ITHACA, N.Y. (CORNELL ATHLETICS) — Peter Thompson’s goal 1:20 into overtime lifted Michigan past Cornell, 15-14, in a wild first round game in the 2023 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Tournament on Sunday afternoon at Schoellkopf Field. The loss ended Ivy League regular season champion Cornell’s season at 11-4, while the Wolverines advanced to the quarterfinals in improving to 10-6.
The two teams combined for 12 goals in a wild fourth quarter that saw the Big Red twice rally from two goal deficits to tie it up, the last time at 14-14 courtesy of Billy Coyle’s 30th score of the season with 59 seconds remaining. Michigan won the ensuing face-off, but CJ Kirst caused the turnover to give Cornell the final offensive possession. A shot by Aiden Blake hit the post with 20 seconds left, and Billy Coyle’s last-gasp shot in the final seconds went wide to go to the extra session.

Cornell won the face-off to open the overtime possession, but the Wolverines’ Hunter Taylor made his 16th and final save on a shot by Jack Cascadden, who had knotted the game at 13-13 with just over four minutes to play in regulation.

Billy Coyle and Hugh Kelleher each had three goals, CJ Kirst notched two goals and an assist and Spencer Wirtheim had one goal and two helpers to pace the offense. Kirst’s two goals closed his 2023 campaign with 65 scores, one shy of the school’s single-season record. Gavin Adler caused four turnovers and won four ground balls, while Cascadden won 12-of-25 face-offs. Chayse Ierlan, playing his final game in goal for the Big Red, made 11 saves.

QUARTER 1
Michigan got the first goal of the day, but Andrew Dalton was able to shake his defender with 11:32 remaining in the first to get the first Cornell goal of the day.
Kelleher got the first Big Red lead of the day with a shot up the middle, hitting top-shelf.
Coyle added to the Cornell total on an attack from the X, diving around the crease to finish the goal to find the back of the net
Michigan responded with two to knot the game at three.
Long regained the lead off a feed from Wirtheim. He shot the ball into the turf, bouncing it over the Michigan goalkeeper.
Michigan answered with 1:20 remaining in the first to bring the score to 4-4 after one quarter of play.
QUARTER 2
Coyle net the first goal of the second quarter, as a solo look driving up the alley, but Michigan had an answer six seconds later, scoring off a faceoff.
Kirst slot the ball to Wirtheim with 8:30 remaining to get the Big Red’s sixth goal of the day.
Michigan net two in the final three minutes of the quarter to take a one-goal lead, 7-6.
QUARTER 3
Kelleher found the net first in the third quarter, running down hill to score 1:22 into the quarter.
Michigan net a goal to retake the lead after 9:18 of scoreless play from both sides, and added another to take a 9-7 lead with 3:35 to play in the third.
QUARTER 4
CJ Kirst net a wrap-around shot for his first goal of the day to bring the deficit back to one, but a Michigan found the net 30 seconds later to lead, 10-8.
Aiden Blake took a feed from Wirtheim to score his first of the day, and net his second less than a minute later to knot the game at 10.
Michigan scored again to take an 11-10 lead, but Kirst scooped a rebound off a shot by Long to tie the game at 11.
Michigan net two straight, but Kelleher’s hat track was completed with 4:14 remaining to trail by one.
Jack Cascadden tied the game with 4:05 remaining on a faceoff-to-goal play.
Each team traded goals to force overtime at 14-14.
SOME BIG RED NUMBERS
Kirst ends the season with 65 goals and 84 points, ranking second and 10th in the Cornell single-season records, respectively.
Michael Long extended his goal scoring streak to seven game.
Kirst ranks ninth in career points at Cornell (121).
Ierlan ends his Big Red career with the fifth most saves all-time at 590.
Alder ends his collegiate career with 63 caused turnovers, tied for fourth in the Big Red record books with Associate Head Coach Jordan Stevens ’15.