DOVER, Del. -- Shane McKenna and Dylan Rice scored four goals apiece, while Matthew Crist added six points, including a hat-trick, as the 16th-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team toppled Wesley, 20-3, during a Capital Athletic Conference battle on Saturday afternoon at Miller Stadium.
 
In the regular season finale, the Captains showcased a well-balanced attack. Along with the three leading scorers, 10 other players posted at least one point during the contest. Headlining that group, Lucas Barry added four points and matched Crist for the team-lead with three assists. Will Stockhausen and Gabe Lynch also added two goals apiece.
 
Christopher Newport was equally electric at the 'X.' The visitors won 25 of the 27 faceoffs, including a pristine 12-for-12 effort by Tyler Iriondo. Corey Hart also won nine of his 10 battles, and Tony Cruz added four victories. Iriondo also contributed a team-high six ground balls, while Glenn Doering secured four to go along with a goal and caused turnover.
 
With the victory, CNU improves to 13-3 on the season, including 6-2 in league action. The win also guarantees the team will enter the CAC Tournament as the No. 3 seed and host a first-round contest next Saturday. Time and opponent have yet to be determined.
 
On the other side, Wesley wraps up the year with a 3-12 record and a 1-7 ledger against CAC foes.
 
From the outset, Christopher Newport began picking apart the Wolverines. In the first seven minutes of action, Rice found the back of the net twice. Meanwhile, Crist assisted on two straight tallies, including a dagger by McKenna, before coming through with his first goal of the game to snatch a 4-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
 
In the second stanza, the Captains continued to pressure the Wesley defense. Keeping control of the ball, CNU won all eight faceoffs during the quarter, including five straight by Iriondo. Capitalizing on the extra possessions, Christopher Newport's attack lit up the scoreboard. Barry posted a goal and an assist in a one-minute window to kick off the surge before Crist sniped his second tally off a feed from Jordan Lee to push the lead to 7-0 with four minutes remaining in the first half.
 
On a roll, the visitors closed out the half in style. Rice and McKenna added two straight strikes before the squad capitalized on a late penalty by the Wolverines. Putting their potent man-up unit on display, the Captains picked up a pair of last-minute goals by Stockhausen to snatch an 11-0 lead entering halftime.
 
Following the break, the two squads traded the first four goals of the second half, including bullets by McKenna and Drew Magnusson. Later, Rice capped off his hat-trick and Gabe Lynch added his first goal of the game to secure a 15-3 lead entering the final 15 minutes.
 
With more than enough breathing room, Christopher Newport eased into the victory. Lynch and Hanes both contributed a goal and an assist during the fourth quarter, while Doering, McKenna, and Lee added strikes as well to polish off the 20-3 victory.
 
Overall, Christopher Newport held a 35-23 advantage in ground balls and a 52-24 lead in shots. Meanwhile, on the defensive end, Phoenix Hines caused three turnovers, while Drew Cornell forced one and grabbed a pair of ground balls. Between the pipes, Scott McAneney earned the victory and made two saves during 24 minutes of spotless work. Additionally, Andrew Clark added a stop, while Matt Scott and Thomas Brackett contributed three apiece to help suffocate the Wesley attack.
 
---CNU---