CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – A record-breaking crowd of 4,000 fans filled Jordan Field this afternoon to watch the No. 10 Harvard Crimson host No. 1 Cornell in what was an incredible day of lacrosse on the banks of the Charles River. Despite a valiant effort, the Crimson (9-3, 3-2 Ivy) came up short in a 20-12 loss to the No. 1 Cornell Big Red (11-1, 5-0 Ivy). Logan Ip tied a career high with five points, while Logan Darrin led the defense with three caused turnovers and four ground balls. The Crimson had Cornell on its heels in the third quarter, but a fourth-quarter surge by the Big Red sealed the win at Jordan Field.
How It Happened
It was a perfect day for lacrosse in Boston as 4,000 fans packed Jordan Field to witness an action-packed matchup between two of the nation's top offenses. Both Harvard and Cornell entered the game with Ivy League Tournament berths secured, but were battling for the right to host the championship in two weeks.
Cornell's offense came out strong, scoring the first five goals to take a 5-0 lead nine minutes into the game. Harvard responded with its first goal of the day, courtesy of Jack Speidell off an assist from Sam King. Goalkeeper Graham Stevens made four saves in the quarter—including two in the final minutes—to keep the Big Red off the board for the remainder of the period. Michael Savadove, Charlie Muller, Sean Jordan, and Martin Nelson each recorded caused turnovers in the first quarter to bolster the defensive effort.
The Crimson offense found its rhythm in a goal-heavy second quarter, putting up back-to-back tallies from Logan Ip and Andrew Perry—each netting their first goals of the afternoon. The teams then traded scores, with Harvard getting goals from John Aurandt and Teddy Malone, making it 8-5 Cornell midway through the quarter. The Big Red responded with four straight goals to take their largest lead of the game, but Harvard battled back, scoring three unanswered goals—via Speidell, Owen Gaffney, and King—to close the gap to 12-8 at halftime.
Malone opened the second half with a man-up goal, followed by another from Aurandt. A forced turnover gave Harvard possession, leading to Ip's third goal of the game—an impressive toe-tap around the crease—to bring the Crimson within one, at 12-11. Cornell answered with a three-goal run to extend the lead to 15-11 by the end of the third quarter. The Harvard defense clamped down in the final 7.5 minutes of the quarter, holding the Big Red scoreless, with key caused turnovers from Darrin and Muller giving the Crimson momentum heading into the fourth.
However, a five-goal burst by Cornell to start the final frame proved too much to overcome, as the Big Red built a nine-goal lead late in the game. Perry netted Harvard's final goal—its second man-up strike of the day—to bring the final score to 20-12 in favor of Cornell.
Harvard Highlights
Up Next
The Crimson will close out the 2025 regular season next weekend with a trip to Brown to face the Bears. The Ivy League rivals are set to face off at 5:00 PM, with the action streaming live on ESPN+.
