The 2025 DI men’s lacrosse tournament semifinals will take place in Foxborough, MA, featuring No. 1 Cornell vs. No. 5 Penn State at 12 p.m. ET and No. 2 Maryland vs. No. 6 Syracuse at 2:30 p.m. Cornell, led by Tewaaraton frontrunner CJ Kirst, narrowly defeated Richmond in the quarterfinals. Maryland advanced by stifling Georgetown’s offense. Penn State rallied in the fourth quarter to upset Notre Dame, while Syracuse edged past Princeton in a shootout. Both matchups promise exciting clashes between top offenses and defenses, with key players like Kirst and Spallina set to shine.
The semifinals for the 2025 DI men’s lacrosse tournament are set following an eventful quarterfinal round. Here’s all you need to know to gear up for the matches in Foxborough, Massachusetts on Saturday.
First, check out the schedule:
- No. 1 Cornell vs. No. 5 Penn State, 12 p.m. ET | ESPN2 | Live stats
- No. 2 Maryland vs. No. 6 Syracuse, 2:30 p.m. | ESPN2 | Live stats
Paths to Gillette Stadium
No. 1 Cornell entered the tournament as the team to watch, spearheaded by Tewaaraton Award candidate CJ Kirst. The Big Red dominated Albany 15-6 in the first round, showcasing the prowess fans expect. Kirst netted six goals in the victory, moving closer to the DI single-season goal record.
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However, the top seed faced challenges in the quarterfinals against a fiery Richmond team, narrowly winning 13-12 to secure a spot in the semifinals. Cornell rallied in the fourth quarter, scoring four goals and preventing Richmond from taking a shot in the dying moments. Kirst contributed two goals and a personal-best 10 ground balls in the win, now only six goals away from the single-season record.
No. 2 Maryland also advanced smoothly to the quarterfinals, defeating Air Force 13-5 and setting up a clash with a Georgetown team eager for an upset after knocking off No. 7 seed Duke. The Terrapins’ second-ranked defense stifled the Hoyas, resulting in a 9-6 victory and securing Maryland’s second straight championship weekend appearance.
No. 5 Penn State has been in closely contested games throughout the tournament, winning each match by two goals. Colgate’s fourth-ranked offense challenged the Nittany Lions, but the defense stepped up significantly in the fourth quarter to snatch a 13-11 win in the first round.
The quarterfinals saw Penn State prove its mettle, overcoming back-to-back national champions Notre Dame 14-12 with a stunning fourth-quarter comeback. With the Irish leading by three going into the fourth, the Nittany Lions rallied, keeping Notre Dame scoreless while Kyle Lehman and Matt Traynor each scored two early fourth-quarter goals to secure the lead.
No. 6 Syracuse faced the toughest road to Foxborough, edging out Harvard 13-12 in overtime during the first round and then beating No. 3 Princeton 19-18 in a shootout. The Orange trailed 11-6 with 10 minutes remaining but scored six straight to take a 12-11 lead before Harvard forced OT with a last-minute goal. All-American Joey Spallina found Owen Hiltz quickly in sudden-death OT for the win.
Spallina and Hiltz shone again in the quarterfinals, combining for 13 points as Syracuse withstood Princeton’s six-goal fourth-quarter surge to reach championship weekend.
Matchup preview
No. 1 Cornell vs. No. 5 Penn State
Cornell looks for revenge. The Nittany Lions handed the Big Red their only loss of the season, defeating them 13-12 in overtime on March 8, where they limited Kirst to just three points—his lowest tally of the year.
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Penn State, with the nation’s eighth-ranked defense, successfully implemented a strategy to contain Kirst that other teams struggled with. The Nittany Lions average over 10 forced turnovers per game, led by senior long pole Kevin Parnham, who ranks eighth nationally with 1.93 caused turnovers. He and Alex Ross form a formidable defensive pair, focused on limiting Kirst and his teammates once more.
Conversely, Cornell is hungry for revenge, and its top-ranked offense has averaged over 17 goals in its last four contests. Even if Penn State manages to neutralize Kirst, Cornell has four additional players with 20 or more goals, including Ryan Goldstein, who ranks fourth in the nation in points per game (5.18) alongside Kirst’s 6.35.
This battle between the two offenses and defenses will be the key highlight on Saturday.
No. 2 Maryland vs. No. 6 Syracuse
Two of the most storied programs in lacrosse clash for a spot in the championship. Maryland triumphed over Syracuse in their regular-season meeting, holding the Orange’s sixth-ranked offense to just half its average in an 11-7 victory. Duke was the only other team to limit Syracuse to seven goals this season.
Like the other semifinal, this matchup pits a top offense against a top defense. Maryland has conceded only 11 goals throughout the tournament, while Syracuse has scored a combined 32. Spallina is leading the Cuse attack with 89 points this season (third nationally), and he, along with Owen Hiltz (72 points), has been outstanding in the tournament’s first two rounds. The Terps are anchored by the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Will Schaller, who has been a nightmare for opponents all season.
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Syracuse holds an edge at the face-off circle with John Mullen, who leads the nation in face-off wins (274) and boasts a 64% success rate this year. His contributions were crucial during the fourth-quarter comeback against Harvard, securing possession for the Orange during their 6-0 run.
If Mullen performs well on Saturday, the Orange could control possession. However, I doubt that seven goals will suffice to overcome the Terps, so Spallina and Hiltz must find a way to break through Maryland’s defense.
Head-to-head stats
| Cornell | Stat | Penn State |
|---|---|---|
| 16.18 | Goals/game | 12.40 |
| 10.35 | Goals against/game | 9.07 |
| 14.76 | TOs/game | 14.27 |
| 7.06 | Caused TOs/game | 10.67 |
| .893 | Clearing % | .894 |
| Maryland | Stat | Syracuse |
|---|---|---|
| 11.13 | Goals/game | 13.89 |
| 7.93 | Goals against/game | 10.17 |
| 13.60 | TOs/game | 13.50 |
| 7.33 | Caused TOs/game | 8.50 |
| .912 | Clearing % | .863 |