Captains set game record for goals as they storm past Sewanee in NCAA Tourney

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Capitalizing on a record-setting assault, the third-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team stormed past Sewanee, 29-5, during the second round of the NCAA Tournament on a cloud-covered Saturday afternoon at Jennings Family Stadium.

Against the Tigers, the Captains matched the single-game program record with 29 goals, while their 26 assists and 55 total points established new school standards. Meanwhile, the 24-goal win equaled the largest margin of victory in program history, matching an identical 29-5 triumph over Southern Virginia on April 4, 2015.

Leading the way, Dylan Rice came through with eight points, while Alex Brendes, Drew Miller, and Robby Adams all had six apiece. Making a little history with their work on Saturday, Miller became just the 14th Captain to reach 100 career points, while Brendes became the sixth player in program history to eclipse 100 goals.

Feeding the attack, Christopher Newport dominated on faceoffs while winning 29 of the game's 37 battles. The 29 total victories marked the second-most in school history. Freshman All-American Warner Cabaniss won nine of his 10 duels while securing seven ground balls and two assists. Michael Brost also went 9-for-12 at the faceoff dot, and Cole Evans captured 11 of his 15 attempts.

Meanwhile, on the back end, Phoenix Hines and Max Wayne both had three takeaways apiece while helping limit the opposition to only 17 total shots.

With the victory, the Captains improved to 17-1 on the season and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament, which will take place on Sunday at 3 p.m. at Jennings Family Stadium. Christopher Newport will square off against No. 14 Wesleyan (Conn.), who toppled No. 18 RPI, 19-14, on Saturday evening.

Making a loud statement just seconds into regulation, Cabaniss won the opening faceoff, pushed forward, and slipped a feed to Rice, who whipped a one-timer around a defender and into the back of the cage for the game's opening tally. Incredibly, the goal landed just seven seconds into regulation, equaling the third-fastest opening strike in program history.

Just as dominant on the other side, Wayne and Hines punctuated a pair of early Sewanee rallies with takeaways, while Zac Hanway brushed aside two on-target rips to keep the visitors off the scoreboard.

Following his defensive work, Hines joined the fun on the offensive end with a no-look, 20-yard pass to Brady Altobello, who buzzed a bullet through the Tigers for the squad's second tally. Seconds later, after Cabaniss popped another faceoff to himself, he found Brendes with a clean look on the doorstep for a 3-0 lead.

Continuing the onslaught, Miller sunk a shot through the goalie's five-hole before assisting on a fast-break strike by Rice. Later, Miller came back with his second goal before finding Brendes on a slick give-and-go for his fourth point of the opening period.

Wrapping up the first quarter, Rice circled the crease and dotted the top left corner of the cage with his third goal before connecting with Andrew Cook on a skip pass to snatch a 9-0 lead.

Although Sewanee broke through in the final second of the first quarter, Christopher Newport went right back to work with a fresh 15 minutes on the clock. Early in the second stanza, Brett Jackson snapped off a sidewinder around two defenders at the top of the zone before Rice unloaded from long range for his fourth goal of the contest. Moments later, Miller dunked on the doorstep before Brendes deposited back-to-back darts, which handed the hosts a 14-1 advantage.

With all the momentum in the world, the Captains never lost their rhythm. Miles Collins flashed some precision with a 40-yard flip to Logan Shassian, who converted along the left pipe. Shortly thereafter, Altobello and Will Stockhausen added daggers from the top of the zone, and Rice chipped in with his final tally while toeing the crease to help secure an 18-3 lead entering halftime.

Following the break, Brendes and Altobello made the opposition pay with a pair of man-up tallies early in the third stanza. Meanwhile, Jackson Deal added a one-man highlight. Standing tall at midfield, he clamped down on a clear attempt by the Tigers while snatching a pass from the Sewanee goalie. After corralling the ball, he immediately stormed in and sank a shot into a wide-open cage for his first goal of the postseason.

Keeping their foot on the gas, the hosts slapped three more goals on the board in less than a minute of action. Catching the Tigers on their heels with a quick transition tally, Brandon Young pushed the tempo on a clear before finding Jackson, who handed the ball to Collins for his sixth goal of the season.

Later, with Brost dominating on faceoffs, Jordan Lee assisted on a blast by Luke Nardone before Griffin Hanes capitalized on a feed from Adams to secure a 24-4 lead with four minutes left in the third.

Meanwhile, the defense continued to suffocate the opposition. During a man-down situation, Aidan Wheeler came through with an interception to thwart Sewanee's attack. Later, Hines added a takeaway and bolted down the field on a fast break before connecting with Adams, who ripped from the right side.

Adding the perfect punctuation mark to the period, Stockhausen followed suit and caused a turnover before assisting on another laser by Adams to collect a 26-4 lead entering the final period.

With little left to prove, Thomas Mark set up back-to-back goals by Adams and Shassian, while Deal drove home the final nail early in the fourth as the squad coasted to the victory.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 63-17 advantage in shots and a 56-16 edge in ground balls. Hanway earned the win after making three saves in the first half, while Andrew Clark chipped in with three stops during the final two quarters to polish off the victory.