The 2025 Ivy League Men’s Lacrosse Tournament is the third major conference tournament to kick off this week, with four of the nation’s best heading up to Ithaca. Cornell will play Yale in the early game before Harvard and Princeton do battle in the late contest.Â
In case you missed the B1G and ACC tournament previews, check that out below!
The Ivy tournament kicks off at 4 PM this afternoon.
Who’s In?
This tournament is basically the exact opposite of the B1G tournament that began yesterday. The Ivy tournament features the nation’s best and fourth best offence, and no defences inside the top 20.
The Big Ten had three players inside the top 100 nationally in points per game, the Ivy has 12. That includes the nation’s leading scorer CJ Kirst, and this weekend could feature three of the five Tewaarton finalists as Sam King and Coulter Mackesy are surely in the mix. If you like action and goals, this is the tournament for you.Â
The RPI, offence, defence, and face off rankings on a national scale for the four teams.
| Team | RPI | Scoring Offence | Scoring Defence | Faceoff Percentage |
| Cornell | 3 | 1 | 22 | 11 |
| Princeton | 2 | 18 | 20 | 63 |
| Harvard | 11 | 4 | 55 | 70 |
| Yale | 18 | 29 | 60 | 35 |
Matchup History
Cornell dominated Yale on their home field earlier this year, beating the Bulldogs 19-14. It was the most goals Yale has given up all year, as Cornell was led by 9 goals from Kirst. He finished with 10 points, as did Ryan Goldstein who had 2 goals and 8 assists.
Chris Lyons had 5 of his own for Yale, while David Anderson had a hat-trick and Brad Sharp had a goal and 4 assists.
Princeton beat Harvard 13-11 in their meeting this year on the back of a 17-10 faceoff advantage for the Tigers. The game featured 95 total shots, as both teams were comfortable turning up the pace and running. Ryan Croddick had 17 saves in the cage for the Tigers, while Mackesy had 2 goals and 2 helpers, the same statline as Nate Kabiri.
Keys to the Weekend
Cornell – Avoid the Ivy Letdown
The Ivy League Men’s Lacrosse Tournament has not been kind to the Big Red in recent years. Since winning the tournament in 2018, Cornell is winless in Ivy tournament play. That includes last year when they hosted the tournament in Ithaca and were upset by a hot Penn team. That loss ultimately led the Cornell missing the NCAA tournament after an otherwise strong year.Â
It’s never easy beating a team twice, so they will have their hands full with Yale. But Cornell has been one of the best teams in the country all season. They need to execute against the Bulldogs to get over the Ivy hump.
Princeton – Manage Turnovers
Princeton ranked second nationally in fewest turnovers per game, managing the ball exceptionally well for a high-powered offence. This is in part necessitated by their disparities at the faceoff X, which have taught the Tigers to value possessions.
But that wasn’t the case against Harvard, where they committed 20 turnovers, their most on the season, and failed 7 clears. Croddick bailed them out in that one, but they won’t be able to sustain another sloppy contest like that.
Keep in mind that Harvard forces more turnovers than anyone else in the country and have one of the nation’s most dominant rides. Princeton will need to manage these situations way better than they did earlier this season. A 6v6 game will favor Princeton, so look for the Tigers to avoid run and gun scenarios and manage possession.
Harvard – Figure Something Out at the X
I have been writing previews all week, and no team has as glaringly obvious of a weakness as the Crimson, who sit 70th nationally in faceoff percentage. In the aforementioned game against Princeton, they lost the faceoff game 17-10. That’s against a Tiger team who themselves finished just 63rd in faceoff percentage this season.
But the playoffs are about short sample sizes, not large. If the Crimson can figure something out this weekend, their offence will be able to go to work and make them a nightmare to play against. But especially against the dominant offences in Princeton and potentially Cornell, it’s hard to imagine Harvard having a path to victory that includes a large negative differential at the X.
Yale – Avoid the Catastrophic Run
Against Cornell, Yale gave up two separate three-goal runs, and then a six-goal run that basically ended the game. Against Princeton, the Tigers led 4-0 early then went on an 8-goal run throughout the game that put the game firmly out of reach. Against Harvard, an early 6-0 run by the Crimson gave Yale little chance to come back.
They have been able to put runs together of their own, so it’s not like they can’t punch back. But as heavy underdogs entering the weekend, they can ill afford to give up big momentum swings. If they have a chance, they need to keep it close all afternoon.
X Factors
Cornell – Second-Line Midfield
By now most fans have heard of the Cornell attack line and their first midfield which has been elite all season. But the second line is having a nice year too, mostly featuring Ryan Waldman, Ryan Sheehan, and Brian Luzzi.
The numbers don’t pop off the page, but the unit has been efficient and effective this year. Waldman leads the group with 15 points and is the most dynamic dodger of the trio. He reminds me a little bit of my summer teammate Alex Vardaro in his dodging ability and creation. If these guys can produce this weekend, the Cornell offence should be in good shape.
Princeton – Colin Mulshine
Mulshine is an elite coverman, who held King to just a goal and assist in the first contest against Harvard, his lowest of the season. The Harvard offence is dynamic and hard to scout, and they have players other than King who can light it up. But defending King is still a great place to start, and Mulshine will be important in limiting the star once again.
Harvard – Logan Ip
Ip is one of the hottest players in the country, coming off back-to-back 5-point games entering the weekend. Midfield scoring is so crucial this time of year, and Ip can really break you down off the dodge. Especially against this slick Harvard unit, Princeton is likely to limit slides and try to keep matchups. Ip and others will be important in initiating the offence to open up seams.
Yale – Max Krevsky
A possible pro player this summer, Krevsky does a bit of everything for the Bulldogs. He has 20 points this year despite taking regular shifts on the defensive side, and has caused turnovers in each of the last six games.
Krevsky will try to get Cornell’s offensive players stuck on the defensive end and gain advantages in the margins of the game. Those will be important for the Bulldogs.
Ivy League Men’s Lacrosse Tournament kicks off Friday afternoon.