NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- After Hampden-Sydney overcame an early deficit to knot the score at the beginning of the second quarter, the 20th-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team ripped off five straight goals, including a pair by freshman Dylan Rice, to grab a commanding lead on the way to a 13-9 victory over the Tigers on a gorgeous Saturday evening at Captains Turf Field.
 
Continuing an electric debut campaign, Rice finished the contest with three goals and a season-high four assists. His seven points equaled the eighth-highest total by a Captain in program history.
 
Along with Rice, Drew Magnusson scored twice, while Shane McKenna and Matthew Crist added a pair of points. Meanwhile, Tony Cruz continued his domination on faceoffs as the senior standout won 17 of his 26 battles while securing eight ground balls. Jake O'Connell also collected five rollers, forced two turnovers, and drove home his first goal of the season.
 
With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 4-0 on the season and extends its home winning streak to 13 straight dating back to April 19, 2016. The setback drops Hampden-Sydney to 3-2 on the year.
 
In the early going, the two teams traded a pair of quick strikes, including a dagger by Pat Matsko. Looking to break the 1-1 tie, the Captains unloaded. With a flag down in the fourth minute, Magnusson circled a defender before driving home his first goal. Although the Tigers won the ensuing man-down faceoff, O'Connell regained possession and went coast-to-coast before pounding home the squad's third goal.
 
Continuing to pick apart the Tigers, Jackson Deal planted himself behind the crease. Looking for an opening, he found a sliver of daylight inside a defender on the near side. Squeezing through, he toed the circle and dropped in a pointblank strike to snatch a 4-1 lead.
 
Staring at a three-goal deficit, Hampden-Sydney had no intention of backing down. Receiving votes in the latest USILA National Coaches Poll, the visitors responded to CNU's quick start with three straight goals, including two in the second quarter, to pull even at four.
 
With a new game on their hands, the Captains turned to Rice. First, the freshman fed a long pass over the defense to Spencer Shipman, who sidestepped a defender before unleashing a one-timer. Just over a minute later, Rice broke down a defender in a one-on-one situation. He flashed his power after lowering his shoulders and driving into the Tiger. Needing to free up a little more space, he cut back and sent the defender spiraling to the turf before peppering a dart inside the crossbar.
 
Remaining hot, Rice came back two minutes later and capitalized on another man-up situation. Methodically working the ball around the zone, Shane McKenna eventually reversed course and passed back to Rice, who spun home his second straight goal for a 7-4 lead.
 
Still looking for more, Matthew Crist fired a dart on-cage while battling through a cluttered zone, but HSC's goalie made a tremendous kick save. Fortunately, the ball ricocheted out to McKenna, who corralled the spinner and fired a screamer over the defense and into the back of the net with five minutes left in the half.
 
Holding an 8-4 edge, the defense looked to keep the visitors quiet. Conor James dropped the hammer on a Tiger to force a turnover with four minutes remaining. Moments later, Phoenix Hines came storming in and clubbed the stick right out of a midfielder's hands to cause another failed clear and keep possession.
 
Fittingly, the offense capitalized on the defense's hard work in the final minute of the quarter as Rice connected with Crist, who sniped another man-up tally to push the lead to 9-4 entering the break.
 
Following halftime, Hampden-Sydney struck seven seconds into the new period. Needing to keep the visitors in-check, the defense stepped up again. After a Tiger shot was blocked, Max Wayne pounced on the ground ball. Kick-starting a fast clear, Drew Cornell took possession near midfield. In a split second, he dished the ball to Rice, who fed across the crease to Lucas Barry. With the defense struggling to catch up, Barry quickly converted on the doorstep for a 10-5 advantage.
 
Although Hampden-Sydney shot back with two goals, Christopher Newport remained vigilant and helped limit the damage. With just over six minutes remaining in the third quarter, Scott McAneney made a sensational pointblank save to thwart an HSC run. Later, Will Cogan forced a turnover near the crease and James battled through a mass of humanity to secure a crucial roller at the end of the period.
 
Entering the final 15 minutes, the Captains looked to put the game out-of-reach. After earning another man-up opportunity, Rice flipped the ball over to Will Stockhausen, who used some geometry to bounce a high-hopper just under the crossbar to snatch an 11-7 lead.
 
Trading goals, the visitors responded with their eighth tally before Magnusson snapped off his second of the game. Continuing the seesaw affair, HSC retaliated before O'Connell forced a turnover and James grabbed the roller with six minutes remaining. Back in control, Rice capitalized on some crisp passing by Crist to cap off his hat-trick.
 
With a four-goal edge, Christopher Newport eased into the victory. The attack helped cut the final few minutes off the clock, while Crist made a spectacular defensive play near midfield to swipe the ball out of the stick of a Tiger to clamp down on HSC's final scoring opportunity.
 
Overall, CNU held a 39-30 advantage in shots and a 41-19 edge in ground balls. Crist grabbed six rollers for the Captains, while Rice added five to go along with his offensive heroics. The hosts also won 17 of the game's 26 faceoffs to control possession throughout the contest.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action on March 3 when the Captains travel to Southern Virginia for a Capital Athletic Conference tilt beginning at 4 p.m.
 
---CNU---