NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The 20th-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team stormed out to a first-quarter lead against the top-ranked Salisbury Sea Gulls, but the visitors won the final three periods as SU secured a 19-5 victory over CNU during a Capital Athletic Conference battle on a sunny Wednesday evening at Captains Turf Field.
 
Facing the nation's top-ranked team, the Captains fought hard and grabbed a 2-1 edge at the end of the first quarter behind early goals by Randy Foster and Shane McKenna. Later, Dave Magdeburger added a pair of darts in the second half, while Drew Magnusson also found the back of the cage, but Salisbury used a tremendous run to pull away for the victory.
 
On the defensive side, Matt Hayden registered 16 saves, which marked his second-highest total of the season. Brandon Moloney also forced a pair of turnovers and grabbed a team-high four ground balls to anchor the midfield unit.
 
With the setback, Christopher Newport falls to 10-3 on the season, including 4-1 in league action. The victory moves Salisbury to 14-0 with a 6-0 mark in CAC play.
 
Although the Sea Gulls got on the board first, the Captains settled in midway through the opening period. Following a turnover by the visitors, Foster capitalized. The junior standout took possession at the top of the zone and whistled a low rocket into the back of the net to even the score at one. Minutes later, CNU inched ahead following a solid defensive play.
 
After Salisbury stood up against an impressive onslaught by the Captains, the Sea Gulls attempted to clear the ball. Refusing to give the visitors an inch of breathing room, Moloney put the pressure on while tormenting an SU midfielder. Eventually, the senior grabbed a loose ball and regained possession before McKenna capitalized.
 
With eight minutes remaining in the opening period, McKenna controlled the ball on the near side of the field. Pushing hard, he eventually stopped, pulled up, and found some daylight with a screamer to give Christopher Newport a 2-1 edge.
 
Staring at a deficit, the Sea Gulls attempted to respond, but Hayden was up to the challenge. The junior stoned four shots in the final five minutes, including back-to-back bullets late in the period, to keep the one-goal edge entering the second quarter.
 
Incredibly, it marked only the second time this season that Salisbury trailed after 15 minutes of play. Unfortunately, the Sea Gulls quickly flipped the script in the second quarter as the squad banged home 10 goals during the period to snatch an 11-2 lead entering halftime.
 
After landing an impressive blow before the break, the visitors came back and tacked on two more goals early in the third to secure a double-digit advantage. Refusing to back down, the Captains continued to fight. First, the defense stepped up as Moloney and William Gingerich both forced turnovers, while Hayden made a key save to kill off a man-down situation.
 
Later, after the Sea Gulls were hit with a pair of penalties, Christopher Newport made them pay. With some room to work, Will Geise eventually dished to Magdeburger, who capitalized with a man-up strike to pull back within 10.
 
Shortly thereafter, CNU faced a similar situation on defense as the hosts were saddled with a pair of penalties. During the defensive stand, Matt Scott rushed off the bench without a second to warm up and stood tall between the pipes. He also benefited from a pair of shots that clanked off the pipe, while Thomas Courtney took a dart to the facemask to help kill off the two-man-down situation.
 
Following the spectacular defensive stand, Magnusson pieced together a tremendous effort on both sides of the field. First, the sophomore dislodged the ball with a thunderous check. After grabbing the roller, he stormed down the field. With nothing but daylight, he went coast-to-coast and snapped off his fifth goal of the year to pull CNU within nine at 13-4.
 
After the goal, the defense continued its solid play at the end of the period as Michael Mabry broke up a breakaway following a CNU turnover with a great ride on the far side of the field. Later, at the start of the fourth quarter, Hayden made two spectacular saves to clamp down on a pair of clean runs by SU to keep the deficit at nine.
 
Unfortunately, the Sea Gulls continued to pressure the back line. Eventually, Salisbury tossed two more goals on the board to regain the double-digit advantage. Despite the retaliation, the Captains continued to hustle all over the field. Jake O'Connell grabbed a ground ball and used a quick clear to catch SU in an unsettled situation. Later, Joey Rolando chased down a loose ball along the far sideline before Magdeburger took advantage of the relentlessness.
 
After grabbing control at the top of the zone, Magdeburger pushed hard to get the defense rolling to the left. With great instincts, he stopped on a dime and rolled back before slinging his second goal of the contest with eight minutes remaining in regulation.
 
Unfortunately, Salisbury quickly responded to regain a 16-5 lead before tossing three more goals on the board in the final three minutes to lock up the 19-5 triumph.
 
Overall, the Sea Gulls held a 48-24 advantage in shots and a 42-23 lead in ground balls. Salisbury also won 15 of the game's 27 faceoffs to help control possession.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday when the Captains travel to Dover, Delaware for a 2 p.m. clash with Wesley.
 
---CNU---