ASHLAND, Va. -- The Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team converted four man-up goals and capitalized on a swarming defensive effort to register the squad's first victory of the season with a 14-3 triumph over Randolph-Macon during a non-conference battle on Wednesday evening at Day Field.
 
Leading the electric attack, Shane McKenna and Ryan Mills both contributed five points, including three goals apiece. Will Geise also posted a hat-trick against the Yellow Jackets, including a pair of man-up strikes, while Matthew Crist added three assists.
 
On the defensive end, Matt Hayden made 11 saves to earn the victory. Randy Foster and Drew Cornell also forced two turnovers apiece, while Jake O'Connell collected four ground balls.
 
With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 1-1 on the season. The setback drops Randolph-Macon to 1-2.
 
From the outset, the Captains jumped on the Jackets quickly and never looked back. Just two minutes into the contest, Crist connected with Lucas Barry, who slammed home his first goal at CNU. With a fast lead, Christopher Newport continued to poke at the RMC defense. Although Nate Cho had back-to-back attempts turned away by Macon's goalie, the Captains remained vigilant and kept up the pressure.
 
Eight minutes in, after Will Cogan forced a turnover, McKenna took possession, dodged a pair of defenders, and drove home the squad's second goal. Moments later, Conor James added the third as the long-pole benefited from relentless work on the defensive side to flip the field and snipe his first collegiate score.
 
With the momentum firmly planted on the CNU sideline, the Captains added one last tally in the first quarter. With only 25 seconds left in the opening period, Christopher Albright had a shot blocked, but Ryan Mills pounced on the rebound, caught the deflection, and converted a close-range shot to snatch a 4-0 lead entering the second quarter.
 
Continuing to add to the advantage, Geise came through with the first man-up score early in the second before RMC responded. Although the Yellow Jackets managed to find some daylight for their first goal with a few minutes left in the period, Christopher Newport clamped down on the defensive side. With the hosts showing new life, Cogan and Lee Parkhill rode an attacker around the crease to prevent a shot before O'Connell forced a turnover to regain possession and quietly close out the first half.
 
In the third quarter, CNU earned an early man-up opportunity and wasted little time converting. After methodically moving the ball around the zone, Crist took control and barreled towards the crease. Brushing off a bruising hit, he eventually unloaded a shot while going to the turf to grab a 6-1 lead.
 
Following another goal by Macon, the Captains shook off the setback and pieced together a perfect response. Showcasing talent all over the field, Hayden made a pointblank stop in the net before Albright battled through contact and cleared midfield. Later, while storming into the offensive zone, he dished back to Foster, who uncorked a long-range tracer to retake a five-goal lead.
 
Serving as a call to arms, Foster's strike opened the floodgates as Christopher Newport unleashed a rapid-fire assault to close out the third. In the final four minutes of the period, Geise converted a pair of goals from the doorstep, Foster unloaded another missile, and Mills capitalized on a one-on-one situation with the goalie in the final few seconds to grab an 11-2 lead entering the final quarter.
 
With little left to prove, the Captains still looked sharp in all phases of the game. Early in the period, Foster chased down a midfielder and used a wrap-around check to de-stick a Jacket and force a turnover. Seconds later, McKenna eventually turned Foster's hustle into his second goal of the game off a feed from William Gingerich. Following Macon's last tally, McKenna capped off the game in style.
 
The junior assisted on a man-up goal by Mills before unleashing an absolute screamer with two minutes left to close out the scoring and lock up the 14-3 triumph.
 
Overall, CNU held a 37-22 edge in shots and a 36-25 lead in ground balls. The Captains also won 12 of the game's 21 faceoff attempts, including nine by Tony Cruz.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday when the team concludes its three-game road trip with a 1 p.m. showdown at Hampden-Sydney.
 
---CNU---