LYNCHBURG, Va. -- In a rematch between two national heavyweights, the third-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team dropped a 12-5 decision to fifth-ranked Lynchburg during a non-conference battle on Friday evening at Shellenberger Field.
 
After picking up a 10-9 overtime victory against Lynchburg in Newport News just six days ago, the Captains could not complete the regular season sweep as the Hornets bounced back with a victory on their home turf. Overall, both squads now sit at 6-1 on the season.
 
Piecing together a gutsy effort between the pipes, sophomore Zac Hanway registered a career-high 17 saves to help slow down Lynchburg's fast-paced attack. Meanwhile, Max Wayne also did solid work on the defensive end while collecting five ground balls and a takeaway from his perch on the back line.
 
On the offensive side, Brady Altobello continued to be a thorn in the side of the Hornets. After depositing four goals against Lynchburg on Saturday, he came back with two more bullets in the rematch. Will Stockhausen, Thomas Mark, and Alex Brendes also found the back of the cage for the Captains.
 
With his strike, Brendes extended his scoring streak to 13 consecutive games with at least one goal dating back to his collegiate debut. That equals the seventh-longest run in program history.
 
During a defensive struggle in the opening moments of Friday's contest, both teams forced early shot-clock violations before the Captains struck first. Midway through the first quarter, the Hornets were unable to clear their defensive zone as Drew Miller came away with a loose ball. Catching Lynchburg on its heels, the sophomore connected with Mark, who snapped off a rocket on the run to give the visitors a quick 1-0 lead.
 
Unfortunately, Lynchburg had an answer. The hosts retaliated with back-to-back goals and closed out the first quarter with a 2-1 advantage.
 
In the second stanza, Hanway put a lid on the Hornets' first rally before Altobello evened the score. Launching a screamer from the right side, the junior knotted the game at two less than three minutes into the period.
 
Once again, the Hornets responded. Regaining the lead, Lynchburg tossed three straight goals on the board, including a pair of daggers in the span of six seconds, which gave the squad a 5-2 edge.
 
Facing relentless pressure, the Captains stepped up with solid work over the next five minutes to keep the deficit at three. First, Aidan Wheeler snagged a loose ball and ran the entire length of the field to give the back line a breather. After the Hornets returned to the zone, Hanway snuffed out a low liner before Wayne snagged the roller to cut off the final surge of the first half.
 
After the break, Christopher Newport kept up the defensive intensity. On Lynchburg's opening push of the second half, Wheeler rode the hip of an attacker and forced an errant shot, which Hanway brushed aside. Later, the sophomore keeper came through with the save of the game as he faced a one-on-one situation after a failed clear. Standing tall in the crease, he cleaned up with a highlight-reel stop on a pointblank bullet to keep Lynchburg off the scoreboard.
 
Despite the defensive stand, the Hornets continued to attack. Controlling possession, Lynchburg eventually strung together three more goals to steal an 8-2 lead with two minutes left in the third quarter. Later, the hosts nearly extended their advantage again just before the horn sounded, but Hanway made another sensational save after snaring a last-second scorcher that seemed to pop out of nowhere following a frantic scrum on the left side of the zone.
 
Early in the final stanza, Christopher Newport was hit with a quick one-minute penalty, but the man-down unit prevailed. On an initial attempt down low, Burke Widhelm buried an attacker to jostle the ball free. Although Lynchburg was able to keep possession, Campbell Pozin rode a Hornet along the right post before Brandon Young bodied up another man on the interior to help close out the run.  
 
Unfortunately, the Hornets never relented. Keeping up the pace, Lynchburg was eventually able to stretch the lead to 10-2 midway through the final stanza.
 
With time running down, Christopher Newport fought back and chipped away at the deficit with a pair of goals. First, Altobello went low-to-high while tucking a blast in the top left corner of the cage. Moments later, Stockhausen cleared the face of a defender during a one-on-one situation while cutting to his left before launching his first tally of the game.
 
Later, with time winding down, Wayne blanketed an attacker while forcing an off-target shot, which Phoenix Hines eventually corralled. Giving possession back to the offense, Brendes took advantage after a timeout. Settling behind the crease, the sophomore had some room on the left side of the zone and burst up the field before capitalizing along the post.
 
Despite the late run, Christopher Newport could not close the gap any further as Lynchburg polished off the 12-5 win. Overall, the Hornets held a 52-42 edge in shots and a 52-39 lead in ground balls. The hosts also won 17 of the game's 20 faceoffs.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action next Saturday when the squad travels to No. 4 Salisbury for another top-five test at 4 p.m.
 
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