Live Stats // Video Stream

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Kicking off the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Tournament on Sunday at 1 p.m., the ninth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team will face 12th-ranked Stevenson in a second-round match-up at Mustang Stadium.

Entering the battle, the Captains sit at 11-5 on the season and earned a spot in the second round after their game against Endicott on Saturday was declared a no-contest when the Gulls withdrew from the tournament after COVID-19 issues earlier in the week. Meanwhile, Stevenson sits at 9-1 overall after defeating Kean, 15-9, in a first-round bout on Saturday.

Stevenson will provide live stats and a video stream of the action at GoMustangSports.com. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the schedule page.

Making the program's third appearance in the NCAA Tournament after earning bids in 2013 and 2018, several Captains have previous experience in the national playoffs following their work as freshmen.  Of the 14 seniors on the current roster, 12 were members of the 2018 squad, and 10 of them appeared in the 2018 playoffs.

Among the veterans, Jackson Deal, Dylan Rice, Will Stockhausen, and Max Wayne all started both games during the squad's last NCAA Tournament appearance, which saw Christopher Newport advance to the third round of the playoffs. During the 2018 postseason, Rice ranked second on the team with seven goals, Deal was second with three assists, and Stockhausen added two strikes and a helper. Meanwhile, on the defensive side, Wayne and Phoenix Hines combined for four caused turnovers and seven ground balls during the team's last playoff run.

Equally productive in 2021, Hines is second in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference with 27 takeaways, while Wayne is fourth with 24. Meanwhile, Rice is fifth with 39 goals and seventh with 19 assists and 58 points. All three seniors earned first-team All-League plaudits for their work and were joined on the top squad by junior Brady Altobello and sophomore Alex Brendes. Altobello is second on the team - and first among midfielders - with 36 goals, while Brendes has 33 strikes.

Among other standout underclassmen, Ryan Young is third in the conference with 26 caused turnovers, and Zac Hanway is second with a .510 save percentage and an 11.21 goals-against-average. They both secured second-team All-Conference honors along with Stockhausen and Jack Cook.

Similar to the Captains, Stevenson earned an at-large bid to the national playoffs after placing second in the MAC Commonwealth Conference Tournament. The Mustangs are one of five programs that have advanced to the national playoffs in each of the past 12 seasons, including an NCAA Championship in 2013.

Stevenson advanced to the second round following its win over Kean on Saturday. Trailing by three in the third quarter, the Mustangs rallied and out-scored the opposition, 12-3, over the final 27 minutes to steal the lopsided victory. John Harrington led Stevenson with six goals, while Connor Nelson also added five points, including four assists. Marc Poust also made 18 saves to help keep the Cougars in check.

A league-high 12 Mustangs earned All-Conference honors in 2021, including Jacob Tatum, who was honored as the MAC Commonwealth Offensive Player of the Year. He was joined on the first-team squad by Ryan Coleman and Jacob Magaw. 

In three previous meetings between the two programs, Stevenson holds a 2-1 edge in the series. The Captains won the last meeting, 14-13, in Newport News on March 7, 2020. During that game, Christopher Newport rallied from a four-goal second-half deficit to seal the win, highlighted by five strikes in the fourth quarter. Rice led the way with six points, including four goals. Brendes also contributed a hat-trick while finding the back of the net twice during the second-half surge.

Sunday's match-up will also mark the second time the two teams have squared off in the NCAA Tournament. Stevenson won the last playoff battle, 18-6, on the way to the 2013 NCAA Championship.

The winner of Sunday's contest will advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals, which will take place on May 22 at Salisbury's Sea Gull Stadium.

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