Box Score

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Making the program's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team pieced together a gutsy performance and Andy McGregor set a new single-game program record for saves but CNU fell short in its postseason run as the Captains succumbed to fourth-ranked Stevenson, 18-6, in the first round on Wednesday evening at Mustang Stadium.

Matching wits against one of the most accomplished programs in the country, CNU kept it close in the first half and battled hard throughout. McGregor orchestrated an admirable effort in goal, standing up against a relentless attack. Eventually, the senior posted 25 saves to break the school record of 21 set by Jackson Tyler against Randolph-Macon on April 8, 2009. It seemed only fitting that McGregor set the single-game saves record in his final appearance after already locking down the single-season and career marks during his decorated tenure in Newport News.

Helping to support McGregor on the offensive end, Adam Abbate scored a pair of goals, John Thompson chipped in with two assists, and Kyle Pasta came through with one of each. Devin Bushweller, Billy Crist, and Garrison Ernst also scored for the Captains.

The setback drops Christopher Newport to 8-9 on the season, while the victory sends Stevenson to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and elevates the squad to 18-2 overall.

In the first period, the Mustangs found their footing early. The hosts scored a pair of goals in the first minute of action before tacking on three more in the middle of the period on the way to a 5-0 advantage with eight minutes remaining in the stanza. Refusing to back down, the Captains showed heart and continued to battle. Just moments after Stevenson's fifth goal, Abbate pieced together a nice run. The junior forced a turnover on a beautiful stick check, and after Teddy Pekalski collected the loose ball, Abbate regained control and fired a bullet from the doorstep to put the Captains on the board.

Still looking at a four-goal deficit, Christopher Newport went right back to work. After withstanding an offensive surge by Stevenson, CNU responded. This time, Thompson fed a pristine pass to Crist, who found a shooting lane and ripped a one-timer through the Mustang defense to pull CNU back within three at 5-2.

Refusing to let the Captains secure any more momentum, Stevenson shot back with another goal by Chris Dashiell before Christopher Newport capped off the period in fine fashion. Following a pair of saves by McGregor, the offense stormed down the field before Pasta ripped a rocket to the back of the net in the final few seconds of the frame.

Holding it close after one quarter, the Captains could not quite keep the Mustangs corralled during the early part of the second. Michael Crowe and Tyler Reid both added quick scores to grab an 8-3 lead, but McGregor did all he could to limit the damage. Going up against an unbridled assault, the senior goalie came through with a top-notch effort. Stevenson snapped off the first 16 shots of the period, but only two got past McGregor. During the rally, he made eight saves against on-target shots before receiving a well-earned breather following a CNU timeout.

Breaking up Stevenson's rally, the stoppage paid immediate dividends. Less than a minute after the timeout, CNU converted on an extra-man opportunity as Thompson dished to Bushweller, who fired his fifth goal of the season from the top of the arc.

Although the Mustangs eventually retaliated with another goal, McGregor made two more saves and Brenden Dwyer forced a turnover to keep the deficit at 9-4 entering halftime.

Following the same script that worked for them in the first two periods, the Mustangs struck early again in the third. The squad collected the first two goals to push the lead to 11-4 before Abbate tacked on his second score of the game following a pass by Pasta. Still leading 11-5, Stevenson orchestrated another run to cap off the period and put the game out-of-reach. The hosts converted three shots in just over a minute of action before tacking on one final score in the last few minutes of the third period to earn a double-digit lead at 15-5.

In the final quarter, McGregor came through with a slew of saves again but Stevenson struck twice in the opening moments before adding the squad's final score at the midpoint of the period. Trailing 18-5, CNU never surrendered. Continuing to stand up against their top-flight foe, the Captains came through with one final goal at 6:16 when Ernst secured a pass from Gregory Limon and stung the Stevenson defense with his fifth score of the season.

During the contest, the hosts held a 74-18 edge in shots and a 70-37 lead in ground balls. The Mustangs also won 23 of the game's 28 faceoffs.

Wednesday's contest marked the final game for Christopher Newport's accomplished senior class. Along with McGregor's record-setting performance, Pasta, Jake Myers, Brad Picciolo, Ari Elgort, Chase Walton, Zakary Burkhard, and Ryan Duca wrapped up their careers against Stevenson. Although they ended with a setback, the team's veteran contingent helped build the Captains into a competitive team in the region and led the squad to its first postseason berth.

---CNU---