ITHACA, N.Y. -- Senior Jayson Singer and the Cornell defense suffocated UAlbany all evening and senior CJ Kirst did the rest, matching the Great Danes' scoring total by himself as the Cornell men's lacrosse team opened its NCAA Tournament journey with a 15-6 win on Sunday evening at Schoellkopf Field. The top-seeded Big Red improved to 15-1, while the Great Danes completed their season with a 10-9 record.

Singer caused three turnovers in front of Wyatt Knust, who made 12 saves, as the Big Red allowed just six goals, one off a season low. Though not the Big Red's sharpest offensive outing of the season, Cornell still reached double figures for the 16th consecutive game this season. Kirst scored six goals and classmate Michael Long matched his six points with two goals and four assists. Hugh Kelleher notched a hat trick and assisted on a goal and Ryan Goldstein assisted on three scores.

With his big effort, Kirst became the 26th player in Division I men's lacrosse history to reach 100 points in a season (104) to climb to 17th all-time, while his 74 goals sits fourth. He upped his career goals total to 239, moving up to No. 19 all-time at all NCAA levels. 

The Big Red defense held Cornell together after a low start on the offensive end, twice holding the Great Danes to scoring droughts of more than 15 minutes and allowing just three goals over the first 43:51. Knust was on his game with nine saves to just four goals allowed over the first three quarters, then watched the offense explode for seven goals over the final 18 minutes to put the game away. Jack Cascadden won 13-of-20 faceoffs and Brendan Staub (five) and Christopher Davis (four) combined for nine ground balls for the Big Red. Cornell held a dominant 38-19 edge in that category.

UAlbany got the game's first goal and held the home team off the scoreboard for more than 10 minutes before the Big Red got on track, finding the back of the net three times in a span of 1:12 with Long scoring twice. The visitors wouldn't go away, getting within 4-3 with 3:50 remaining in the half on a Jackson Palumb score, but Kirst gave Cornell some separation with his third score of the half coming just 1:25 left to send the home team into the break with a 5-3 edge.

Cornell distanced itself after halftime, scoring the first four and seven of the next eight to build a 12-4 lead early in the fourth and cruised from there. 
 
NEXT UP
• The Big Red will face No. 9/9 Richmond in the NCAA Quarterfinals on Saturday, May 17 at 12 p.m. at James H. Shuart Stadium in Hempstead, N.Y.
• The game will be televised on ESPNU and streamed live on ESPN+.
• The contest will be a rematch on a contest on March 2 in Richmond with the Big Red earning a 12-11 victory thanks to a 4-0 run to close out the contest in the final 10 minutes.