NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- In a battle between two of the finest squads in the nation, the 18th-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team came out on top as the Captains utilized an exciting fourth-quarter rally to edge No. 16 Stevenson, 14-13, during a thrilling non-conference showdown on a windy Saturday afternoon at Jennings Family Stadium.
 
Trailing by four midway through the third quarter, Christopher Newport slowly chipped away at the deficit before stringing together four consecutive darts in the final stanza to secure another come-from-behind victory.
 
Overall, the win marked Christopher Newport's third comeback triumph of the season and the second time the squad pulled out a victory after trailing in the fourth quarter.
 
Headlining the late-game heroics, Brady Altobello contributed five points, including an assist on the go-ahead strike before converting the squad's final tally. Meanwhile, Dylan Rice added a team-high four goals, including the 123rd of his career, which moved him to second on the program's all-time list. He now stands just three shy of matching Matthew Crist's record of 126.
 
Making a little history of his own, Alex Brendes also registered a hat-trick against the Mustangs. With that performance, he became the first Captain in school history to begin his career with six consecutive multi-goal efforts.
 
Meanwhile, on the defensive end, Scott McAneney tied his career-high with 19 saves, which also equaled the third-highest single-game total in program history. That effort also marked the second-most saves by a Captain against a nationally-ranked opponent. Incidentally, the most stops against a ranked foe came against No. 1 Stevenson in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament by former legend and current broadcaster Andy McGregor when he had 25 saves against the Mustangs.
 
Along with McAneney's work in the crease, Max Wayne forced four turnovers and grabbed six ground balls. The junior All-American also came through with one of the most important plays of the game when he dislodged a ball from an attacker's stick in the final few seconds to help ice the victory.
 
With the win, Christopher Newport improves to 5-1 on the season while notching the program's eighth victory over a nationally-ranked opponent. The setback drops Stevenson to 1-3, although all three setbacks have come against teams slotted in the USILA National Coaches Poll.
 
After Stevenson opened the third quarter with three straight goals to snatch a 9-5 edge, Christopher Newport settled in. Slowly clawing back, Rice got things started with a man-up missile before Brendes showed incredible stick skills just seconds later. The freshman had an initial attempt turned away by a leaping defender but quickly regained control and capitalized on the rebound to help the Captains inch back within two.
 
After the Mustangs responded with their 10th goal, Altobello found his rhythm. First, with three minutes left in the third stanza, the sophomore stared at a man flanked out to his right. With the defense following his eyes, he pulled back and fired a pinpoint, no-look pass to Brendes, who took advantage along the crease.
 
Shortly thereafter, Altobello flashed his scoring chops after unleashing a long-range laser off a feed from Will Stockhausen to pull Christopher Newport back within one entering the final period.
 
Keeping the momentum early in the fourth, Stockhausen rolled back against the defense before burying a dagger inside the pipe, which evened the score at 10. Although Stevenson stole another lead less than 30 seconds later, the Captains pieced together their finest run of the season.
 
Once again, Rice got things started as the junior snatched a loose ball before breaking free for a rocket on the run. After McAneney slammed the door on a pair of shots by the Mustangs, Altobello continued his work on the offensive end. Keeping Stevenson on its heels, he faked a shot, which drew the attention of two defenders. On the back side, Drew Miller slipped in, collected the pass, and deposited on the doorstep, which gave the Captains a 12-11 edge.
 
Just 10 seconds later, after Phoenix Hines picked up a loose ball on the ensuing faceoff, the long-pole specialist connected with Rice, who quickly pushed the lead to two at 13-11.
 
Sensing a momentum shift, Stevenson whistled for a timeout, but Christopher Newport never lost its footing. McAneney stoned another rip by a Mustang attacker before Wayne forced a turnover midway through the period. Taking advantage on the other end, Coby Auslander flipped a pass to Altobello, who laced a bouncer into the back of the net.
 
Although Stevenson cut its deficit down to two with four minutes remaining, the Captains dug in. Griffin Hanes pieced together a huge clear with three minutes remaining as he corralled a loose roller before bouncing off several defenders to get the ball onto the offensive side of the field. Later, after the Mustangs regained possession, McAneney added a highlight-reel save off a behind-the-back attempt from pointblank range with just over a minute left in regulation.
 
Continuing to pressure, Stevenson eventually added a goal off a rebound with 21 seconds remaining. After the Mustangs won the faceoff, the visitors tried to settle into their offensive set, but Wayne blasted an attacker on the near side of the field to jostle the ball loose.
 
With a frantic fire drill breaking out right in front of the crease, Hines, McAneney, and David Gonzalez all swarmed the area and bodied up attackers while diving across the turf to keep Stevenson from generating a shot as the final seconds ticked off the clock.
 
Overall, Stevenson held a slim 42-41 advantage in ground balls during the game while winning 22 of the 30 faceoffs. The Mustangs also led the way in shots, 49-47, but the Captains overcame the statistical disadvantages to earn the victory.
 
Early in the contest, both squads scored four goals in the opening quarter.  Brendes got things rolling less than three minutes into regulation, while Campbell Pozin hammered one on the run following a quick clear in the eighth minute. Later, Stockhausen and Thomas Mark helped keep the game knotted at the end of the first period.
 
Following a high-scoring opening quarter, things cooled down a little in the second frame. Although Rice scored his first goal of the game with four minutes left in the period, the defense was the story of the stanza. McAneney made four saves, Jackson Deal had a huge takeaway on a clear attempt, and both Hines and Wayne also caused turnovers to keep the Mustangs in check for most of the period.
 
Although the visitors eventually slipped out to a modest 6-5 halftime lead and quickly extended that advantage early in the third quarter, Christopher Newport retaliated. Behind a rapid-fire assault and a suffocating defense effort, the hosts flipped a four-goal deficit into a 14-13 victory during the final 22 minutes of regulation.
 
Along with Wayne and McAneney, Hines forced two turnovers during the game and was one of 12 Captains with multiple ground balls.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action on Friday when the squad takes part in the Mustang Classic for the first time in program history. The Captains will open the tournament at 1:45 p.m. against No. 17 Lynchburg.
 
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