LEXINGTON, Va. -- Capping off a seven-point showcase, Alex Brendes drove home the overtime game-winner in the 62nd minute of a marathon battle to carry the ninth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team to a 14-13 triumph over Washington & Lee during a non-conference thriller on Tuesday evening at Wilson Field.
 
Registering his second overtime rocket of the season, Brendes finished the contest with five goals and a pair of assists. Meanwhile, on the other end of the field, Aidan FitzGerald came through with the defensive play of the game after stripping an attacker and jump-starting a successful clear, which was punctuated by Brendes' bullet.
 
Along with Brendes, Robby Adams had four points, including a hat-trick. Coby Auslander and Will Stockhausen also added a pair of strikes, while Dylan Rice and Brady Altobello had two assists apiece. Meanwhile, Zac Hanway posted nine saves, and Max Wayne contributed a pair of takeaways.
 
With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 8-4 on the season, including 5-2 on the road. On the other side, the setback drops Washington & Lee to 6-4 and hands the Generals their first loss at home in more than a calendar year.
 
During a back-and-forth battle that saw the score tied 12 times, it seemed only fitting that the squads needed an extra period to settle the seesaw affair. After 60 minutes of grueling action, Washington & Lee managed to win the opening faceoff in overtime before quickly calling a timeout to set up its attack.
 
Following the stoppage, Christopher Newport's defense shut down the Generals. Phoenix Hines clamped down on the initial push as the senior bodied up an attacker and shadowed him around the crease. Later, Aidan Wheeler stunted a pair of surges near the top of the zone, Burke Widhelm blanketed a midfielder on the right side, and Miles Collins never gave an inch while riding a General around the field.
 
Eventually, Washington & Lee attempted to reset the offense behind the crease, but FitzGerald was there to disrupt the play. First, he battled an attacker for possession after the ball hit the turf. Although W&L was able to keep control, the senior stalked a General around the back of the zone before dropping a devastating stick-check that dislodged the ball.
 
After snatching possession, FitzGerald kicked off the clear with a pass to Wheeler. Bursting up the field, the Captains refused to let Washington & Lee get settled on the defensive end. Eventually, Wheeler flipped the ball to Hines, who dished inside to Brendes. Before a General could slide over, the second-year star whistled a one-timer into the back of the cage for the game-clinching tally.
 
Overall, Christopher Newport out-shot the hosts, 42-37, while Washington & Lee held a slim 36-35 lead in ground balls. The Generals also won 19 of the game's 30 faceoffs, but the Captains came out ahead on the scoreboard.
 
In addition to his late-game heroics, Brendes was equally effective early on. He scored each of Christopher Newport's first three goals, including a highlight-reel play that saw him dive along the crease and whip a pointblank shot just before crashing down on the turf midway through the opening period.
 
Later, after Washington & Lee grabbed a 4-3 edge, Jackson Deal evened the score again. Kicking off a last-minute rally, he saved the ball from slipping out of bounds behind the crease. Capitalizing on his own hustle, he wrapped around the left post and secured a feed from Rice before blistering the equalizer with 11 seconds left in the period.
 
Unfortunately, after a quick faceoff win, the Generals were able to regain the lead just before the horn sounded, but Christopher Newport fired back in the second stanza.
 
Immediately responding, Collins unleashed a long-range screamer just eight seconds into the new period to knot the game at five. Moments later, after a takeaway by Jack Cook put an end to W&L's response, Stockhausen elevated over a defender and painted the right pipe with a blast, which gave the visitors a 6-5 advantage.
 
Continuing the surge, Auslander pushed the tempo on a clear. Sprinting up the field, he drew the attention of the defense on the right side of the zone. Creating some space, the sophomore flipped back to Adams, who unloaded the squad's third straight goal.
 
Unfortunately, Washington & Lee had a response. The hosts pieced together their own three-goal string to regain an 8-7 lead in the waning moments of the first half.
 
Unfazed by the resurgence, Christopher Newport quickly knotted the game just before halftime. Threading a pass through four defenders, Altobello found Auslander, who settled into an opening and landed his first goal of the game.
 
Following the break, the two teams continued to trade blows in the third period. Brendes launched a rope from the left side of the zone, while Adams caught a feed from Danny McMinn, spun, and fired all in one motion to retie the game at 10 heading into the final quarter.
 
In the fourth, the squads swapped the first four goals, including strikes from Stockhausen and Auslander. Unfortunately, a seven-second spurt saw Washington & Lee toss two straight tallies on the board and snatch a 13-12 lead with six minutes left in regulation.
 
Needing to lock down, Widhelm and Hanway caused havoc near the crease, which created a turnover and gave the ball back to the attack. Quickly capitalizing on the other end, Hines flipped the field while dropping a dime to Brendes. With the defense struggling to catch up, Brendes found Adams, who struck on the right side of the crease.
 
Back on even ground, the defense stepped up. Griffin Hanes blocked a shot with four minutes left before Hanway walled off the left pipe with his final save. Later, after Washington & Lee returned to the offensive end, the Captains forced a shot clock violation as FitzGerald tied up a midfielder on the left side of the zone to help close out regulation.
 
Fittingly, FitzGerald came back just a few minutes later with the key takeaway in overtime, which set up Brendes' game-winner.
 
Along with his caused turnover, FitzGerald finished with four ground balls. Zack Sands also scooped up four rollers and won 10 faceoffs during the marathon battle.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday when the team travels to Southern Virginia for a 1 p.m. tilt.
 
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