CORNELL 2025

[Chousnake]

So here are the two big questions/issues for Cornell lax over the next few seasons in light of recent developments in the college sports and lax world (NIL growth, the House vs NCAA decision and pay for college athletes, and lax coaching salaries)

1) How does Cornell retain Buczek and fend off the inevitable offers from a big time ACC/B10 program? It appears Torpey got a sizable contract from Brown and Yale has not an issue holding onto Shay. It would be fantastic to retain Buczek for the long term. How does Cornell make that happen and what can alumni do to help?

2) How does Ivy League/Cornell lax remain competitive in the upcoming age of athlete compensation? How can Cornell, which does not even offer athletic scholarships, has no formal NIL cooperative despite alumni with deep pockets and a huge endowment, and does not bring any revenue in from its football and basketball programs, compete with the big time programs that will remove limits on scholarships, throw around NIL money, and potentially pay lax players under the House ruling?

[faircornell]

So here are the two big questions/issues for Cornell lax over the next few seasons in light of recent developments in the college sports and lax world (NIL growth, the House vs NCAA decision and pay for college athletes, and lax coaching salaries)

1) How does Cornell retain Buczek and fend off the inevitable offers from a big time ACC/B10 program? It appears Torpey got a sizable contract from Brown and Yale has not an issue holding onto Shay. It would be fantastic to retain Buczek for the long term. How does Cornell make that happen and what can alumni do to help?

2) How does Ivy League/Cornell lax remain competitive in the upcoming age of athlete compensation? How can Cornell, which does not even offer athletic scholarships, has no formal NIL cooperative despite alumni with deep pockets and a huge endowment, and does not bring any revenue in from its football and basketball programs, compete with the big time programs that will remove limits on scholarships, throw around NIL money, and potentially pay lax players under the House ruling?

Great questions:

IMHO, #2 ultimately drives #1... I've heard informally of some perennially Top Five lacrosse programs offering compensation to lax players out of football and hoops revenue. I can't cite specific examples，but I trust the sources of information.

Personally, I would guess that the first "domino" to fall would be if a highly recruited Cornell player or players enter the Portal for compensation at another institution.

Finally, the choice of the next Cornell President， and their commitment to the communities of alums and athletics will be an overarching determinant in how Cornell responds to this new environment.

[Ezra White]

Finally, the choice of the next Cornell President， and their commitment to the communities of alums and athletics will be an overarching determinant in how Cornell responds to this new environment.

Totally agree. But Martha Pollack won't leave the position until the end of this month, and then there's a 2-year period before the next president takes over. While this may be a wise plan for hiring a new president, these issues with the changing NC$$ landscape may rear their ugly heads long before that.

This cloud's only silver lining may be that during the interim the university develops a strategy for dealing with the changing monetary landscape of college athletics, and then the search committee looks for a president who, along with all the other traits the new president should have, will commit to support Cornell athletics accordingly.

That President Pollack must have approved the dual-HC strategy for men's hockey 2024-5 is a good start. We'll need to follow up on similar issues during the 2-year presidential transition period and then hire a new president who is committed to keeping Cornell D-I competitive.

[faircornell]

Finally, the choice of the next Cornell President， and their commitment to the communities of alums and athletics will be an overarching determinant in how Cornell responds to this new environment.

Totally agree. But Martha Pollack won't leave the position until the end of this month, and then there's a 2-year period before the next president takes over. While this may be a wise plan for hiring a new president, these issues with the changing NC$$ landscape may rear their ugly heads long before that.

This cloud's only silver lining may be that during the interim the university develops a strategy for dealing with the changing monetary landscape of college athletics, and then the search committee looks for a president who, along with all the other traits the new president should have, will commit to support Cornell athletics accordingly.

That President Pollack must have approved the dual-HC strategy for men's hockey 2024-5 is a good start. We'll need to follow up on similar issues during the 2-year presidential transition period and then hire a new president who is committed to keeping Cornell D-I competitive.

Thanks, EW! I didn't realize that there was a two year wait. My impression from various discussions was that there were some serious leadership issues that needed to be addressed. I agree with you that this is an inopportune time for Athletics to be left rudderless from the top.

The logical conclusion from the standpoint of athlete compensation is that the ACC and the Big Ten will move faster than the Ivies in paying athletes. I wonder if schools like HYP with large endowments and big football budgets will pay for football talent. I could see a program like Yale's paying for lacrosse talent.

While alumni giving for Cornell Men's Lacrosse is impressive, I'm not sure that we have the deep pockets needed to both run the team and pay for talent.

[Ezra White]

Finally, the choice of the next Cornell President， and their commitment to the communities of alums and athletics will be an overarching determinant in how Cornell responds to this new environment.

Totally agree. But Martha Pollack won't leave the position until the end of this month, and then there's a 2-year period before the next president takes over. While this may be a wise plan for hiring a new president, these issues with the changing NC$$ landscape may rear their ugly heads long before that.

This cloud's only silver lining may be that during the interim the university develops a strategy for dealing with the changing monetary landscape of college athletics, and then the search committee looks for a president who, along with all the other traits the new president should have, will commit to support Cornell athletics accordingly.

That President Pollack must have approved the dual-HC strategy for men's hockey 2024-5 is a good start. We'll need to follow up on similar issues during the 2-year presidential transition period and then hire a new president who is committed to keeping Cornell D-I competitive.

Thanks, EW! I didn't realize that there was a two year wait. My impression from various discussions was that there were some serious leadership issues that needed to be addressed. I agree with you that this is an inopportune time for Athletics to be left rudderless from the top.

The logical conclusion from the standpoint of athlete compensation is that the ACC and the Big Ten will move faster than the Ivies in paying athletes. I wonder if schools like HYP with large endowments and big football budgets will pay for football talent. I could see a program like Yale's paying for lacrosse talent.

While alumni giving for Cornell Men's Lacrosse is impressive, I'm not sure that we have the deep pockets needed to both run the team and pay for talent.

You raise some excellent points. The changing landscape of (1) realigned superpower conferences; (2) a goldmine of video revenues, which drives #1; and (3) dropping the pretense of amateur athletics in the face of NIL & revenue sharing will affect the Ivies, who will probably try to hold on to the ideal/charade (your pick) of amateur student athletes. You're right that the more richly endowed schools with more super-wealthy alumni -- primarily HYP -- will be best positioned to deal with this, if for no other reason than their endowments, coupled with bull markets, might allow them to provide cushy financial "aid" to all students without having to bring in big bucks from football TV contracts.

But take heart. In his recent homage to Mike Schafer, Adam Wooten wrote:

When rules changes and other factors led to a change in styles in the sport, Cornell tried to adapt its recruiting philosophy, and had to tinker quite a bit before finding the right fit. Same goes for many changes in assistant coaches. Sometimes a new one works, sometimes it doesn't. When changes to financial aid rules at Yale, Harvard and Princeton allowed those teams to win more recruiting battles, it took a few years before Cornell was allowed to match it.

Time will tell.

[mfp]

Willem Firth is doing great things in the OJLL:

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... runs/63647
https://x.com/AdamLeviNLL/status/1803585482866983347

I don't know much about the OJLL. Firth was scoring at a record-setting pace...but his team had to forfeit a bunch of games for some violation and, unfortunately, Firth's stats for those games will be wiped out.

Not that Firth did not play a significant role for Cornell in his freshman year, but I am curious to see how the coaching staff can find ways to make him an even more important contributor.

[Ezra White]

Willem Firth is doing great things in the OJLL:

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... runs/63647
https://x.com/AdamLeviNLL/status/1803585482866983347

I don't know much about the OJLL. Firth was scoring at a record-setting pace...but his team had to forfeit a bunch of games for some violation and, unfortunately, Firth's stats for those games will be wiped out.

Not that Firth did not play a significant role for Cornell in his freshman year, but I am curious to see how the coaching staff can find ways to make him an even more important contributor.

I think a lot of it has to do with making players mesh. Playing with Kirst, Long, & Goldstein on attack should make Firth even more dangerous, but last season I don't think this group reached their full potential. Injuries played a part, especially for Long & Goldstein. Also, we were loaded on attack and moved Firth to midfield. I don't think this took advantage of his full potential. But honestly, he might be better at attack, but then who would he replace?

[another fan]

Willem Firth is doing great things in the OJLL:

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... runs/63647
https://x.com/AdamLeviNLL/status/1803585482866983347

I don't know much about the OJLL. Firth was scoring at a record-setting pace...but his team had to forfeit a bunch of games for some violation and, unfortunately, Firth's stats for those games will be wiped out.

Not that Firth did not play a significant role for Cornell in his freshman year, but I am curious to see how the coaching staff can find ways to make him an even more important contributor.

I think a lot of it has to do with making players mesh. Playing with Kirst, Long, & Goldstein on attack should make Firth even more dangerous, but last season I don't think this group reached their full potential. Injuries played a part, especially for Long & Goldstein. Also, we were loaded on attack and moved Firth to midfield. I don't think this took advantage of his full potential. But honestly, he might be better at attack, but then who would he replace?

Firth's natural position is attack, but in addition to the issue of our stacked attack, we already have a pretty good lefty attack. While it's not impossible for two lefties to play together on attack, Firth's one handedness makes it even harder. As a middie, he surprised some people early in the year, but his production seemed to fall off as the season went on. He not surprisingly was very overplayed to his left hand, and if he went right and then tried to get back to his left hand, he was dodging right into the defender. I don't recall whether he inverted a lot, but if not I would try doing so. He is very good getting the ball in and out of his stick quickly for mid range snipes, but as a dodger and feeder could be more effective from behind.

[10stone5]

Willem Firth is doing great things in the OJLL:

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... runs/63647
https://x.com/AdamLeviNLL/status/1803585482866983347

I don't know much about the OJLL. Firth was scoring at a record-setting pace...but his team had to forfeit a bunch of games for some violation and, unfortunately, Firth's stats for those games will be wiped out.

Not that Firth did not play a significant role for Cornell in his freshman year, but I am curious to see how the coaching staff can find ways to make him an even more important contributor.

He’s far outperforming Spallina and Finn Thomson among other high profile players,

Canadian box officials can be worse than the NCAA, can’t see what penalizing that team a couple games will do, they’re on pace to get the playoff’s top seed anyway,

there is so much soft compensation in those box leagues anyway.

The Toronto Peterborough game from May is archived - with Collison, Peyton Booth - its a very good demonstration of Firth at his best (well actually, that game, Collison and Firth were both superb, work very well together).

[Ezra White]

Willem Firth is doing great things in the OJLL:

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... runs/63647
https://x.com/AdamLeviNLL/status/1803585482866983347

I don't know much about the OJLL. Firth was scoring at a record-setting pace...but his team had to forfeit a bunch of games for some violation and, unfortunately, Firth's stats for those games will be wiped out.

Not that Firth did not play a significant role for Cornell in his freshman year, but I am curious to see how the coaching staff can find ways to make him an even more important contributor.

He’s far outperforming Spallina and Finn Thomson among other high profile players,

Canadian box officials can be worse than the NCAA, can’t see what penalizing that team a couple games will do, they’re on pace to get the playoff’s top seed anyway,

there is so much soft compensation in those box leagues anyway.

The Toronto Peterborough game from May is archived - with Collison, Peyton Booth - its a very good demonstration of Firth at his best (well actually, that game, Collison and Firth were both superb, work very well together).

Could someone please provide a link to the archived game?

[D2fan]

https://youtube.com/@theojll?si=Ks2po0Qg4NMvrxZM

Everything is under the “Live” tab.

[10stone5]

Wow

eight game penalty, remove 8 wins,

for Firth’s box team.

[Chousnake]

Now it's official. Cornell '24 recruit Michael Melkonian, FO/Midfield from South Side, named Nassau County player of the year by Newsday.

Here is what was written - very impressive

The faceoff X marked the spot where Michael Melkonian dominated, helping the Cyclones win games and helping this specialist win compliments from coaches and teammates along the route to the state Class B championship. "They have a fantastic face off guy," Yorktown coach Tim Schur said after Melkonian went 19-3 in the state semifinal. "Melkonian is definitely a special talent. He's going to do great things in college," Warwick coach Tom Kelly said after the Cornell commit went 19-1 in the the Southeast Regional Final, including one ball he scooped up and took all the way for a goal.

Fellow South Side senior Owen West called hime "the best faceoff kid in the country"

So the Cyclones had the ball a lot.
They went 21-1 after Melkonian went 365-88 onfaceoffs, including 130-20 across their seven postseason games. He also collected 266 ground balls and contributed 12 goals and six assists.
"I just think once I get a little bit of a groove on, I think I din just control the game," Melkonian said when asked about his faceoff prowess, "and I can make sure I get the ball to my teammates or I can push it to myself and just help us get opportunities to score some goals."
The four-year varsity player set program records with this skill. They were for faceoff wins in a career (847), faceoff win percentage in a season (.806 in 2024) and faceoff win percentage in a career (751).

"He's been training and doing this since about third grade." South Side coach Steve DiPietro said. "He goes to all the trainings."He's been training and doing this since about third grade," South Side coach Steve DiPietro said."He learns different techniques. He learns from other guys. . . He's fast enough and athletic enough to run away from guys. He can win it to himself. He can win it forward, backward. So he's got the full complement in his toolbox.

[10stone5]

Here are the Ontario Junior wankers who made that horrendous call,

they penalized the Toronto player stats as well as making the team forfeit 8 games,

hopefully Firth and Collison take it out on the rest of the league.

https://www.ontariojuniorlacrosse.com/governors

[Ezra White]

Here are the Ontario Junior wankers who made that horrendous call,

they penalized the Toronto player stats as well as making the team forfeit 8 games,

hopefully Firth and Collison take it out on the rest of the league.

https://www.ontariojuniorlacrosse.com/governors

Do you mean the entire Board of Governors, which made this decision, consists of those two overweight guys standing in front of squad cars? (I had to double check to make sure I was on a lacrosse site.)

I looked under "News" to learn more about the forfeit, but the site doesn't seem to want to display its dirty laundry.

[laxjuris]

Here are the Ontario Junior wankers who made that horrendous call,

they penalized the Toronto player stats as well as making the team forfeit 8 games,

hopefully Firth and Collison take it out on the rest of the league.

https://www.ontariojuniorlacrosse.com/governors

Do you mean the entire Board of Governors, which made this decision, consists of those two overweight guys standing in front of squad cars? (I had to double check to make sure I was on a lacrosse site.)

I looked under "News" to learn more about the forfeit, but the site doesn't seem to want to display its dirty laundry.

Yeah, I thought I was directed to a Dukes of Hazzard tribute site

[10stone5]

Here are the Ontario Junior wankers who made that horrendous call,

they penalized the Toronto player stats as well as making the team forfeit 8 games,

hopefully Firth and Collison take it out on the rest of the league.

https://www.ontariojuniorlacrosse.com/governors

Do you mean the entire Board of Governors, which made this decision, consists of those two overweight guys standing in front of squad cars? (I had to double check to make sure I was on a lacrosse site.)

I looked under "News" to learn more about the forfeit, but the site doesn't seem to want to display its dirty laundry.

Yeah, I thought I was directed to a Dukes of Hazzard tribute site

[mfp]

Not a Cornell 2025 post these highlights are too fun not to share: PLL - Jeff Teat highlights but they increasingly get more impressive

https://x.com/PremierLacrosse/status/18 ... 5526848845

[Ezra White]

Not a Cornell 2025 post these highlights are too fun not to share: PLL - Jeff Teat highlights but they increasingly get more impressive

https://x.com/PremierLacrosse/status/18 ... 5526848845

Curse you, COVID! Curse you!!!

[drunkmonkey30]

Congrats to both Coach Buczek and former player McClay on being named assistant coaches on the US men's u20 team.

https://www.usalacrosse.com/magazine/na ... taff-named