US Lacrosse Magazine released the Nike/US Lacrosse Division I Men’s Preseason Top 20 on Jan. 2. Team-by-team previews will be unveiled on uslaxmagazine.com through the end of the month and will also appear as part of the magazine’s NCAA preview edition in February.

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No. 4 Cornell

2018 Record: 13-5 (4-2 Ivy League)
Coach: Peter Milliman (13-5 as Interim in 2018)

All-Time Record: 758-480-27
NCAA Appearances: 28
Final Fours: 13
Championships: 3

Cornell lacrosse is back in its familiar position heading into the 2019 season — a contender for an Ivy League championship, and possibly a national title to go with it. The Big Red tradition is intertwined with winning, but it took last year to get the program back on that track.

After two consecutive losing seasons, interim coach Peter Milliman led the Big Red to the Ivy League tournament championship and a berth in the NCAA quarterfinals. Led by sophomore sensation Jeff Teat, Cornell established itself as one of the nation’s best heading in 2019.

Now the official head coach, Milliman brought his team to the fall with more expectations than in years past. He doesn’t feel pressure to replicate the success of 2018, but his team is focused on doing just that.

“Last year was really trying to reestablish a foundation,” Milliman said. “This [fall], we were allowed to spend some time on our off-field culture, focusing on being great teammates, maybe for further development. I feel this is a more of an intensity than a pressure, when you’re part of a program that has expectations and you’re part of a program that has a strong tradition, when you’re part of a program that’s in contention.”

And with Teat, who tallied 99 points to lead the Big Red, running the offense, this team will present one of the more potent attack units in Division I. He and senior captain Clarke Petterson will enter their third year together, helping anchor an offense that lost just 14.2 percent of its scoring to graduation.

Captains Jake Pulver, Jordan Dowiak and Christian Knight are gone, but Milliman is confident is upperclassmen like Teat and Petterson to step into leadership roles this season.

“I don’t think we need to make too many adjustments to what they’re doing systematically,” Milliman said of the duo. “Jeff and Clarke came into this fall with another year of experience, a summer playing at a very high level — both competing in the Minto Cup. What I’m really excited about is they’re taking a more active role in the leadership of our offensive group and the team as a whole.”

The stacked offense will include junior Colton Rupp and sophomore John Piatelli, who combine for 44 points last season. Milliman expects to have a deep midfield, led by names like Jake McCulloch, Connor Fletcher and Jonathan Donville.

The loss of Christian Knight in goal might be the biggest hole to fill for Cornell, but sophomore Caelahn Bullen will presumably take those duties in the spring. He started four games last season and will have more experience than incoming freshman Chayse Ierlan.

Cornell will have to compete through a tough schedule in 2019, including defending national champion Yale in conference play. But if it can hold its own in the regular season, it could make a run at a fourth national title.

The Case For Cornell

The Big Red is back on the national stage after advancing to the 2018 NCAA quarterfinal. Much of that team is back for 2019, including potential Tewaaraton finalist Jeff Teat and the uber-talented Clarke Petterson. The sky is the limit for this offense, which could be the best in the nation entering the new year. The Big Red ranked fifth in the nation in scoring offense and brings back almost the entire unit. If the Cornell defense and faceoff game can hold up, this is a national championship caliber team. 

The Case Against Cornell

Leadership will be a small question mark for Peter Milliman’s team. Outside of Petterson, three captains left the program via graduation — Jordan Dowiak, Jake Pulver and Christian Knight. Veterans will need to step into those roles, and may have already. Another area of concern is at the faceoff x, where Cornell finished 52nd in Division I with a 44.3 win percentage. Junior Paul Rasimowicz returns after winning over 51 percent of his faceoffs. Peter Milliman’s program narrowly missed out on the TD Ierlan sweepstakes this offseason.

Path to the Playoffs

Barring injuries, this Cornell team should make the NCAA tournament field. It could either advance as an at-large team, or win the Ivy League tournament like it did in 2018. Matchups with Towson (March 10) and others make up a stacked nonconference slate, while Yale, Princeton, Brown, Penn, Harvard and Dartmouth make for tough tests in Ivy League play. When Yale meets Cornell (schedules were not released by press time), it could be the matchup of the college lacrosse season.

Players To Watch

Jeff Teat, A, Jr.
37 G, 62A

Teat is one of the best players in the nation, if not the best. He should surpass his total of 99 points in 2018 and make a run at the Cornell record 105 points in a season (Mike French, 1976). He should end the season third on Cornell’s all-time career points list.

Clarke Petterson, A, Sr.
44G, 19A, 48.4 SH%

Petterson is a star in his own right, pairing with fellow Canadian Teat to form one of the nation’s top attacking duos. He could lead the team once again in goals, pushing toward 50 goals this season. That would put him into the top 10 on Cornell’s all-time scoring list.

Dom Doria, LSM, Soph.
​20 CT, 10 GB

Doria led the team with 20 turnovers as a freshman last season, giving a glimpse of his potential going forward in this program. He'll be back as a stalwart at close defense, helping lock down some of the most talented players in the Ivy League.

National Rankings

Power Ratings (Scale of 1-5)

Offense
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Defense
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Goalkeeping
⭐⭐⭐

Faceoff
⭐⭐

172

Assists during the 2018 season, good for second in the nation behind Albany. This team can spread the wealth on offense.

5-Year Trend
Scoring Offense

Coach Confidential
Peter Milliman

“We have a group that can compete and, if we’re playing our best and playing as hard as we can, we have a chance to be as good as a lot of teams. It’s a process for us to learn how to do that every day.”

Enemy Lines

"I like that team. They’re going to score a lot of goals. They have to figure out how to deal with what people do with Teat. They have to figure out the faceoff X because they were up and down and injured there last year. They have to replace a guy in Knight who had a great year. Pulver was terrific last year, too. But man, they have the makings of a dangerous offense, for sure."

"I think they’re a scary offensive unit. They can score in bunches. They’re a little inexperienced in the goal and on defense, but coach Milliman has done a good job. The X factor is Jeff Teat. He’s a special young player. I love guys that pass the ball and create a ton of offense. He’s been impressive through his first two years."