Things Have Happened: Middle Evening Lacrosse Updates

The 7:00-ish window has opened yet -- the passage of time! -- but there are a few notable updates ahead of the strongest part of the day's slate. For example, I ate two cookies, drank two cups of coffee, and ate an apple while watching Princeton-Cornell. I feel as if the balance in that -- my only intake for the day thus far -- isn't especially healthy, mostly because this is the diet of a six year-old that sells insurance for a living and can't get McCutcheon off his back because meeting sales quotas is impossible.

Anyway, here are your precious updates.

• Cornell 17, Princeton 11: Cornell stormed the first half and assumed a punch from Princeton out of the intermission, but in the end Rob Pannell -- a nine-point game from the super senior -- and the Red were too much for a Princeton team that couldn't seem to offensively or defensively run with the Ivy League's strongest team. Rather than reiterate the knowns -- Princeton looked wayward, Cornell looked like a Panzer tank, Tom Schreiber didn't have his best effort in a Tigers uniform -- here's what people were saying in the postgame press conference:

  Chris Bates, Princeton Head Coach: "We didn't defend [Pannell] well." This is true. Eric Sanschagrin doesn't need an affidavit to prove that Princeton hard a hard time dealing with lacrosse's most vicious creature.
  Bates: "At the end of the day, we can play." Here's the problem with this statement: I do think that the Tigers are one of the best dozen teams in the country, but today was a struggle from the opening whistle for Princeton and the loss to Dartmouth still lingers as a reminder of what the Tigers are capable of on the opposite end of the spectrum. This is a huge upcoming weekend for Princeton in Ithaca.
  Tom Schreiber, Princeton Midfielder: "We'll prepare this week and get another shot at them." Tom Schreiber with added incentive and motivation? Isn't that against some kind of Geneva Convention protocol? Princeton should come more correct at Schoellkopf compared to their effort today at MetLife Stadium.

  Ben DeLuca, Cornell Head Coach: "The band gave us a lot of energy today." Good job, third baritone horn. A little piece of Cornell's undefeated Ivy campaign is attributable to you tooting that brass.
  Rob Pannell, Cornell Attackman: "I really haven't been myself all season." Pannell and DeLuca kept coming back to this, with DeLuca adding, "We've had conversations about being more assertive." I don't know what to make of this -- Pannell has been one of the two or three strongest players in the country this season despite, apparently, not punching the accelerator. What the hell do the Red have in store if Pannell, like today, decides to totally unleash the Ithaca Bear on Earth? This is the anti-Maryland scenario, you guys.
  Pannell: "Guys do a great job off-ball. Any guy on our offense is a threat at any point." This is exactly why Cornell's offense is probably one of the top two or three offenses in the country in 2013 (along with Denver and Albany). The problem with trying to control the Red isn't necessarily in stopping Pannell; it's dealing with Steve Mock, Matt Donovan, Max Van Bourgondien, et al. after you "stop" Pannell.
  Jason Noble, Cornell Defenseman: "We weren't relying on any one man [to stop Schreiber]." It appeared as if Thomas Keith and Noble were getting most of the time on the Princeton midfielder, and they did a spectacular job at limiting one of the most dangerous dodgers in the game (not just to create his own shot but to get others involved directly and on a second-assist basis). The Red's defense doesn't get enough credit for their efforts, and Cornell's ability to hold Schreiber to two-and-one and Jeff and Jake Froccaro to just two goals and an assist on a combined basis is an impressive effort.

  CORNELL OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY: 41.46
  PRINCETON OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY: 29.73
  POSSESSION MARGIN: Cornell (+4)

Games of importance in the late window:

• Syracuse v. Notre Dame: It's currently tied 1-1 with 6:00 left in the first half.
• Albany at Stony Brook (7:00): The Seawolves are looking for momentum before entering the America East Tournament.
• Georgetown at Rutgers (7:00): If the Hoyas win, they're in the Big East Tournament.
• Penn State at Hofstra (7:00): Hofstra needs to win to get into the THUNDERDOME! Tournament.
• St. John's at Towson (7:00): The Tigers are already locked into the three-seed in the THUNDERDOME! Tournament, but St. Joseph's is a lacrosse team with uniforms and everything.