Welcome back, Ivy League lacrosse.

The men and women of the Ivy League finally got back to the field on Saturday. For most, it was their first game action since March 2020. While a few teams had the ability to play a game or two in 2021, for all intents and purposes, Saturday represented the league’s triumphant return.

Let’s recap and celebrate the results.

PENN FALLS IN TOP-10 MEN’S MATCHUP

No. 8 Penn wasted no time challenging itself after almost two years away from Division I lacrosse. The Quakers squeezed in a late-season matchup with Cabrini in 2021, but nothing could quite prepare them for No. 3 Georgetown on Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia.

Behind a strong first quarter, Georgetown held off a consistent barrage from Penn to win 10-8. Graham Bundy Jr., Connor Morin and Dylan Watson each had two goals in another big win for Georgetown.

Faceoff man James Reilly scored a coast-to-coast goal to make it 2-2 early, part of a four-goal run from Georgetown that made it 5-2 at the end of the first quarter. Bundy had two goals in the quarter, helping the visitors lead 6-4 by halftime.

Watson opened the third quarter with two straight goals, giving Georgetown its biggest lead of the game. Sam Handley, the freshman phenom from 2019 who entered 2022 with high hopes, scored his first goal in the third quarter, followed by a Dylan Gergar goal to cut the deficit to two goals.

Gergar continued his hot streak with back-to-back goals separated by 12 minutes to make it a 9-8 game with 2:33 left. Reilly won the ensuing faceoff, and Morin scored less than a minute later to seal the victory.

BROWN OUTLASTS BRYANT WOMEN

The last time Brown played a meaningful game was March 11, 2020. It was a proud moment for the program, as it took down an ACC team in Virginia Tech that had garnered Top 20 consideration.

Brown made its much-awaited return against Bryant and withstood a fourth-quarter flurry from the Bulldogs for a 14-11 win.

Leading 12-5 after Claire Jeschke fed Maggie Fowler for a goal with 12:01 remaining, Brown then saw Bryant score four straight to come with two goals. The sides traded tallies from there, with Alaina Parisella putting the finishing blow into the back of the net with 2:05 remaining.

YALE MEN PULL AWAY FROM VILLANOVA

No. 6 Yale returned to the field for the first time since March 2020, and it welcomed a familiar foe in upset-minded Villanova. Although the Wildcats put the Bulldogs to the test, Andy Shay’s squad had plenty of energy leftover in snowy New Haven.

Matt Brandau returned to the tune of five goals, and freshman Leo Johnson recorded a hat trick to lead Yale to a 17-14 victory at Reese Stadium. Jared Paquette added nine saves in his first game as Yale’s starter.

Yale started the game on a hot streak, pouring in six goals in the first quarter. Johnson and Brandau each chipped in two goals to pull the Bulldogs ahead early, but Villanova answered not long after. Brett Baskin led a four-goal Wildcats run in the second quarter to pull into a 6-6 tie — creating a back-and-forth game that extended well into the second half.

Neither team led by more than a goal until Jack Monfort put Yale up 10-8 with 10:33 left in the third quarter. After Villanova answered with a Patrick Daly goal, Yale scored six straight goals to pull away. The Wildcats scored the final three goals of the game, but it was too late to mount a comeback.

A MASSIVE WIN FOR COLUMBIA

Columbia didn’t play in 2021, didn’t win a game in 2020 and didn’t win their last three games of 2019. Saturday’s win 13-7 over Manhattan was the program’s first since April 6, 2019 — a one-goal win over Harvard. That’s a whopping 1,051 days between wins.

It was a spirited win for the Lions, who trailed 7-5 when Grace Lipponer scored with 9:01 left in the second quarter. That would be the final score of the half, too.

All Columbia did was come out and pitch a second-half shutout, scoring eight unanswered goals to walk away with a win. Rachel Graff led with three goals, though Katie Lutz, Sydney Paoletti and Dani Falcone each scored twice. Simone Koryszewski made 12 saves.

CORNELL MEN HOLD OFF ALBANY

Connor Buczek waited a long time to make his coaching debut for Cornell. One of the youngest coaches in Division I lacrosse, Buczek had been preparing his team for this weekend’s matchup with Albany for what felt like years.

If Saturday’s offensive output was any indication, Cornell was prepared for the moment.

The Big Red got four goals from Aiden Blake to jump out to a big lead and cruise toa 16-8 victory. CJ Kirst, brother of Connor, Colin and Cole, dropped seven points in his first collegiate game.

Kirst had two goals in the opening quarter, helping the Big Red take a 7-3 lead into the second. Graydon Hogg and Keelan Seneca helped lead an Albany run to cut the deficit to 8-6 by halftime. After Seneca scored in the third quarter to make it 9-7, Cornell answered with seven straight goals to put the game away.

CORNELL WOMEN TOP VILLANOVA

A big first quarter and an overall strong first half were enough for Cornell to hold off Villanova in the second half of a 14-9 win at Villanova Stadium. It’s the Big Red’s first win in 713 days.

Sophie Ward scored four goals, and both Maggie Pons and Katie Castiello recorded hat tricks.

Cornell led 6-1 after the first quarter and 10-3 at halftime, a strong first 30 minutes considering the team’s long time away from playing meaningful games.

Villanova began the second half on a 3-0 run, but Cornell answered with a 3-0 run of its own to quell any thoughts of a breakdown.

PRINCETON MEN DOMINATE MONMOUTH

The last time we saw Princeton take the field, a talented X attackman named Michael Sowers led a high-powered offense. In two years, plenty has changed for the Tigers, but their return to the field proved they can reload.

Alex Slusher, a talented X attackman who learned from Sowers, dropped five goals and added an assist to lead Princeton to a 22-6 win over Monmouth. Junior Christian Ronda also scored five goals, and Chris Brown added seven points in the victory.

Slusher did much of his work in the first half, pouring in four goals to fuel a 10-5 lead by halftime. Princeton padded the lead with a nine-goal third quarter.

NOTABLE IVY LEAGUE RESULTS

• Harvard men’s lacrosse blanked NJIT in the first half and cruised to the 17-4 victory to open its season. Austin Madronic and Miles Botkiss each chipped in hat tricks.

• In men’s lacrosse, Merrimack held on in a back-and-forth defensive battle, downing Dartmouth 8-6 behind four goals from Tommy Rooney. Dartmouth tied the score at the end of the third quarter, but Merrimack found four fourth-quarter goals to pull away.

• The Quakers defense pitched a first-half shutout and held Delaware scoreless until 4:36 left in the third quarter, rolling past the Blue Hens 15-4 at Franklin Field. Nine Quakers scored, led by three goals each from Alyson Feeley and Kaitlyn Cumiskey. Krissy Kowalski made 10 saves.

• The Dartmouth women scored 11 of the game’s final 12 goals in an 11-3 win over New Hampshire. Katie Elders scored three times, and Maja Desmond and Katina Christensen each scored twice. Dartmouth outshot UNH 34-7.

• Yale women’s lacrosse thoroughly dominated the first half of a 15-4 win over Sacred Heart. Fallon Vaugh and Bri Carrasquillo each scored three times in the win.

• The No. 13 Princeton women’s lacrosse team and the Harvard women’s lacrosse team will both open their seasons on Sunday.