SALEM, Va. -- Making history for the Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team,
Dylan Rice broke the career goals record, while
Max Wayne established a new Iron Man streak as the Captains toppled Roanoke, 17-6, during a historic showcase on Saturday evening at Donald J. Kerr Stadium.
Entering the contest tied with former teammate Matt Crist for the most goals in program history, Rice made quick work of the record as he landed his 127th strike in the first quarter to set a new school standard. Eventually, the senior star finished with four goals, pushing his career total to 130. That not only ranks first in program history, but it also stands as the fifth-highest total among active players in the country.
Along with Rice, Wayne also added his name to the history books while making his 48th consecutive start. That now stands as the longest streak in program history, beating the previous mark of 47 straight starts set by current assistant coach
Matt Hayden from 2015-17.
In addition to the senior stars,
Brady Altobello erupted for a game-high five goals, while
Drew Miller handed out three assists. Meanwhile,
Zac Hanway added 10 saves between the pipes, and
Zack Sands won nine of his 11 faceoff attempts.
With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 3-0 on the season, while the setback drops Roanoke to 1-1.
Getting things started quickly, Altobello tossed two quick goals on the board after landing one just under the crossbar before splitting the wickets of the keeper for a 2-0 lead. Shortly thereafter, the Captains faced a man-down situation, but
Aidan FitzGerald led the defense with a fantastic interception near the crease to put a lid on Roanoke's early scoring opportunity.
Following the defensive stand, the offense went back to work. In the middle of the period, Altobello locked up his third straight hat-trick with a highlight-reel goal. With two defenders closing in, the junior snatched a feed from Miller and unleashed a no-look, behind-the-back bullet to steal a three-goal advantage.
Later, with time ticking down on the first period, the Captains added two more highlights. First, on the defensive side, Wayne delivered a thunderous blow that dropped an attacker and flipped possession. Back in control, the visitors pieced together a fast break opportunity that eventually saw
Aidan Wheeler connect with Rice. Before a defender could close out at the top of the zone, Rice snagged the pass and dotted the bottom corner of the cage with his historic tally.
With the record in his rearview mirror, Rice began adding to his total with two more goals in the second stanza, including a gorgeous run late in the period that saw him circle through three defenders before sniping on the move.
Alex Brendes also uncorked a wicked bounce shot during the quarter to lock up a 7-2 lead entering the break.
After halftime, Christopher Newport continued to stretch its lead. Early in the period, Brendes came back and put his toughness on full display. The sophomore was dropped to his knees with a violent interaction on the left side of the crease. Unfazed, he kept possession, battled back to his feet, and fired from pointblank range for his second goal of the game.
After the Maroons pulled back within five following a man-up goal, Altobello helped orchestrate a response. First, he connected on a beautiful pass down low to
Robby Adams, who curled around the right pipe and scored on the doorstep. Minutes later, he came back with his fourth goal after whipping a blast around a defender at the top of the zone to grab a 10-4 lead entering the final period.
Cruising towards a victory, Christopher Newport put the game out-of-reach with a fast-paced assault early in the fourth. From close range, Rice added his final tally along the left pipe before Miller wrapped around the back side of the crease, slipped under his defender, and converted from the same spot. Shortly thereafter, Altobello connected from deep after firing across his body while rolling to his right at the top of the zone.
Continuing the onslaught,
Jackson Deal added a diving dagger to avoid a defender for his first goal, while
Thomas Mark bounced one off the post for a 15-4 lead with eight minutes left in regulation.
After the veterans made their mark, two freshmen came back with their first career goals to polish off the victory. Following a timeout,
Easton Lanclos shrugged off a hit while unloading a dagger for his first tally. Seconds later, Sands won the ensuing faceoff and burst up the field. Faking a pass, he created just enough space to fire a dart on the run, which effectively iced the 17-6 victory.
Dominating in all facets of the game, Christopher Newport out-shot Roanoke, 55-32, held a 43-29 edge in ground balls, and won 16 of the 26 faceoffs. The Captains also forced 11 turnovers, including three by FitzGerald. Wayne also had two caused turnovers and a pair of ground balls during his record-setting appearance, while Sands and
Ryan Young collected six rollers apiece.
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