BUENA VISTA, Va. -- Matthew Crist registered his fourth consecutive four-goal effort and the Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team capitalized on a sensational second-half surge as the Captains pulled away from Southern Virginia, 20-10, during a Capital Athletic Conference battle on Saturday afternoon at the SVU Fields.
 
Against the Knights, Crist posted six points, including four goals. With that performance, he became the first Captain in program history to collect at least four goals in four straight games. Previously, only Jon Ims had ever reached four goals in three straight outings after the former standout accomplished the feat during the 2008 campaign.
 
Along with Crist, Randy Foster and Will Geise also scored four times apiece, while Ryan Mills and Joey Rolando contributed hat-tricks. Meanwhile, on the defensive end, Matt Hayden made nine saves to earn the win.
 
With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 10-2 on the season, including 4-0 in the CAC. The setback drops Southern Virginia to 5-7 overall and 2-4 in league action.
 
In the early going, the two teams looked evenly matched. Crist kicked things off with a goal and an assist in the first three minutes, while Mills snapped off a rocket to snatch a fast 3-1 lead. Unfortunately, the Knights retaliated and capitalized on a pair of late goals and a solid run by the SVU goalie to even things at three at the end of the opening quarter.
 
Looking to find a rhythm, Crist and Rolando broke the deadlock early in the second stanza before the CNU attack erupted with a sensational surge to pull away late in the quarter. First, Foster grabbed a loose ball that ricocheted off the post before sprinting down the field on the way to a breakaway goal with five minutes left in the period.
 
Shortly thereafter, Geise slipped free along the far post and jammed home his second strike of the contest before Shane McKenna made an impressive play. The second-year star grabbed his own rebound after an initial shot was stoned by the Knights. With a second chance, he curled around the top of the defense before whistling a dart into the back of the net to snatch an 8-4 lead with less than two minutes left in the half.
 
Continuing the surge, Tony Cruz won the ensuing faceoff and flipped the ball to Brandon Moloney, who settled on the wing. Looking to push the tempo, Moloney fed the ball back to Cruz, who quickly found Crist. In a flash, the sophomore sniped a bullet to push the lead to 9-4.
 
With less than 90 seconds left, the defense stepped up to keep the lead at five. After Southern Virginia called for a timeout to set up a last-minute attempt, Harrison Drier and Jake O'Connell bodied up an attacker to disrupt the play before Michael Mabry grabbed the loose ball and cleared the zone to end the first half.
 
Following the break, the defensive intensity continued early in the second half. Thomas Courtney ate up two different attackers, which led to a pair of errant shots. Drier also grabbed a ground ball and later dropped the hammer on a Knight to force a turnover and regain possession.
 
After the defensive stand, Crist and Rolando drove home back-to-back goals to push the lead to 11-4 before the hosts found a response. Capitalizing on three penalties, including a three-minute foul, the Knights inched back into contention. Controlling possession, Southern Virginia eventually collected six straight goals during a four-minute window to pull back within one at 11-10.
 
Needing to steal back the momentum, Moloney won a faceoff and the offense settled in. After methodically moving the ball around the zone, Dave Magdeburger laced the squad's 12th tally through a crowded zone to retake a two-goal lead. His strike served as a call-to-arms as the CNU attack broke free with a relentless assault to close out the third.
 
Headlining the attack, Foster flashed his muscles and uncorked three missiles during a two-minute run to grab a little breathing room. Geise also capitalized on a one-on-one situation following a fast clear in the final minutes to help lock down a 16-10 edge entering the final stanza.
 
In the fourth, Geise continued his run with a man-down goal before Hayden made back-to-back saves to keep the Knights quiet. Shortly thereafter, Rolando punched in his third goal before Mills added two straight, including a tremendous tally as he dove along the crease to cap off the scoring and seal the 20-10 victory.
 
Overall, Christopher Newport held a 55-26 edge in shots and a 45-35 lead in ground balls. Cleaning up the field, Cruz finished with a team-high seven ground balls, while Moloney contributed five and Drier chipped in with four. Four other Captains also collected three rollers apiece, including William Gingerich, who forced a turnover as well.
 
The Captains will return to action on April 6 when CNU hosts the top-ranked Salisbury Sea Gulls at 5 p.m.
 
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