NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Facing tornado warnings, high winds, and a lengthy pregame delay, the Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team was able to weather the storm as CNU ran past Randolph-Macon, 10-5, during a non-conference battle on a wild Wednesday evening at Captains Turf Field.
 
With the start of the game pushed up and then delayed due to thunderstorms sweeping the region, the Captains were able to withstand the pregame commotion and handle their business on the field. Eventually, Ryan Mills carried the attack with three goals and an assist, while Matt Hayden tied his career-high with 17 saves between the pipes.
 
Bringing the thunder on the defensive end, Brandon Moloney forced four turnovers and collected seven ground balls. Tony Cruz also won 12 of his 19 faceoffs to help control possession throughout the contest.
 
With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 2-1 on the season. The setback drops Randolph-Macon to 0-3.
 
Following an hour-long delay at the start of the game to avoid the brunt of the storm, the CNU defense quickly found its rhythm early in the contest. Hayden built a wall in the crease as the junior standout made five saves during the first 10 minutes of action. Meanwhile, Thomas Courtney forced a turnover early in the stanza before Jake O'Connell laid out a Yellow Jacket with a devastating blow at midfield to help set the tone.
 
After the defensive stand, the CNU attack found its groove. First, Drew Magnusson lit up the scoreboard after unleashing a dart on the run to open the scoring. Just six seconds later, after Cruz came through with a clean faceoff victory, Mills settled in along the near post and converted a perfect pass from Dave Magdeburger for his first goal of the game.
 
Although the Yellow Jackets were able to cut their deficit in half with a late goal in the first quarter, the CNU attack quickly went back to work early in the second. Bolstered by a fierce defensive presence, which included a pair of caused turnovers by Moloney, the Captains controlled possession. Eventually, Will Geise came through with the squad's third goal off a feed from Matthew Crist before Magdeburger and Mills joined forces on another dagger to snatch a 4-1 edge.
 
Continuing the surge, Hayden made a nice save on the back end before Shane McKenna took possession, rolled around a pick at the top of the zone, and fired a low rocket into the back of the net for a 5-1 lead with eight minutes remaining in the half.
 
Although the Yellow Jackets were able to halt CNU's streak for a brief moment with their second goal of the game, the Captains settled in again on the defensive end. Trevor Royce had a nice ride on an RMC attacker to force an off-balance shot before Hayden made another save to regain control. Shortly thereafter, looking to extend the lead, CNU whistled for a timeout with 40 seconds remaining in the half.
 
After Zach Thomas drew up the play on the sidelines, the Captains executed brilliantly. Geise found an opening in the corner and settled down before Rolando rolled in from the top of the zone. Snaring the pass on the move, the senior found a sliver of daylight just inside the right post as he unloaded a screamer to nail down a 6-2 lead entering the break.
 
After halftime, the Captains continued to pull away. First, Magdeburger and Mills continued to put on a clinic as the two teamed up for their third goal of the contest. Two minutes later, Crist broke down his defender with a gorgeous spin move, which opened up a lane. Looking to facilitate, Crist dished to Jay Gaffney, who connected with Geise on a quick feed to push the lead to 8-2.
 
Once again, Randolph-Macon was able to answer with a single goal before the CNU defense clamped down again. Using everything available to stunt the RMC attack, Royce took a shot to the helmet as the ball got lodged in the piping of his facemask. Later, Michael Mabry ate up an attacker on the far side of the field to force a turnover before Moloney bodied up a Yellow Jacket and deflected a shot that sailed into the football stadium to close out the third.
 
In the final stanza, the Captains used incredible precision to round out the scoring with two final goals. First, O'Connell cleared the ball and hit Crist on the run. Showing off the team's passing skills, Crist flicked to Mills, who dished to Christopher Albright. With an open look, the sophomore capitalized with his first goal of the year.
 
Later, with time running out on an RMC comeback bid, Courtney got the crowd on its feet. The freshman defender sailed a perfectly-placed pinpoint pass from midfield to Nick Auger, who settled in on the doorstep and dropped in the final nail to lock up the five-goal victory.
 
Overall, CNU held a slim 39-38 edge in shots but dominated in ground balls, 38-27. Along with Moloney's seven ground balls, Hayden and Crist both collected four apiece. Harrison Drier also added three and caused a turnover.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday when the squad hosts Hampden-Sydney at 4 p.m.
 
---CNU---