YORK, Pa. -- Behind a suffocating defensive effort and a timely offensive attack, the Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team jumped out to a crucial first-quarter lead and never trailed after that point as the Captains nailed down the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Capital Athletic Conference Tournament with a 7-6 triumph over York (Pa.) on Saturday afternoon at Kinsley Field.

Looking to cap off the regular season with the program's first-ever victory over the Spartans, CNU bolted out to a 3-0 lead in the first quarter and held on from there. Randy Foster and John Thompson both contributed two goals and an assist to pace the offense. Equally strong on the defensive side of the ball, Matt Hayden pieced together a tremendous performance with 13 saves, four ground balls, and two caused turnovers. Harrison Drier also forced a pair of miscues for the Captains.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 11-4 on the year, which sets a new single-season program record for wins. The squad also ends the regular season with a 6-2 mark in league action and will enter the playoffs as the No. 3 seed. The Captains will host Mary Washington in the first round on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

The setback drops York to 9-8 on the year and 5-3 in the CAC. The Spartans will host St. Mary's in the first-round as the league's No. 4 seed.

From the outset, the Captains looked comfortable in hostile territory. Although the hosts pressured CNU right out of the gate, the defense never wavered. Drier and Hayden both forced early turnovers to quiet the Spartan attack before Christopher Newport went to work on the offensive end.

Getting things started, Foster burst into the zone and cruised past several Spartan defenders before unleashing a bullet on the run to give the visitors an early advantage. Shortly thereafter, Drier forced another miscue with a textbook stick check to regain possession. In control, the Captains earned a man-up situation following a York penalty.

Looking to convert, the squad remained patient and worked the ball around the zone searching for some daylight. With the Spartans hanging tough, the Captains quickly reversed field and caught the defense off-balance. Foster dished back to Thompson, who snapped off a rocket from the far side of the field to grab a 2-0 lead with six minutes left in the first.

With the offense finding its rhythm, the defense continued to do great work as well. Thomas St. John forced a turnover to end a solid run by York. Later, after the hosts regained control, the entire defense swarmed in and frustrated the Spartans, refusing to give the squad an inch of space. Facing relentless pressure, YCP was unable to clear the ball and handed it right back to CNU.

Hoping to add one more goal before the end of the quarter, Christopher Newport turned back to Foster. Once again, the second-year star curled around the defense and ripped a one-timer on the run from the near side of the field to give the Captains a 3-0 lead at the end of the opening stanza.

Staring at a deficit, York opened up the second quarter with a quick goal to pull back within two. Looking to retaliate, CNU immediately responded. After a fast restart following an off-sides call on York, Thompson threaded a pass to Brooks Billings, who smoked a rope from the doorstep to snatch a 4-1 lead heading into a YCP timeout.

Unfortunately, the stoppage worked perfectly for York. After regrouping in the break, the Spartans tacked on their second goal of the game with eight minutes left in the half. Remaining aggressive, the hosts continued to assault the CNU defense. Although the Captains were able to withstand several runs, eventually, YCP was able to light the scoreboard with two straight goals at the end of the quarter to knot the game at four entering halftime.

With the momentum firmly planted on the York side of the field, Christopher Newport put together a game-changing defensive stand early in the third quarter. Refusing to let the Spartans take the lead, CNU withstood several early tests by the hosts. First, the squad took care of a man-down situation, including a great stop and clearing pass by Hayden. Later, the Captains' goalie posted two more saves to keep York off the board.

Following the defensive stand, the CNU attack found its footing again. After poking at the Spartan defense during a sustained surge, Casey Cook eventually took possession. With the ball, he curled to the near side of the field before tucking a dart under the crossbar to retake the lead at 5-4.

Four minutes later, the Captains gained a little breathing room. Holding the ball at the top of the zone, Alex Barber rolled around the defense, which got the Spartans moving in the wrong direction as Matthew Crist slipped free along the far post. With great vision, Barber sent the ball to Crist, who slammed home a rocket from the doorstep to grab a 6-4 edge with five minutes left in the third.

Unfortunately, the Spartans had an answer. Looking to even the score, the team was able to toss two late goals on the board, including one just seconds before the end of the third quarter, to retie the game at six.

Still on the attack following a penalty on Christopher Newport, York had a solid chance to take the lead early in the fourth. However, Hayden was up to the task. Settling in between the pipes, the sophomore sensation put on a clinic. Facing shots from nearly every angle, he made three straight saves, including two during the man-down situation, to stifle the Spartans.

After Hayden's heroics, the offense went back to work. Peppering the YCP defense, the Captains were unable to find an opening until Thompson added to his collection of highlights. Sprinting around the near side of the field, he found himself one-on-one. With no better option, he elevated and blistered an off-balance shot while being hit by his defender. Incredibly, the ball found daylight and spiraled to the back of the net to give CNU a 7-6 edge with nine minutes left in regulation.

Trailing by one, York spent the rest of the game trying to solve the Christopher Newport defense. Despite the unrelenting attack, the Captains remained vigilant. Drier helped put an end to one run with great pressure along the far post before Hayden made a spectacular save on a low liner. Shortly thereafter, Hayden came through with an incredible series.

First, the CNU goalie made another phenomenal stop on a pointblank bullet. Although the Spartans were able to force a turnover on the clear attempt with Hayden out of the crease, he scurried back into position and made another terrific save before Patrick Miller collected the ground ball and helped settle things down with three minutes left.

Still clutching a one-goal lead, Christopher Newport pieced together one last stand to close out the victory. On the defensive end, Brenden Dwyer caused a turnover before Brandon Moloney grabbed the loose ball. Following a successful clear, the Captains called a timeout with 18 seconds left on the clock. Hoping to run out the time, Dave Magdeburger broke through a double-team to whittle away crucial seconds before Cook secured a ground ball as the final horn sounded.

Overall, CNU held a 32-25 edge in ground balls, while York had a slim 33-32 advantage in shots. The Spartans also grabbed eight of the game's 15 faceoff attempts, while Nick Kirschke won half of his 12 battles.

---CNU---