NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Freshman Tony Cruz pieced together a performance for the ages as the first-year star helped lead the Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team to an impressive 20-6 victory over Virginia Wesleyan during a non-conference battle on a rain-soaked Wednesday evening at Captains Turf Field.

Making his first appearance at home, Cruz gave the fans a game to remember as he won 24 of his 25 faceoff attempts. That performance established a new single-game program record for faceoff victories, topping the previous mark of 20. His .960 winning percentage also stands among the highest by any player with at least 25 attempts in over a decade in Division III.

Rounding out his record-setting performance, Cruz also added seven ground balls against the Marlins.

While Cruz was dominating on faceoffs, Christopher Newport's attack also was impressive throughout the game. John Thompson led the way with four goals, while Will Geise and Dave Magdeburger dished out four assists apiece. Joey Rolando and Brooks Billings also added hat-tricks during an explosive performance by the CNU offense.

On the defensive end, the Captains forced 10 turnovers, including two by Brandon Moloney. Matt Hayden also made nine saves to earn the victory, while Ryan Long chipped in with one in relief. Randy Foster also collected seven ground balls and added a goal for good measure.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 4-1 on the season. The setback drops Virginia Wesleyan to 2-2.

In the first quarter, the Captains established the tone with a breathtaking performance. Fittingly, Cruz led the way as the freshman won all 10 of the period's faceoffs. Capitalizing on the extra possessions, the hosts opened up a fast lead. Thompson, Foster, and Casey Cook all found the back of the net during the first five minutes of action to snatch a 3-0 advantage.

Although the Marlins made things interesting with back-to-back strikes, CNU never relented. Thompson quickly added his second goal before Alex Barber capitalized on a man-up situation following a feed from Geise. Later, in the waning moments of the opening period, Rolando plastered the back of the net with a bullet that he sailed through a cluttered zone. Less than a minute later, Thompson hit Billings with a perfect feed from behind the cage, which the sophomore drove home to give the hosts a 7-2 lead.

Following a high-octane first quarter, the Christopher Newport defense stepped up with a nice effort in the beginning of the second. Hayden made four saves and forced a turnover, while Billings and Moloney also caused miscues to silence the Marlin attack. Later, after the man-down defense did its job and continued to blank the visitors following a CNU penalty, the offense went back to work.

After the Captains took their time in the offensive zone, the shot clock was placed on the team twice during the waning moments of the period. Incredibly, both times the hosts scored in a flash. First, Billings lit up the defense with a dart off a feed from Cook before Thompson sniped in a one-timer. Thirty seconds later, the senior capped off the first half with another tracer to give the hosts a 10-2 edge entering halftime.

Following the break, Cruz went a perfect 6-for-6 on faceoffs in the third period, but the two teams continued to trade goals. First, Billings faked high and went low for CNU's 11th strike before the Marlins answered. Later, Rolando unleashed a long-range laser to snatch a 12-3 lead before the visitors retaliated again. Sick of the back-and-forth affair, the Captains went on an impressive run. First, Ryan Mills capitalized on an assist by Gregory Limon to cap off the third period before the hosts scored seven straight at the start of the fourth.

Barber opened the late push with a tremendous shot as he blistered a dart that deflected off VWC's goalie and spun neatly into the corner of the net. After that strike, Geise went on a run. The junior scored once and assisted on a pair of goals by Matthew Crist. Rolando and Hunter King also beat the Wesleyan defense to push CNU's lead to 19-4 with five minutes remaining in regulation.

With more than enough cushion, the Captains settled into the victory. John McAndrew forced a late turnover, which helped lead to CNU's last goal. After McAndrew scooped up the ball and cleared the zone, Nick Kirschke eventually gained possession and withstood a tough hit to drive home his second goal of the season to cap off Christopher Newport's scoring.

Although the Marlins were able to tack on a pair of late goals, the game was never in doubt. Eventually, the defense blocked a shot and Long stopped another last-ditch dart to seal the 14-goal victory.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 44-39 advantage in shots and a 41-25 lead in ground balls. The Captains also won 24 of the game's 30 faceoffs, including the historic performance by Cruz.

CNU will return to action on Friday when the squad hosts the Coast Guard Academy in a non-conference showdown at 7 p.m.

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