MLAX loses, 21-11, at No. 7/6 Cornell

Box Score (PDF)

ITHACA, New York – The Marquette University men's lacrosse team fell 21-11 at No. 7/6 Cornell on Tuesday afternoon at Schoellkopf Field in Ithaca, New York.

Sophomore attackman Bobby O'Grady had his seventh hat trick of the year to lead the Golden Eagles (6-5), while Devon Cowan, Luke Blanc and Jackson Rose each scored twice.

CJ Kirst, the nation's leading scorer, had game-highs of six goals and eight points for the Big Red (8-2), which outshot MU, 50-41, and was a perfect 25-of-25 on clear attempts.

Cowan tallied the day's first goal at the 12:26 mark of the opening quarter, but Cornell held MU off the scoresheet for the next 17:38 of game action. Blanc's first of the day snapped a 10-0 run by the home team and the Golden Eagles trailed 14-5 at the half.

Marquette would pull within seven, 16-9, on Cowan's second goal in the opening minute of the fourth quarter but could get no closer.

NOTABLE:

Tuesday's game was MU's first against a member of the Ivy League.
Cowan moved into a tie with Conor Gately (2013-16) and John Wagner (2016-19) for second in program history with 77 goals. O'Grady sits one goal behind the trio with 76 career scores.
O'Grady's hat trick is his seventh this season and 13th of his career.
With three assists on Tuesday, Jake Stegman is third in Marquette history with 48 career assists, behind only Conor Gately (63) and Ryan McNamara (50).
Stegman now has 23 assists this season, the highest single-season total in program history. He moved past Conor Gately's freshman campaign (20 assists) in 2013 for sole possession of the record.
MU defenseman Mason Woodward entered the game as the NCAA leader in ground balls per game (5.40) among non-faceoff specialists and picked up six. He's second in MU history in career ground balls (202) and trails only Liam Byrnes (218 ground balls; 2013-16).
Woodward scored his fifth goal of the season after a ground ball pick up and clear late in the second quarter. He's scored five times in 11 games this season after entering the year with two goals in his first 31 career games.
Cornell attackman CJ Kirst entered the game leading NCAA Division I with 43 goals through nine games for an average of 4.78 goals per contest. His 5.78 points per game was also first nationally. He scored his 49th goal of the season, and sixth of the day, on Tuesday midway through the third quarter.
Cornell head coach Connor Buczek was a teammate of MU assistant coach Jacob Richard on Atlas Lacrosse Club during the inaugural season of the Premier Lacrosse League in 2019.

UP NEXT: The Golden Eagles return to Milwaukee to host No. 9/10 Georgetown on Saturday afternoon. MU closes the month of April with games at No. 13 Villanova and on Friday, April 28 against No. 11/12 Denver on Senior Night in Milwaukee.

Keep up with the Marquette men's lacrosse program through social media by following on Twitter (@MarquetteMLax) and Instagram (@MarquetteMLax) and 'liking' on Facebook (/MarquetteMLax).