SALISBURY, Md. -- Despite a slew of record-setting efforts by the Captains, the 20th-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team dropped an 18-4 decision to No. 1 Salisbury during a Capital Athletic Conference tilt on Wednesday evening at Sea Gull Stadium.
                                 
Headlining the history-makers, Drew Cornell made his 69th career appearance as a Captain, moving him past former teammates Christopher Albright and Tony Cruz for the program lead in games played. Making the most of his time on the field, the senior also caused his 92nd career turnover. That equaled the program standard established by Teddy Pekalski from 2010-14.
 
Equally impressive on the defensive side, Scott McAneney stood up against the high-powered Salisbury attack and made 16 saves. The junior now has 200 total stops this year, breaking the previous single-season record of 190 set by current assistant coach Matt Hayden during the 2016 campaign.
 
On the offensive end, Will Stockhausen registered a hat-trick for CNU. That marked his 21st consecutive appearance with at least one point, which established the new school standard. Adam Abbate set the previous record of 20 straight games with a tally from April 13, 2013 through April 23, 2014. John Thompson matched that run from March 26, 2014 through April 4, 2015.
 
Along with the record-setters, Jackson Deal also found the back of the net against the Sea Gulls, while Aidan FitzGerald and Miles Collins forced two turnovers apiece.
 
With the setback, Christopher Newport falls to 9-6 on the season, including 2-2 in league play. Salisbury is now 13-0 with a 3-0 ledger against conference foes.
 
In the early going, the Sea Gulls took control. Although McAneney came through with six saves in the opening period and Cornell forced his record-tying 92nd turnover, the hosts were undeterred. Showcasing the squad's electric attack, SU jumped out to a 6-0 lead after 15 minutes of action.
 
After Salisbury opened the second quarter with the team's seventh strike, Christopher Newport settled in. McAneney brushed aside back-to-back shots before the offense found its rhythm. Kicking things off, Brady Altobello pounced on a loose ball after an initial shot was stoned by the Salisbury goalie. Keeping possession, Dylan Rice took advantage as the sophomore shoveled a pass to a hard-charging Stockhausen, who split a pair of defenders before depositing on the interior for CNU's first goal.
 
Less than two minutes, Stockhausen returned for more. After the midfielder spun around a defender, Salisbury sent a second Sea Gull to help contain the sophomore star. Cracking off a shot before the help could arrive, Stockhausen whistled a low liner from long range to pull the Captains back within five at 7-2.
 
Equally effective on the defensive side, Will Cogan shut down Salisbury's response. Although the Sea Gulls won the ensuing faceoff, Cogan put an end to the possession. The senior blanketed an attacker on the interior before knocking away a centering feed along the crease. After McAneney scooped up the ground ball, CNU quickly cleared the zone.
 
Back on the attack, Stockhausen found himself isolated with a defender in his hip pocket on the left side of the crease. Although Stockhausen attempted to roll around his mark, the Sea Gull stuck with him. Unable to shake free, he simply elevated and shot over his defender with a perfectly-placed bullet to cut Salisbury's lead down to 7-3 entering halftime.
 
Following the break, Christopher Newport tried to keep its momentum. Early on, McAneney swallowed a rip by a Sea Gull, while Campbell Pozin stripped a midfielder to cut down a clear attempt. Collins also ended a rally with one of his two caused turnovers, but Salisbury was relentless.
 
Poking at the CNU defense, the hosts eventually slipped in four straight goals during the first 10 minutes of the third quarter to snatch a commanding 11-3 advantage.
 
With time ticking down in the stanza, the Captains added their final tally. After Rice had a shot blocked by a defender, a battle for the loose ball erupted. Fighting through the carnage, Deal eventually scooted in, grabbed the loose ball, and escaped through the back of the scrum. With possession, the sophomore went high-to-low with a missile to close out CNU's scoring.
 
After that point, Salisbury eased into the victory. The Sea Gulls continued stretching their lead and eventually scored seven unanswered goals in the fourth quarter to secure the 18-4 win.
 
Salisbury out-shot CNU, 57-23, and held a 36-28 lead in ground balls. McAneney led the Captains with five rollers, while Collins scooped up four. Meanwhile, the Sea Gulls also won 22 of the game's 26 faceoffs. FitzGerald won a pair of battles for the visitors, while Glenn Doering and Phoenix Hines added one apiece.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday when the squad travels to Frostburg State for a 1 p.m. contest.
 
---CNU---