Radnor’s Ryan Goldstein helped Cornell earn its first national lacrosse championship in 48 years

Ryan Goldstein doesn’t spend Memorial Day weekend at the Shore. Instead, growing up, the Radnor native attended the NCAA men’s lacrosse final four and championship game with his family.

“That’s the pinnacle of the sport right there,” said Goldstein, a graduate of Radnor High. “My family has always been going — that was our vacation, and it was kind of where my love started."

One of his first memories was in 2009, when Syracuse beat Cornell in the final at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. Goldstein was 6 years old.

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His parents, Tim and Tina, played lacrosse for the Big Red. The result that year was “heartbreaking” for his family.

But it made Monday feel even more surreal. Goldstein, a sophomore attacker, helped lead Cornell past Maryland, 13-10, also at Gillette Stadium, to earn the school’s first national title since 1977.

“I’ve been there and seen it a lot,” Goldstein said. “But when you’re on the field, it’s definitely something different. It was a crazy moment for me, definitely a dream come true. But I’m only a sophomore, so hopefully I can get back there the next couple of years.”

In his second year of collegiate lacrosse, Goldstein became a main contributor. He started in all 19 games, led the team in assists (50), and scored four goals in the final. He finished the season second in goals (43) and points (93).

Last year, as a freshman, Goldstein played in just nine games. Part of that was attributable to injuries. He missed the first five games of the season with a broken finger.

“I was definitely a late bloomer,” Goldstein said. “But I think being a late bloomer helped me, because there’s so many different things I had to work on and so many things that even this summer I’m going to have to work on to reach another level. … You kind of have to keep your head down and keep working, because you never know what’s possible.”

Being a feeder for his teammates stems from his passing ability. Goldstein credits his father with teaching him how to be “great passer,” but standing at 5-foot-9, he has struggled at times to get to the middle and score. He found that he could make the most impact by reading the offense and finding the best option to take a shot on goal.

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Many have told Goldstein that he plays like his father, who was a two-time All-American and All-Ivy first-team attack. In 1987, Tim Goldstein led the Big Red to an NCAA championship game appearance and set the program’s single-season record with 73 assists. He also led the nation in scoring.

Living up to his name, Ryan Goldstein said, can carry some pressure, but he has always wanted to follow in his parents’ footsteps to Cornell.

“Guys are always trying to compare me to my dad, which I think is pretty cool,” he said. “I’m always working out with my dad, talking about different things, so it makes sense why I play a lot like him. But definitely there was a lot of pressure, because everyone’s like, ‘Are you going to be as good as your dad?’ But that was something that always pushed me to work harder.”

Goldstein has had a stick in his hand for as long as he can remember, and Ithaca, N.Y., was where he always saw himself playing.

In September 2020, his junior year of high school, he announced his commitment to the program. During the spring season, he started to see more success on the field. Goldstein led Radnor to its second state crown in school history. It repeated as champion in his senior year.

“I just kept getting bigger and bigger, then kept getting better and better,” he said. “I kept working at it and to this day, that’s where my lacrosse career is.”

He knows there will be an opportunity for an even bigger role next season. The goal, of course, is to get back to the big stage, and now that he has seen what it’s like, Goldstein won’t lose sight of the moment.

“That little kid in the stands would die to be out there,” he said. “Do it for that kid out there. That’s why you dream of it, that feeling after the game, that dog pile, that’s going to fuel us next year to get back there.”