Will Stockhausen
Alec Souders
24
Winner Chris. Newport CNU 2-0
12
Roanoke RC 0-1
Winner
Chris. Newport CNU
2-0
24
Final
12
Roanoke RC
0-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Chris. Newport CNU 3 11 7 3 24
Roanoke RC 4 1 3 4 12

Game Recap: Men's Lacrosse |

Historic Second Quarter Leads 20th-Ranked Captains Past Roanoke, 24-12, in Men's Lacrosse Battle

SALEM, Va. -- Facing a first-quarter deficit for the second straight game, the 20th-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team quickly dug out of the early hole with a historic second-quarter outburst as the Captains raced past Roanoke, 24-12, during a non-conference contest on Wednesday afternoon at Donald J. Kerr Stadium.

Flipping a one-goal deficit into a lopsided nine-goal advantage, the Captains outscored the Maroons, 11-1, in the second stanza. The 11 goals marked the most by the Captains in a single quarter in program history, topping their nine-goal eruption against Southern Virginia on April 4, 2015.

In addition to the team record, a pair of freshmen also made a little history against Roanoke. Alex Brendes scored five goals during the contest. Coupled with his three-goal showcase in the opener at Washington (Md.), the first-year star is now the first player in program history to have a hat-trick in each of his first two collegiate outings.

Along with Brendes, Aaron Casteel was nearly unstoppable on faceoffs while winning 21 of his 28 battles. His 21 victories equaled the third-most in program history, trailing only a pair of outings by legendary All-American Tony Cruz. Meanwhile, he also collected 10 ground balls, making him only the fifth freshman to register double-digits in a single contest.

Joining the historic freshmen, several other first-year Captains made their presence felt on Wednesday. Drew Miller erupted for six points, while Coby Auslander dished out a team-high four assists. Overall, eight newcomers tallied at least one point in the game.

Headlining the veteran portion of the roster, Will Stockhausen had five points, including three strikes during the squad's momentum-turning second quarter. With that, he recorded a point in his 27th straight game, marking the longest run in program history. Dylan Rice also added his sixth consecutive multi-goal effort dating back to last year after tallying three goals and two assists.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 2-0 on the season. The setback drops Roanoke to 0-1.

After the squads traded goals throughout the first quarter, the Maroons found themselves clutching a 4-3 edge entering the second stanza. Flipping the script with a fresh 15 minutes on the clock, Stockhausen quickly evened things after painting the left portion of the net with a bouncer less than 30 seconds into the quarter. Shortly thereafter, David Gonzalez gave the visitors a lead they would never relinquish with a sensational effort on both sides of the field.

In the 17th minute, the sophomore defender stripped an attacker on the defensive end and pounced on the loose ball. Flashing his wheels, he quickly jump-started a jailbreak going the other way. Giving up possession on the offensive side, he passed to Rice, who quickly returned the favor. Putting the perfect punctuation mark on the play, Gonzalez took the return feed and blasted a long-stick laser through the goalie for his first collegiate tally.

Keeping the momentum, Brendes took over with four straight goals during a seven-minute showcase. The freshman whipped a submarine shot during an unsettled situation before capitalizing on a quick clear by Campbell Pozin for his second straight strike. Later, he unloaded a dagger from the doorstep while diving along the crease before launching from long-range for the squad's ninth tally of the game.

Continuing to take the top off the defense, Rice connected on back-to-back rockets, including a man-up stinger that tucked into the top right corner of the net. Later, Stockhausen slid over the top with a lengthy blast of his own before Auslander drew the attention of the defense down low, which led to another layup strike by Stockhausen on the way to a 13-4 edge.

Although Roanoke momentarily broke up the onslaught with a goal in the 28th minute, Miller retaliated just before the break to snatch a 14-5 lead entering halftime.

Keeping the momentum after the stoppage, Miller kicked off the third period with his second straight goal before putting his hustle on full display less than 10 seconds later. After Roanoke stole a faceoff, the visitors had the ball jostled loose behind the crease. Winning a race for the roller, Miller snatched it just before the RC goalie could take control. Immediately capitalizing on the situation, the freshman tossed a pass to Rice, who had an empty-net look for Christopher Newport's 16th goal.

Continuing his surge, Miller converted his third goal in less than seven minutes of game action after running down the shot clock before depositing along the left post.

Wrapping up the third period, Danny McMinn added two late tallies, including a nice dagger in the 36th minute that saw him elevate over a defender while brushing off a late hit. The freshman also added an assist on a burner by Robby Adams, while Casteel helped put a fitting end to his historic evening.

With four minutes left in the third quarter, Casteel cleanly won his 20th faceoff and quickly stormed his way into the offensive zone. Cruising up the left sideline, he immediately left his closest defender in the dust. Looking at a clear path towards the crease, he cut in and snapped off a dart along the left post for his first career tally.

Holding a 21-8 lead entering the final frame, the Captains had little left to prove. Offensively, Jackson Deal stung a shot into the top left corner to kick off the fourth-quarter scoring before Matt Rice connected on a pair of wraparound rockets to polish off the contest. Meanwhile, the defense also stood tall as Andrew Clark made a nice run to snatch a loose ball in the middle of the frame before registering a tremendous save on one knee to thwart the very next rally.

Later, Zac Hanway made his debut in the final minutes and blocked a low liner with his body to close out the contest.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 51-40 advantage in shots and a 23-16 lead on faceoffs. The Captains also caused 10 turnovers in the game, including three takeaways by Max Wayne. Pozin also forced one miscue and collected four ground balls to go along with an assist.

Between the pipes, Clark, Hanway, and Scott McAneney combined for 11 saves.

Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday when the squad kicks off its home slate with a 6 p.m. tilt against Hampden-Sydney.

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