NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Kicking off the season with an emphatic statement, Dylan Rice established a new program record with eight goals while headlining a historic attack as the fifth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team rolled past Roanoke, 22-5, in a non-conference showdown on a sun-splashed Saturday afternoon at Jennings Family Stadium.

Against the Maroons, Rice was nearly unstoppable. The fifth-year senior deposited eight goals on only 10 shots. His eight strikes set a new school standard, passing the previous record of seven set by Andrew Evans against Tri-State on March 8, 2008.

In addition to his finishing skills, Rice also added a pair of assists while matching his own program record with 10 total points. Meanwhile, his two helpers also bumped his career total to 64, which moved him into a tie with former legend Will Geise for second-place on the all-time charts.

Along with Rice, Alex Brendes and Robby Adams both contributed hat-tricks, while Andrew Cook, Drew Miller, and Jackson Deal added three assists apiece. Overall, the Captains' 22 goals marked the seventh-highest single-game total in program history, while their 21 assists broke the school record of 19 set against Southern Virginia on April 4, 2015.

Christopher Newport's 72 shots also established a new school standard, topping the previous record of 68 set against Southern Virginia in 2015 and 2021.

Equally effective on the defensive side, the Captains registered 31 takeaways, which fell just three shy of matching the program record. The team's 62 ground balls also marked the second-most in school lore. On an individual level, Phoenix Hines led the way with five caused turnovers, while Rice and Max Wayne had four apiece. Wayne also made a little history of his own as the fifth-year phenom started his 65th career contest, passing former standout Michael Mabry for the most by a Captain.

Shining in all facets of the game, Christopher Newport also controlled possession while winning 24 of the game's 30 faceoffs. Zack Sands secured 13 of his 17 battles, while Warner Cabaniss was flawless in his debut. The freshman eventually won all six of his attempts at the 'x.'

Overall, the team's 24 faceoff wins equaled the fourth-highest total in school history.

From the very beginning, Rice set the tone. Less than a minute into regulation, he secured a feed from Coby Auslander and stung the back of the net. Three minutes later, he made an acrobatic interception to cut off a clear attempt. After picking it clean, he slipped a pass to Brady Altobello, who hammered his first goal.

Between Rice's highlights, Deal also made an athletic play during the squad's second offensive possession. Swarmed by three defenders, the senior was knocked off his feet but still managed a back-hand flip to Adams, who quickly converted.

Meanwhile, on the defensive end, Aidan Wheeler blew up a play with a check in the fifth minute, while Rice, Brendes, and Andrew Cook all disrupted clear attempts by the visitors. Shortly thereafter, following another takeaway by Wheeler, Burke Widhelm pounced on a loose ball and jump-started a rally up the right sideline. Eventually, Ryan Young found Campbell Pozin, who buried a bullet under the crossbar.

Heading towards the end of the opening period, Altobello uncorked a behind-the-back pass to Auslander, who snapped off a worm-burner to snatch a 5-1 lead after 15 minutes of action.

In the second stanza, Rice continued his historic run with an assist on a dagger by Adams before catching the defense sleeping on a restart less than a minute later. Staring at the backs of multiple defenders, he simply stepped up on the left side and whistled a rope inside the post for a 7-1 edge.

Still rolling, Brendes capitalized from close range off a pass from Cook before Rice unleashed a dart from deep to push the lead to 9-1. Following a Roanoke timeout, the Captains continued their surge. Deal disrupted another clear attempt and connected with Rice, who came free in the center of the field. Seconds later, after a faceoff win by Sands, Miller came through with a scrappy play to secure a loose ball during a scuffle near the 25-yard-line. After picking up the roller in the middle of a frenzy, he sent a feed to Adams, who nailed down his hat-trick with nine minutes left in the first half.

Holding a double-digit lead, the defense continued to shine. Zac Hanway made three saves during a sustained rally by the Maroons, while Young, Wayne, and Hines all brought the hammer down on attackers to force turnovers during a textbook defensive stand.

Marching towards halftime, Auslander used a nice dodge to step around a defender before depositing on the doorstep. Less than a minute later, Will Stockhausen joined the fun with a  laser from long range to grab a 13-2 lead entering the break.

In the third quarter, Stockhausen came back with another rocket when Cook freed up some space after drawing a double-team near the top of the zone. Brendes also landed a man-up missile before adding a highlight-reel tally just moments later. On the play, Pozin burned up the field and cruised past the right pipe before flipping the ball back to Brendes. With the defense over-pursuing, he uncorked a no-look, behind-the-back bullet to push the lead to 16-4.

With time winding down in the third quarter, Rice made a run at the history books. First, he stepped down and ripped a rocket off a feed from Maxwell Gladieux. Thirty seconds later, he hammered away along the left side before punching his record-tying seventh strike along the right pipe.

One goal away from the record, he landed his final tally with 30 seconds left in the third period. Working his way inside, he secured a feed from Cook before dunking on the doorstep to snatch a 20-4 advantage.

With little left to prove, the Captains cruised in the fourth stanza. Adding a few final highlights, David Gonzalez de-sticked an attacker with a devastating check along the left side of the cage, while Aidan FitzGerald added three takeaways of his own. Meanwhile, Brett Jackson and Carson Hoffman both came through their first collegiate goals during the final period. Equally impressive on the offensive end, Ryan Cammarata picked up the assist on the last strike after securing a tough ground ball with a defender draped on his back before shuffling a pinpoint pass to Hoffman.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 72-26 advantage in shots and a 62-39 lead in ground balls.

The Captains will be back in action on February 19 when the team heads to Ashland, Virginia for a noon showdown with Randolph-Macon.

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