Chad Palumbo Beat Cancer, Then Delivered a National Title, and Nobody in College Lacrosse Is Ready For It

Alright, you guys gotta hear about this. The NCAA men's lacrosse national championship went down Monday in Charlottesville, and Princeton, the top overall seed, absolutely throttled No. 2 Notre Dame with a massive 16-9 win! Seriously, if you blinked, you missed Notre Dame's brief moment of glory. This isn't just a win, fam, it’s Princeton’s first national title in men’s lacrosse since 2001, and their seventh overall. Talk about a comeback for a program!

The Emerald City of Comebacks: How Princeton Ran Wild

You think you know a dominant performance? Get this: Notre Dame actually jumped out to a 3-0 lead early in the game. Yeah, I know, right? You’re thinking, "Here we go, an upset!" But Princeton? They just scoffed, looked at Notre Dame, and then dropped a ridiculous 11 straight goals to end the first half. EIGHT of those goals came in the second quarter alone! That’s not just a run, that’s a full-on sprint that left Notre Dame in the dust. You just knew the Tigers were locked in, refusing to let that early deficit define their season. Princeton coach Matt Madalon was beaming on the ESPN broadcast, saying he was "so proud of this group" and "what is behind me," adding, "It took years in the making." You can feel that pride, man.

Stars Stepping Up When It Mattered Most

When it’s championship time, you need your guys to show up, and Princeton’s stars absolutely lit it up. Chad Palumbo, the dude who literally beat cancer in high school, was an absolute beast, tallying four goals and adding an assist for a five-point game. Seriously, what a story! Colin Burns wasn't far behind with three goals of his own. Tucker Wade and Jake Vana chipped in with two goals apiece, just pouring it on. And let’s give a massive shout-out to goalie Ryan Croddick, who made 13 saves in the championship game. The guy was a brick wall, stacking up 33 saves across the Duke semifinal and Notre Dame final. No surprise he earned the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award. On Notre Dame’s side, Thomas Ricciardelli had a season-high 19 saves trying to stem the tide, with Josh Yago and Will Angrick each netting two goals, but it just wasn't enough. So, while we're hyped for our Mariners early in the season, watching Julio Rodriguez tear it up, and keeping an eye on Sam Darnold getting comfortable with Jaxon Smith-Njigba on the Seahawks, it's pretty cool to see this kind of grit and determination in college sports. Princeton didn't just win; they reminded everyone what it takes to climb to the top. The future for this program looks ridiculously bright after this, proving that sometimes, all it takes is a dominant second quarter and a whole lotta heart to claim that ultimate prize.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.