PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The top-ranked Cornell defense came up big when needed and the offense came through late to provide some separation as the Big Red topped Brown 13-9 on Saturday afternoon at Stevenson-Pincine Field. Cornell improved to 9-1 (4-0 Ivy), while Brown slipped to 3-7 (0-3 Ivy). 

Senior Wyatt Knust made 12 saves and senior defenders Brendan Staub and Jayson Singer each caused a pair of turnovers to lead a defense that limited the Bears to just one goal over the game's final 23:25, allowing the visitors to rally for the victory. 

On a day the vaunted Cornell offense struggled to get on track, senior CJ Kirst still managed to score four goals and assist on a fifth,  including posting the go-ahead score with 8:07 remaining. Kirst's five points on the day moved him into a tie with Mike French '76 for the second-most points in a career for the Big Red with 296. Rob Pannell '13 is the all-time leader at 354. The four goals moved him into sole possession of third place in NCAA Division I history with 214, just 10 behind record holder Payton Cormier of Virginia (224).

Hugh Kelleher had two goals and two assists and Willem First scored twice and assisted on another as five different players had multi-point days. Jack Cascadden won 15-of-22 faceoffs and scooped seven ground balls while scoring a goal in an unsettled situation. Cornell held a 40-33 edge in shots but also committed 17 turnovers and lost the battle on the ground (29-27).

Brown gave the Big Red all it could handle, with Brady O'Kane recording a hat trick and assisting on a goal for four points. Ten other players had at least a point on the offensive side, while Mark Witt caused four turnovers on the other side of the ball with three ground balls. Dash Sachs was 8-of-19 on faceoffs, While Connor Foley made eight saves in defeat.

Cornell scored a goal just 26 seconds into the contest and it looked like another fast start was coming for the Big Red, but the Bears knotted the score at 1-1. Then again at 2-2. And at 3-3. Then 4-4 and 5-5. Brown took its only lead of the game at 6-5, but Cornell responded with a three-goal run to end the first half. The spurt was triggered by a pole goal by Walker Wallce with 3:25 left in the half, before Kirst closed the half with a goal of his own and a feed to Andrew Dalton for a snipe with 10 seconds left before the break to send the visitors into halftime up 18-6.

It was nip-and-tuck throughout the second half, with the Bears knotting the score at 9-9 midway through the fourth when O'Kane scored consecutive goals for Brown, but over the span of 15 minutes of game time as it held Cornell's offense off the board. Kirst took matters into his own hands, responding 37 seconds later on a feed from Michael Long, and Cornell never trailed again. The Big Red scored three times in the final four minutes to stretch the advantage as its defense continued to clamp down. The key play may have been on a hard Brown ride that forced a turnover with just over 11 minutes left. Aidan McLane had a free lane to the cage, but Cornell defenders Matt Dooley and Jayson Singer converged to block the shot and give possession back to Cornell. Though the Bears did eventually tie, that shot of energy allowed the Big Red to get the goal right back and the defense did not allow a goal the rest of the way

NEXT UP
• The Big Red will travel to Long Island to square off with longtime rival Syracuse on Saturday, April 12 at 4 p.m. at Mitchel Field in Uniondale.
• The contest will be broadcast on Corrigan Sports Network.
• The Orange leads the all-time series 66-42-1, though Cornell has won four of the past five meetings.
• Cornell won a thrilling 18-17 contest last season in OT at Schoellkopf Field.