ITHACA, N.Y. – The [13/12] University of Denver men's lacrosse team dropped a 15-5 game at [3/4] Cornell on Saturday afternoon at Schoellkopf Field.
 
SIGNIFICANT STATS:
Denver outshot Cornell 40-34, but the Big Red put 23 of their 34 shots on goal in the 10-goal win.
The Pioneers won 12-of-22 faceoffs, including 11-of-21 for Michael Kraus.
Andrew Atchison led the Pioneers offense with three points on a goal and two assists.
Chris Caldwell led the Denver defense with two CTs and four ground balls.
Malcolm Kleban made seven saves against 10 goals allowed.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
First Quarter:
After it took the offenses five minutes to settle in, Cornell struck first and got three-straight goals before the Pios touched the ball again to take an early lead heading into the media timeout with 7:48 to play in the opening frame. Andrew Atchison scored Denver's first of the day with 5:36 to go in the first before Cornell scored twice in six seconds to push its lead to 5-1 with 3:54 to go.
 
Second Quarter:
Cornell scored the only four goals of the second quarter to push its lead to 10-1 at the intermission.
 
Third Quarter:
A pair of goals from distance got the Pioneers offense started in the third quarter. Mic Kelly netted his seventh goal of the season a little more than two minutes into the second and Joe Taraboletti scored his second goal in as many games from the Denver midfield to make it an 11-3 game with 11:04 to play in the third.
 
Joshua Carlson found the back of the net on a 15-yard bouncer to cut the deficit to 11-4 at the media timeout in the third.
 
On the other side of the timeout, Jack Tortolani fired from deep to cut it to a six-goal game with 2:12 to go in the frame, but the Big Red entered the fourth with that 11-5 lead.
 
Fourth Quarter:
Cornell scored the first four of the quarter, all before the media timeout, to stretch its lead to 10 with 6:57 to go. Neither team would scored in the final 6:57 to give the home team a 15-5 win.
 
UP NEXT:
Denver will leave the state of Colorado for the first time in 2025 next weekend when the Pioneers return a trip to nationally-ranked Cornell. Opening faceoff is set for 9 a.m. MT, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
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