VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- Matthew Crist joined an exclusive club with his 100th career goal, while 10 other Captains also found the back of the net on Wednesday evening as the 18th-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team ran past Virginia Wesleyan, 19-7, during a non-conference battle at Birdsong Field.
 
Making history in the first quarter, Crist joined former teammates Will Geise and Randy Foster as the only Captains to record 100 career goals after unloading an early dagger against the Marlins. Accomplishing the feat in just his 53rd career game, the senior star became the fastest player in program history to reach that milestone, beating Geise by six contests.
 
Along with Crist, Glenn Doering contributed his first collegiate hat-trick on Wednesday, while Shane McKenna and Dylan Rice also chipped in with three points apiece. On the defensive side, Max Wayne led the back line with four caused turnovers and three ground balls. Additionally, Andrew Clark earned the victory after making nine saves in 44 minutes of work.
 
With the win, Christopher Newport improves to 8-0 on the season. The squad's eight-game winning streak stands as a new program record, eclipsing a pair of seven-game rolls accomplished in 2014 and 2017. Meanwhile, the setback drops Virginia Wesleyan to 3-5.
 
From the outset, the Captains controlled the tempo on the offensive side. Just over two minutes into the contest, McKenna split a pair of defenders with an absolute dart to open the scoring. Thirty seconds later, Griffin Hanes was isolated with a Marlin on the far side of the field. Liking those odds, the freshman pieced together a quick dodge before landing a blow to snatch a 2-0 lead.
 
Meanwhile, the defense was equally devastating. Jake O'Connell and Christopher Albright badgered two attackers around the back of the crease before Wayne stripped the ball from the hosts. Although Virginia Wesleyan managed to regain control shortly thereafter, Conor James came through with a trail check to rip the ball away again.
 
With the Marlins struggling to find their footing, the CNU attack had no such problem. Drew Magnusson came through with the squad's third goal before Crist joined the fun. In the 11th minute, the senior burst around the left side of the cage before finding Rice, who caught the feed in-stride and hammered from close range. Less than two minutes later, Crist came back for more.
 
After an initial shot was saved by Virginia Wesleyan, Christopher Newport capitalized on the unsettled situation. Rice eventually gained control and dished inside to Crist, who found himself one-on-one with the keeper. Rolling from left to right, the senior used a pair of pump fakes to get the goalie's head spinning before smoking his 100th career goal to snatch a 5-1 lead.
 
As the offense continued to stretch its advantage, the defense remained vigilant as well. With time winding down in the first quarter, Wayne put together a terrific stand. The freshman got back in time to disrupt a shot by the Marlins, which sailed high. Although the hosts retained possession, Wayne quickly came back and forced a turnover to close out the opening period.
 
In the second stanza, the Captains continued their blistering assault. Two minutes into the new period, Lucas Barry tattooed the VWU goalie with a blast that eventually deflected across the line for a goal. Shortly thereafter, Will Stockhausen and Miles Collins laced back-to-back rockets before Jackson Deal capitalized on some hustle to stretch the lead some more.
 
Taking hits from every angle, the hosts eventually forced a turnover to stymie an initial assault by the Captains. Looking to clear the ball, the Virginia Wesleyan goalie tossed a floater towards a sea of Marlins in the middle of the field. Unfazed by those numbers, Deal cut through the defenders, grabbed the high-hopper, and drove home CNU's ninth goal with a breakaway bullet.
 
After Doering extended the lead to 10-1 with his first tally of the game, the CNU defense flashed its muscles again. Following a sustained possession, a Marlin lowered his shoulder and drove into Wayne. Hitting a brick wall, the attacker lost control of the ball before Albright scooped it up. Minutes later, after Christopher Newport was hit with a penalty, the man-down defense stepped up. Will Cogan cut off a shooting lane and forced an errant attempt, which Clark stoned. Controlling the rebound, Cogan grabbed the ball and flipped it back to Clark, who jump-started the clear and ended the threat.
 
Following the defensive stand, Barry buried a dart in the top corner of the cage before Doering wrapped up the first half by spinning circles around a defender on the way to his second strike and a 12-3 lead entering the break.
 
After halftime, the Captains continued to carve up the Marlins. Rice cut around two defenders and slipped underneath the defense to open the second-half scoring. Keeping up the pressure, Doering capped off his hat-trick, Collins scored from deep, and McKenna snuck a strike inside the right pipe to grab a 16-3 lead midway through the third period.
 
Following Virginia Wesleyan's fourth goal, Christopher Newport was handed its second penalty of the game, but the downers came through again. Clark smothered a pair of shots, while Drew Cornell pounced on a loose ball to regain possession. Later, the offense extended its lead despite playing shorthanded.
 
Running wind sprints in the offensive zone, Hanes split a pair of double-teams to gain some space. Later, after cruising around the back of the crease, he hammered home a goal along the left pipe to push the lead to 17-4 entering the final period.
 
With more than enough breathing room, the Captains eased into the victory. Although the Marlins were able to toss a few late goals on the board, Gabe Lynch responded with a pair, including a nifty strike off a feed from William Gingerich, to lock up the 19-7 victory.
 
Overall, Christopher Newport held a 49-30 advantage in shots and a 42-29 lead in ground balls. The squad also won 17 of the game's 30 faceoffs, including 11 by Tony Cruz. Cruz and O'Connell also grabbed four ground balls apiece, while Phoenix Hines collected a team-high five rollers and forced two turnovers.
 
CNU will return to action on Saturday when the squad hosts Frostburg State at 1 p.m.
 
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