Division 1 men's lacrosse Final Four at Gillette Stadium will have a New York feel
No. 5 Penn State (12-4), coached by Camillus, N.Y., native and former Cornell coach Jeff Tambroni, will face the Big Red on Saturday at noon. No. 2 Maryland (13-3), coached by Corning, N.Y., native and former Cornell player and Ithaca College assistant John Tillman, will then clash with the Orange at 2:30 p.m.
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There's plenty of familiarity among all four coaches, and they'll have their roots in mind as they duke it out on college lacrosse's grandest stage.
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'It's a blessing to be a part of it, period, regardless of where you're from or where it's going to be hosted,' Tambroni said. 'But knowing that there's going to be a ton of roots up there from upstate New York, it's an added bonus to be involved in this particular Final Four.'
Tambroni said he's heard from many people he grew up with as the Nittany Lions have surged to their third Final Four in seven years. They've lost at this stage both times and are eyeing the first national title in program history.
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It took a spectacular comeback against two-time defending champion Notre Dame in the quarterfinals to get here. The Nittany Lions trailed by six late in the third quarter before Matt Traynor (team-high 42 goals this season) spearheaded the surge to finish with six goals.
Penn State is up against a proud Cornell program eager to finish an arduous climb nearly 50 years in the making. Buczek credited Tambroni for serving as a steward and vaulting Cornell back into the spotlight.
Cornell, champion in 1971, 1976, and 1977, has been runner-up five times since, including in 2022, when these seniors fell to Maryland as freshmen.
'Every year, when Memorial Day comes around, it's something that everybody's reminded of, that it's been almost 50 years,' Buczek said. 'It's certainly a group that we want to make proud, for all of the alums from '77 on that haven't had the opportunity to get over the hump.'
The Big Red also had a circuitous path to the Final Four, erasing a fourth-quarter deficit to outlast Richmond. It starts with superstar CJ Kirst, who corralled 10 ground balls in that one and leads the nation with 76 goals.
Cornell's lone loss this season came to Penn State, 13-12 in overtime, in early March.
'If you leave anything on the table, great teams will take advantage, and they're just that,' Buczek said. 'We're excited for the opportunity to hopefully right that wrong, but we have a huge test in front of us.'
The winner of that showdown will get a crack at Maryland or Syracuse. Tillman said he couldn't be more proud of where he was raised, noting that he fostered a strong sense of community in Corning as a kid.
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Tillman said that back in the 1980s, when professional lacrosse didn't exist and college games weren't on TV, fans would drive several hours to see their favorite teams. Trips brought him to Syracuse and Cornell, among other schools, and inspired him on his current path.
'I certainly learned a lot from watching those teams,' Tillman said.
The Terrapins, taking part in their 30th Final Four, have four national titles and are pursuing their second in four years.
Daniel Kelly, Eric Spanos, and Braden Erksa lead the way with 30-plus goals apiece, and Will Schaller has 22 caused turnovers for a team that's held opponents to 7.8 goals per game.
'They're so good defensively,' said Gait.
The Orange, winners of 10 NCAA titles from 1983-2009, are back in the Final Four for the first time since 2013.
Syracuse, which has won three straight one-goal games dating to the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament final, relies on Owen Hiltz (45 goals), Joey Spallina (54 assists), and former Norwell star John Mullen (.639 faceoff percentage), among others.
Gait, who was an assistant women's coach at Maryland, left after he didn't get the men's head job and elected not to apply when it opened up again later. The Orange have lost seven straight meetings with the Terrapins, including an 11-7 setback in February, but Gait is hopeful now is the time for a breakthrough.
'We've found a way to win these close games and make plays when we need them,' he said. 'That's been the journey of the season.'
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Trevor Hass can be reached at
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