NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Piecing together one of the finest single-game efforts in program history, Will Geise collected nine points, including six goals, to help the Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team race past Messiah, 13-8, during a non-conference battle on a chilly Saturday afternoon at Captains Turf Field.
 
Electric on the attack, Geise tied the program record for points in a game after registering six goals and three assists against the Falcons. With that effort, he equaled Andrew Evan's nine-point explosion against Tri-State on March 8, 2008. His six goals also tied the second-highest single-game total in program history.
 
Along with Geise's record-setting surge, Matthew Crist also contributed six points, including four goals, while Ryan Mills struck twice as well. Equally effective in all facets of the game, the Captains won 18 of the game's 25 faceoffs, including a 13-for-17 performance by Nick Kirschke. Matt Hayden also added 14 saves to earn the victory.
 
With the win, Christopher Newport extends its winning streak to three games and improves to 4-2 on the season. Messiah, whose only previous setbacks came against No. 5 Gettysburg and No. 12 Ohio Wesleyan, falls to 2-3 on the year.
 
From the outset, Geise carried the Captains with an epic performance. The senior carved up the Messiah defense for the game's first two goals, sprinting in from the near side for the first strike before capitalizing on a feed from Drew Magnusson for the second.
 
Although the Falcons were able to even things at two with five minutes left in the opening period, Geise closed out the quarter in style. Continuing to flash the hot hand, he collected a pass from Crist and shook off a bruising hit along the far side of the field to add his third goal and regain the lead. Moments later, Conor James dropped the hammer on an attacker, Drew Cornell pounced on the roller, and Jake O'Connell fought through a vicious assault at midfield to clear the ball and give Geise another shot.
 
Looking to cap off the opening period, Lee Parkhill gained possession in the attacking zone, dished back to Geise, who whistled a one-timer into the back of the net to grab a 4-2 edge entering the second quarter.
 
With a fresh 15 minutes on the board, Geise continued his relentless attack. Capitalizing on a good bounce, he added his fifth straight goal after grabbing a ricochet off an initial shot by Magnusson to push the lead to 5-2. Later, he flashed his passing skills and Crist put his toughness on full display. The two standouts connected on back-to-back goals in just over a minute of action as Geise fed the ball to the interior where Crist bounced off a pair of hits and converted two straight goals to snatch a 7-2 advantage.
 
After Messiah struck again to pull back within four, the Falcons picked up the intensity on the defensive end, but Christopher Newport never relented. Following a turnover by the visitors, O'Connell grabbed control on the far side of the field. Looking to prevent a clear, Messiah met him with an aggressive, 10-man ride. Bruising the midfielder with a ruthless attack, the Falcons did all they could to prevent O'Connell from slipping into the offensive zone, but the junior handled the pressure and fought through with an impressive clear before CNU whistled for a timeout.
 
Looking to add the final punctuation mark to the first half, Randy Foster came out of the break and unloaded a missile through the defense to secure an 8-3 lead entering halftime.
 
Following the break, Christopher Newport continued to pick apart the MC defense. Mills led the second-half surge as he ripped back-to-back goals, including a man-up dart off a feed from Geise. Moments later, he assisted on a strike by Crist before Geise capped off his record-setting performance with another dagger to lock up a commanding 12-3 advantage.
 
Facing a lopsided score, Messiah orchestrated a response. The squad closed out the third quarter with three straight goals but had to work incredibly hard to crack the CNU defense. During one possession, Hayden put on a clinic in the crease. The senior made three straight stops, including a highlight-reel save on a pointblank bullet after the ball deflected to a Falcon on the doorstep. Later, O'Connell ambushed an attacker and flipped him to the turf with a devastating hit to force an errant shot.
 
Although Messiah was able to find some daylight and inch back with six entering the fourth, the Captains went to work on the clock in the final stanza. Early in the period, the hosts methodically worked the ball around the zone before the referees put on the shot clock. Unfazed, CNU nearly used up all 30 seconds before Mills fed in deep to Crist, who drove home his fourth strike to gain a 13-6 lead.
 
With time becoming a factor, Christopher Newport continued to cut crucial seconds off the clock before the defense clamped down again. Hayden made two more stops in the middle of the stanza, while Will Cogan and Pat Matsko forced a pair of turnovers to end threats by Messiah. Although the visitors were eventually able to toss two late tallies on the board, the game was never in doubt as CNU cruised to the 13-8 triumph.
 
Overall, CNU held a 50-40 advantage in shots and led the way in ground balls, 32-17. The Captains also converted 11 of their 12 clear attempts and simply dominated at the 'X.' Along with Kirschke's masterful performance on faceoffs, which also featured eight ground balls, Tony Cruz won five of his eight attempts.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action on Wednesday when the team hosts Wheaton (Mass.) at 4 p.m.
 
---CNU---