NCAA Lacrosse Preview: How to Watch, Stream Penn State Vs. Cornell in the NCAA Semifinals

The Nittany Lions take on top-ranked Cornell in the semifinals of the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Tournament.

Penn State Nittany Lions midfielder Matt Traynor (22) celebrates with teammates after scoring against Duke during the 2023 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Tournament semifinals. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Penn State returns to college lacrosse's biggest stage this weekend, as the Nittany Lions will meet Cornell in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. Penn State is playing in the semifinals for the second time in three years.

The fifth-seeded Nittany Lions bring a hot streak to the semis along with a significant confidence boost. Penn State is the only team to beat top-ranked Cornell this season, and its head coach has a long history with the opponent. Here's what to watch in the Penn Sate-Cornell game at the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championships.

Penn State (12-4) vs. Cornell (16-1)

• When: Noon ET Saturday

• Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• TV: ESPN2

• Streaming: ESPN+

How to watch the Penn State-Cornell game in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championships

The NCAA will stage a men's lacrosse semifinal doubleheader Saturday at Gillette Stadium to determine who will play for this season's national championship. Penn State meets Cornell in the first game at noon ET. Maryland takes on Syracuse in the second game at 2:30 p.m. Both games will be televised live on ESPN2 and streamed on ESPN+.

How Penn State reached the NCAA semifinals

Matt Traynor, the Big Ten offensive player of the year, helped rally the Nittany Lions from a six-goal deficit, second-half deficit to defeat Notre Dame 14-12 in the NCAA quarterfinals. Traynor scored six goals, including the eventual game-winner, as Penn State netted eight unanswered goals after trailing the Fighting Irish 12-6.

Penn State held Notre Dame scoreless for more than 20 minutes to close the game and reach the NCAA semifinals for the third time since 2019. Penn State has won six of its last seven games, falling only to fellow NCAA semifinalist Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament.

How Cornell reached the NCAA semifinals

The Big Red went unbeaten in the Ivy League, winning regular season and tournament titles, and blitzed Yale (21-14) and Princeton (20-15) in the Ivy League Tournament. Cornell handled Albany 15-6 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before holding off Richmond 13-12 in the quarterfinals.

About the Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State has the nation's only win over Cornell this season, outlasting the Big Red 13-12 in an overtime March road game. As they did vs. Notre Dame, the Nittany Lions rebounded from a big second-half deficit, this time by four goals. Penn State scored four times late, three in a 95-second span, and forced overtime on a late goal by Jack Aimone. Ethan Long scored the game-winner on an assist from Hunter Aquino.

Traynor is Penn State's top offensive threat, with 59 points on 42 goals and 17 assists. Traynor and Aquino were named third-team All-Americans by the USILA, while Alex Ross earned honorable mention. Aquino also was named the Big Ten freshman of the year. Traynor was the sixth overall pick of the New York Atlas in the 2025 Premier League Lacrosse draft.

With a win, Penn State would advance to the NCAA title game for the first time in program history. Penn State coach Jeff Tambroni is quite familiar with Cornell. He served as the program's head coach for 10 years, leading the Big Ten to the 2009 NCAA championship game. Tambroni was the USILA Division I coach of the year in 2009 at Cornell.

About the Cornell Big Red

Cornell has been the top-ranked team in men's lacrosse since March 17. The Big Red have won 12 straight games since their loss to Penn State and are making their sixth NCAA semifinal appearance since 2000.

While coaching at Cornell, Tambroni recruited Connor Buczek, who became a three-time All-American for the Big Red and its current head coach. Buczek has a career record of 50-15 in four seasons at Cornell.

Cornell has perhaps the nation's best player in senior CJ Kirst, a Tewaaraton Trophy finalist who is the nation's active leader in career scoring (338 points). Kirst, the No. 1 overall pick of the PLL Draft, leads the nation in points (108), points per game (6.34) and goals per game (4.47). He also leads a Cornell offense that tops the NCAA in scoring average (16.18 points per game) and shooting percentage (.367).

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