the Cornell offense jump back into the top 10 with all that they return from last year’s runner-up squad, or does losing Piatelli condemn them to a further slide? Keep an eye on Aiden Blake as a replacement for some of Piatelli’s shots. He finished in the 96th percentile for on-goal shooting percentage and the 94th percentile for individual player efficiency.

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