ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cornell men's polo team fended off a strong Kentucky squad that came storming back in the third chukker, keeping its composure and outscoring the Wildcats, 5-2, in the fourth chukker to give the Big Red a 13-11 victory in the opening round of the Bill Field Invitational on Friday night at the Oxley Equestrian Center in Ithaca, N.Y.

Although Kentucky got on the board first in the opening period of play, five-straight Cornell goals to end the chukker gave the Big Red a 5-1 advantage. Pablo Herrera and Nick Paciorek helped establish the early lead for Cornell, scoring two goals apiece.

After both teams scored three goals in the second chukker, Cornell maintained a four-goal lead over Kentucky at the half, 8-4. The Wildcats' were able to regroup at halftime, coming out and dominating the third chukker. Kentucky scored five points on four goals in the third while holding the Big Red scoreless to overtake Cornell and claim a 9-8 lead going into the fourth.

The Big Red reset and gave Kentucky a taste of its own medicine, scoring the next five points of the contest to take a 13-9 lead which it would never relinquish. Taylor Palacios came up huge in the fourth chukker, scoring the first four Cornell points on three goals, including a two-pointer, to put the Big Red in great position. Herrera added the final goal of the game for the Big Red. Kentucky would score twice more, but that's as close as the Wildcats would get, as Cornell would go on to the 13-11 victory.

Cornell was led in the win by Palacios, who scored a game-high six points on five goals. Herrera and Paciorek scored three goals apiece, with Paciorek's three scores matching his season-best.

With tonight's victory, the Big Red improves to 8-1 on the season and advances to the championship game of the Bill Field Invitational, which is slated for Sunday at 12 p.m. at the Oxley Equestrian Center in Ithaca, N.Y.