CHESTERTOWN, Md. -- Piecing together another electric display on both sides of the ball, the 11th-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team recorded its third consecutive double-digit victory as the Captains ran past Washington (Md.), 18-4, during a non-conference battle on Saturday afternoon at Roy Kirby, Jr. Stadium.
 
Blasting the opposition with a relentless assault, Christopher Newport grabbed a lead less than three minutes into regulation and never trailed after that point. Headlining the attack, Dylan Rice came through with three goals and three assists, while Brady Altobello notched his fourth consecutive hat-trick after depositing a team-high four strikes.
 
Showcasing a well-balanced attack, 13 Captains eventually registered at least one point, including multi-goal efforts by Jackson Deal, Zack Sands, and Will Stockhausen. With his two tallies, Stockhausen extended his program-record run to 35 consecutive games with at least one point.
 
Along with his work on the offensive side of the ball, Sands also dominated at the 'x' as the freshman won 13 of his 15 faceoff attempts while controlling possession throughout the game.
 
Defensively, Christopher Newport limited Washington (Md.) to only 14 on-target shots, which marked the fewest by an opponent since Wesley had 12 on April 21, 2018. Ryan Young came through with two caused turnovers and four ground balls for the Captains, while Phoenix Hines also had four rollers and registered the 102nd takeaway of his career. That tied the all-time program record set by Drew Cornell from 2016-19.
 
With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 4-0 on the year, including 3-0 on the road. The 2021 Captains are now just the third team in program history to open a season with four straight wins, joining the inaugural squad in 2007 and the legendary 2018 unit that eventually advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
Meanwhile, the setback drops Washington (Md.) to 1-1.
 
Making quick work of the opposition, the Captains built a healthy lead from the start. In the opening period, Stockhausen kicked off the scoring with an assist from Coby Auslander in the third minute before Rice stretched the lead to two less than 20 seconds later. Although Washington (Md.) cut into its deficit, the hosts could never pull even as Zac Hanway slammed the door on a pair of shots in the middle of the period before Altobello slung back-to-back goals, including a man-up missile off a feed from Alex Brendes.
 
With time ticking down in the opening period, Deal beat the horn after capitalizing on Drew Miller's team-leading seventh assist of the season to grab a 5-1 advantage.
 
Carrying a four-goal lead into the second stanza, Altobello quickly kicked off the new period with his third strike before the defense suffocated the Shoremen. Rice and Miller both cut off clear attempts, while Hines forced a miscue after pressuring an attacker and snatching a loose ball before racing into the history books with his 102nd takeaway.
 
Following the defensive stand, the offense went back to work. After Washington (Md.)'s final turnover during a rough stretch for the hosts, Rice made the opposition pay with a dagger on the doorstep before Zack Sands won the ensuing faceoff and quickly threw his first goal on the board. Later, Sands added his second dart in the waning moments of the period, while Deal notched his own goal with some help from Thomas Mark to secure a 10-1 lead entering halftime.
 
Although the Shoremen came out of the break with the first two goals of the second half, Christopher Newport's lead was never in doubt. Shaking off the momentary setback, Miller came through with his first goal before the Captains unleashed a rapid-fire surge to grab a double-digit lead. In the span of 61 seconds, Altobello, Stockhausen, and Rice all found the back of the net to secure a commanding 14-3 edge late in the third quarter.
 
With little left to prove, Christopher Newport eased into the victory while tossing four more goals on the scoreboard in the final period. Brendes and Mark came through with early tallies for the Captains before some young guns helped punctuate the win. First, Luke Nardone found Andrew Swartz, who rifled one from long range for his first collegiate goal. Then, in the final minute, Bryan Reilly picked up his first assist on a nail by Robby Adams to cap off the 18-4 triumph.
 
Overall, Christopher Newport out-shot Washington (Md.), 54-28, and held a 44-19 edge in ground balls while winning 18 of the game's 25 faceoffs. The Captains also converted three of their four man-up opportunities during the contest.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action on Wednesday when the team heads to Ashland for a 7 p.m. tilt at Randolph-Macon.
 
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