For the last 14 years, Cornell has been home for Connor Buczek.

“Pinch yourself sometimes, just to still be here, to still be doing it. It's a job, but it's a passion project,” Buczek said. “It's something that I care deeply about that changed my life forever.”

He was first a Cornell player, where he was a three-time All-American for the Big Red, and then as a volunteer and assistant coach for five seasons.

“The opportunity to sit in this seat and steward this program, it's something that I am forever grateful for,” Buczek said.

In 2020, Buczek took the helm as the youngest head coach in Division I at the time, but quickly showed why he earned the job.

“Just very grateful, surrounded by incredible people and an incredible culture,” Buczek said. “Certainly, was not my blueprint by any stretch of the imagination, but something that I was fortunate enough to inherit.”

In his first season in 2022, Cornell reached the NCAA semifinal round and finished as the national runner-up. Three years later, Buczek has led Cornell back to the semis, with a 16-1 record and the No. 1 seed in the tournament.

“The biggest pinnacle of our sport, for college lacrosse, is Memorial Day weekend and being in the final four,” Buczek said.

Cornell will take on Penn State on Saturday – the team responsible for the Big Red’s only loss this season. It’s a chance to rectify that and get another shot for its first national championship since 1977.

“We can trust our leadership within that locker room to take care of business, to stay focused on the task at hand and at the end of the day, it's all about just go 1-0 this week and take care of business and try to earn a little more time together,” Buczek said.