Boxscore
WEST POINT, N.Y. – Despite a career-high 22 saves by sophomore goalie Tom Palesky, Army fell to fourth-ranked Cornell, 9-8, Saturday night at Michie Stadium.
In a game that featured seven lead changes and five ties, Cornell used a 4-0 run to take a 7-4 lead at the 10:56 mark of the third quarter to build its biggest lead of the game. The Black Knights (1-2) would answer with a 4-1 run to tie the game with 5:04 left in the fourth quarter, but Big Red senior All-American midfielder Max Siebald tallied the game-winning goal on a 10-yard rip with 1:00 on the clock to seal the victory.
The two teams traded four goals apiece to start the game. Army would get on the board first as freshman midfielder Devin Lynch took a feed from sophomore attackman Jeremy Boltus and scored at the 10:42 mark. Cornell junior attackman Ryan Hurley evened the score with an unassisted goal at 8:46.
Army senior attackman Brooks Korvin tallied an unassisted goal from close range at 6:36 as the Black Knights led, 2-1, after the first quarter of play.
Cornell made it a 2-2 game after freshman Rob Pannell picked up a loose ball that was saved by Palesky and buried it at the 12:25 mark of the second quarter. Army senior attackman Jason Peyer got into the action at the 12:25 mark with a rip from 10 yards away, but Cornell answered right back on Hurley’s second goal to the tie it back up, 3-3, at 11:05.
Army junior attackman Tyler Oates bounced home a goal off a Boltus feed to make it a 4-3 game with 9:48 to play in the half, but a 3-0 Cornell run to finish the half put the visitors up, 6-4 after 30 minutes of play. Siebald fed senior attackman Kyle Doctor for a goal following an Army turnover at the 8:40 mark, before senior midfielder John Glynn scored at 5:55 to give the Big Red their first lead of the game. Siebald fired his first goal of the game home from 10-yards away with 2:28 on the clock to give Cornell the two-goal first-half edge.
Hurley beat Palesky from close range after a run from behind the goal to make it a three-goal lead, 7-4, with 10:56 on the third-quarter clock. The Black Knights would answer 36 second later as senior midfielder Alex Rhoads collected a Cornell turnover and charged the length of the field before feeding Peyer, who scored from 10 yards away to cut it to a two-goal deficit at 10:23.
Korvin notched his second goal of the night off an assist from freshman long stick midfielder Tim Henderson following an Army fast break with 44 seconds on the clock to make it a 7-6 game at the end of three quarters.
Glynn gave the Big Red an 8-6 lead with a man-up goal at the 7:51 mark of the fourth quarter, but junior midfielder Andrew Maisano would score on a five-yard bouncer at 7:09 to pull the Black Knights back within one, 8-7.
Army was able to even the score, 8-8, after Boltus’ second goal of the night with 5:04 left in the game to setup a tense final five minutes. Army had possession of the ball with 1:30 remaining, but Cornell was awarded the ball after a foul was called on the Black Knights for interference behind the Army goal. Siebald struck 30 seconds later off a Glynn assist for the deciding tally.
BLACK KNIGHT NOTES: Army senior attackman Jason Peyer led the Black Knights onto the field before the game carrying the American Flag ... the Black Knights were sporting their brand new white helmets for the first time this season ... former Army coach Jack Emmer was working the game for ESPNU, providing color commentary alongside play-by-play announcer Eamon McAnaney ... Cornell out shot the Black Knights, 55-38 ... 897 fans watched the game on a chilly night in Michie Stadium ... the two teams played to the final 9-8 outcome in last year's matchup in Ithaca, N.Y. with Cornell prevailing in a game played in extreme cold and an icy, sleeting rain ... Army plays the second of its three-game home stand on Wednesday, hosting first-time opponent Bryant at 4:00 p.m. in Michie Stadium ... next Saurday, Army will host Air Force in a 12:00 p.m. service-academy faceoff. Emmer will join Al Pisano, Ace Adams and family members of Dick Edell and F. Morris Touchstone in an on-field ceremony at halftime honoring all of the former Army lacrosse coaches.
