FROSTBURG, Md. -- Piecing together a defensive masterpiece, the Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team held strong against Frostburg State and eventually pulled even in the fourth quarter, but the Bobcats had a little more left as FSU capitalized on a last-minute goal to steal a 6-5 victory on Saturday evening at Bobcat Stadium.
 
In a battle between two evenly-matched squads, Matt Hayden made 11 saves, forced two turnovers, and grabbed six ground balls during a terrific performance between the pipes. Conor James also picked up four ground balls and forced a turnover, while Randy Foster caused two miscues and chipped in with a pair of points on the offensive side.
 
Along with Foster, Matthew Crist added three points, including the equalizer in the fourth quarter. Will Geise also scored twice for the Captains.
 
With the setback, Christopher Newport falls to 8-3 on the season, including 3-1 in league action. The victory moves Frostburg State to 7-4 with an identical 3-1 mark in CAC play.
 
Setting the tone early, the Captains settled in quickly on the defensive side. Out of the gate, Trevor Royce bruised up a Bobcat to force a fast turnover before Hayden jumped on the ground ball to end an initial FSU threat. Later, after the hosts returned to the zone, Jake O'Connell bodied up an attacker, sticking on the hip of his mark before Hayden pounced on another roller to quiet a second rally.
 
Although Frostburg State managed to slip in a pair of goals after the lengthy defensive stand, Christopher Newport remained vigilant. Hayden made back-to-back stops, including a tremendous kick save off a bounce shot. Later, Christopher Albright grabbed a ground ball and cleared the zone to give the defense a breather before Foster blasted an FSU midfielder and forced him straight out of bounds to keep possession on the offensive side.
 
Looking to capitalize on the defensive intensity, Geise found an opening. Following a sustained possession, the senior cut in from the near side, curled around a defender, and laced the squad's first goal just inside the right pipe to close out the first quarter.
 
After pulling within one, the Captains evened things with a fresh 15 minutes on the clock. Early in the second quarter, Foster fed deep inside to Crist, who was toeing the crease. From the interior, the junior punched one into the back of the net to pull even at two.
 
Although Hayden kept the game tied for a brief moment with a spectacular save during an unsettled situation, Frostburg State eventually broke the deadlock and snatched a 3-2 edge with 11 minutes remaining in the first half.
 
Continuing the seesaw affair, Foster responded five minutes later. After a CNU pass was deflected inside the attacking zone, Foster scrambled to grab the deflection. With the defense on its heels, the senior All-American stormed in, blew right past a defender on the far side of the field, and torched the back of the net to even the score at three.
 
Looking to keep the Bobcats quiet, the CNU defense blanketed the field and brushed aside Frostburg State's response. Will Cogan disrupted a pass on the interior before O'Connell grabbed the ground ball to end a threat. Later, after FSU returned to the zone during a 5-on-3 situation, Hayden came out of the crease and forced an off-target shot to thwart another surge entering halftime.
 
Following the break, the hosts tossed an early goal on the board before the Captains went to work on the defensive side once again. Covering the field, the squad swarmed the Bobcats and refused to give an inch. Showcasing an airtight zone, Christopher Newport forced a pair of stall warnings after FSU was unable to find a sliver of daylight.
 
Unfortunately, the CNU attack could not capitalize on the defensive dominance as the visitors ran into an equally adept FSU back line. Eventually, following a back-and-forth showcase by the two defenses, the hosts managed to tack on another goal towards the end of the period to steal a 5-3 advantage entering the fourth quarter.
 
With 15 minutes left in regulation, Christopher Newport went to work early in the final stanza. Once again, the defense took charge as the squad forced another shot clock violation by the Bobcats before the CNU attack found its rhythm.
 
Needing two quick strikes, Crist helped set up the first. Showing his toughness, the junior ran headfirst into the teeth of the Frostburg State defense. Battling his way towards the pipes, Crist eventually took a punishing hit but managed to flip the ball to Geise, who caught it and sniped a shot past the FSU keeper to pull the visitors back within one with 12 minutes remaining.
 
Continuing to shine on both sides of the ball, Hayden clamped down on the Bobcats' initial response as he managed to catch a shot from trickling across the goal line while falling to the ground. Moments later, after a failed clear, he brushed aside another rip by the hosts. Then, after gaining possession, Hayden jumpstarted a surge by finding O'Connell, who bullied his way to the offensive end before connecting with Crist.
 
Grabbing control, Crist darted in and fired the equalizer to tie the game at five with 10 minutes left in regulation.
 
Hoping to continue the late rally, the Captains had several opportunities to take the lead. Following Crist's goal, Shane Palmateer won the faceoff after James raced in to grab the ground ball, but the ensuing shot whistled wide. Later, Cogan won a sprint to the end line to regain possession after a high shot by the hosts before Drew Cornell battled his way through a tough clear defense to give the attack another chance.
 
With a late opportunity, Christopher Newport unleashed a rapid-fire assault, but three straight shots by Crist, Geise, and Ryan Mills missed the mark before Frostburg State grabbed control with two minutes left to play.
 
Following an FSU timeout, the hosts settled in. Once again, the Captains hung with the Bobcats and did not give an inch. Eventually, CNU forced another stall warning, but this time, Frostburg State had an answer. With less than a minute left in regulation, Adam Gross wiggled his way through four defenders on the far side of the field and unloaded a pointblank dart that just snuck across the goal line to seal the thrilling 6-5 victory.
 
Overall, Frostburg State held a 36-28 advantage in shots and a 30-20 lead in ground balls. The Bobcats also won 11 of the game's 15 faceoffs to help control possession.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action on Wednesday when the squad heads to Maryland for a 7 p.m. match-up with No. 1 Salisbury.
 
---CNU---