'Perfectly Fine' CJ Kirst Leans on Teammates in Cornell's Semifinal Win

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — If CJ Kirst was feeling anything but full strength, the record-setting attackman didn’t want anyone to know it.

His gray Cornell t-shirt soaked with a combination of sweat and rain, the senior unleashed his typical boyish smile when he addressed concerns about his health after top-seeded Cornell’s 11-9 win over fifth-seeded Penn State in Saturday’s NCAA semifinal at Gillette.

During last week’s quarterfinal broadcast on ESPN, it was intimated that Kirst was “banged up” and battling an injury.

“I mean, physically, I feel great,” said Kirst, who was held without a point for the first time in his 66-game college career against Penn State. “Obviously, not the shooting day or the dodging day I planned on having, but just the belief and the trust that [Cornell head coach Connor Buczek] has done a great job implementing in our six-man offense that anyone can have a great day.”

It was the first time Kirst was held without a goal since last year’s Ivy League semifinals against Penn.

Kirst, the likely frontrunner for the Tewaaraton Award, will happily trade his typical stat line for an NCAA championship game berth, the program’s first since 2022. And while an 0-for-7 shooting day with only one shot on goal is far from exceptional, Kirst wasn’t useless.

He still required significant attention from the Penn State defense, creating opportunities for the likes of Hugh Kelleher (3G, 1A), Michael Long (2G, 3A) and the rest of the bunch to do the dirty work.

“Today, he did his job,” Buczek said. “He didn’t press. He didn’t try to do too much. He wasn’t hunting his own to make sure that he felt good at the end of the day. He just wanted our team to win, and we’ve got the best player in the country who’s just working to make sure his team wins the game.”

Within Penn State’s zone, it was largely Alex Ross’ responsibility to keep Kirst in check. It’s something he’s excelled at in 2025, with Kirst producing just two goals on 13 shots against the Nittany Lions.

The last meeting, a 13-12 overtime win for Penn State on March 8, saw Kirst go scoreless in the second half.

“Alex was terrific. I just think Alex is just so undervalued out there,” Penn State head coach Jeff Tambroni said. “In two games, 120 minutes, against unquestionably the best offensive player in the country, he holds him to two goals. In 120 minutes. Whether it’s man or zone, he’s got his hands full, but I also think Alex relied on his teammates because he recognizes he’s not going to cover him on his own. That’s not a wise decision.”

Kirst and the Big Red advance to Monday’s championship game to face the Maryland-Syracuse winner. Kirst has only faced the Terps once, and he produced two goals (on seven shots) and one assist in a loss in the 2022 NCAA title game against them.

Against Syracuse, Kirst has 12 goals and seven assists over three games.

Banged up or not, on his A-game or not, Kirst will still be a weapon in the eyes of Buczek.

“With CJ not having the day that he might have expected or we would have hoped for, it’s six-man offense,” Buczek said. “That’s what we talk about constantly. It’s not about who’s at the end of the rainbow. It’s about who’s doing their job to make sure we’re creating great opportunities.”