NCAA lacrosse tournament winners and losers from first round

For the most part, the first round of the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament went according to script. There were, however, a few significant surprises, as the round of 16 was not a clean sweep for the seeded teams playing at home. One of the host squads sent packing early was defending champion Cornell.

The Big Red had lost quite a bit of star power from the 2025 title team and managed only a No. 7 seed in this year’s field, meaning a tough draw in the round of 16 with long-time power of the sport Johns Hopkins. The Blue Jays prevailed 9-8 in overtime in Ithaca, New York, in the tournament’s most dramatic finish thus far.

But there were other unseeded teams that took down favorites in the eight games played across Saturday and Sunday. Here’s a look at some of the other winners and losers from the weekend. NCAA men's lacrosse tournament winners Johns Hopkins Trailing 6-3 at the break, the unseeded Blue Jays rallied behind a monumental effort by the defensive unit that held Cornell to just two goals after halftime.

The dramatic game couldn't be decided in regulation. A goal by Jimmy Ayers off a feed from Matt Collison in overtime completed the comeback, giving Hopkins the 9-8 victory. Duke After barely squeaking into the field as the last at-large selection, the Blue Devils scored the last five goals of the games to rally for a 14-12 win at fourth-seeded Richmond.