Only one game on the docket today, but it should be a good one, as Cornell & Hobart help us close out the work week. It’ll be a good ol’ fashioned Upstate New York rock fight between two schools that have played each other 137 previous time, in a series that dates back to 1898. The Big Red & the Statesmen have been playing each other since the McKinley Administration and I have a feeling that this afternoon’s contest is going to be a fun one.

Below is today’s Big Board. Clicking on the team name will take you to that team’s homepage, clicking on the Stream/TV cell will take you to the broadcast of the game, while the Live Stats cell will take you to the live stats of that game. All times East Coast Standard, as always. Let’s go to the Big Board!!

Preview

Cornell vs. Hobart: As mentioned above, Cornell & Hobart have played 137 previous times. This is the most contested rivalry series in all of college lacrosse. Cornell leads the series 86-47-4 and has won 16 of the last 18 match-ups. However, while the series history leans heavily towards Cornell, Hobart comes into this game with a 2-0 record and an offense that can really fly. Indeed, Hobart scored 21 goals versus Canisius in their first game of the season (21-12, Hobart W) and 22 goals versus Siena in their second game of 2019 (22-12, Hobart W). The Statesmen offense is led by Eric Holden, Chris Aslanian, & Jason Knox. Holden (7 Gs, 6 As) & Aslanian (6 Gs, 7 As) are tied for the team lead in points with 13 a piece, while Knox has 10 goals and 1 assist in two games this season. All three are a big reason why Hobart is averaging 21.5 goals/game in 2019.

This will be the Big Red’s first game of the season. While Cornell may have been slow getting out of the gate, things pick up swiftly for them once they get rolling in 2019. Indeed, today’s game kicks off a five-game stretch between now and March 10th in which Cornell will be playing roughly one game every three days for the next 17 days. Indeed, right after they play Hobart today, Cornell will have to regroup quickly to play at home versus Lehigh on Sunday, February 24th. I think Cornell will be fine during this initial five-game stretch, but it is still going to be a challenge, especially when they go down to North Carolina to play Penn State (March 8th) and then Towson (March 10th) in the same weekend in the Crown Lacrosse Classic.

The Big Red come into today’s game highly ranked and with good reason, as Cornell has explosive offense led by Jeff Teat. Despite only being a junior, Teat has quickly moved up the career leader board during his time at Cornell. Indeed, Teat is fifth in career assists (101) and seventh in career points (171) in only two years at Ithaca and could potentially could rewrite all of Cornell’s offensive records. Jeff Teat, aside from Pat Spencer, is the best player in all of college lacrosse and it is going to be a treat to finally see him play this season.

Attachments

Our newest Crossecast dropped yesterday.

The calendar reads February, but the games this weekend give it a April or May feel to it. There’s also been some more fun in the midweek slate to go over. Welcome to another edition of COLLEGE CROSSECAST to help satisfy both needs.

I’m joined by Safe and Jake as we recap Tuesday’s slate of games that included Drexel knocking off Michigan in double overtime (:30). We then get you all set for this weekend’s games, filled with a ton of games that you’ll need to keep an eye on in the noon slot (14:11) and then some more like Penn State-Yale and Loyola-Rutgers after those wrap up (40:00) but sadly with no one listening to us about putting some games on at night. Sunday’s got some good ones as well, including the inevitable 10-9 Army-Syracuse game and the Rocky Mountain trio of Air Force, Denver, and Utah plus Cleveland State playing game two of their weekend event in Denver (52:30). Then we make our picks for this week’s pick ‘em contest (55:20) that will sure to backfire on us.

Villanova’s lids are cold as ice.

Tampa Catholic lacrosse players rally around their coach’s cause.

One night four years ago, a 7-year-old girl in Illinois named Eden Nelson went to sleep, much like she did every night. She woke up forever changed. A rare and incurable disease called Myasthenia gravis had begun to take hold, weakening skeletal muscles, making it difficult to breathe and move her arms and legs. In Tampa, her uncle, Joe Ferraro, got the news. He was alarmed and worried and feeling tremendous frustration because he wanted to do something to help. But what could he do? What resources did he have? He was 57 and retired from the insurance business and coaching girls lacrosse at Tampa Catholic.

Kent State women’s lacrosse has high hopes in their inaugural season.

Speaking of new kids on the block, University of Chicago women’s team is also ready for their debut.

The opportunity to be the first at anything is rare. That’s why being part of the inaugural varsity women’s lacrosse team at the University of Chicago—set to debut in NCAA Division III competition on Feb. 23 at Stagg Field—is so special for both players and coaches.

“I think it definitely feels like we’re making history because we sort of get to define what that means for us, and set a precedent,” said third-year Maya De Jonge, a team captain. “Whether that’s traditions that we have, or attitudes we have towards the program, I think that’s really cool.”

BEARS!

The audio & video system at Penn State’s Panzer Lacrosse Stadium got a major upgrade this offseason.

Penn State’s Nittany Lion athletics program is fiercely competitive and well-supported by the school and its alumni. In that tradition, the Penn State men and women’s lacrosse teams now practice and compete in Panzer Stadium, a new multimillion-dollar, state-of-the-art facility. Its 1,300 seats are close to the action, and the entire facility is wired for modern broadcasting, which will allow Penn State to host high-profile NCAA and Big Ten championship games. Pennsylvania-based AV design and integration firm Clair Solutions handled the broadcast infrastructure and sound reinforcement at Panzer Stadium, earning the job based in part on the sensible proposal of Jim Devenney, Clair Solutions’ senior systems designer and in part on the successful completion of numerous other projects at Penn State.

BOSS Desko previews Army.

JU at the forefront of college lacrosse expansion in Florida.

John Galloway could have stayed cocooned in the Northeast as a lacrosse coach, with a deep talent pool from which to recruit and a passion for the game rarely seen south of North Carolina or west of the Eastern Seaboard.

And Galloway came from high school and college programs that have the bluest of blood in the sport. He played goalkeeper for Camillus (N.Y.) West Genesee High legend Mike Messere, who won 15 state championships and had 11 undefeated seasons before his retirement last year.

Galloway then went to Syracuse (which leads the NCAA with 10 national championships all time), started on two national championship teams in 2008 and 2009, was a two-time national goalkeeper of the year. He left college with national records for wins as a goalie (59) and minutes played (3,776).

Fox 5 in San Diego to start airing Seals games.

The first-place San Diego Seals and FOX 5 San Diego are proud to announce a broadcast partnership that will bring San Diegans first-class coverage of the team’s inaugural lacrosse season. Named the team’s flagship linear television partner, FOX 5 will deliver live and produced game content for the remainder of the year.

On Saturday, March 2, the Seals home game against the Vancouver Warriors (with the winner claiming the season series) will air live on the network at 7:00 p.m.PT. FOX 5 sports reporter Kalyn McMackin will join the broadcast from the field level between the benches.

The Bonnies are getting ready for their first-ever conference game this weekend versus Manhattan.