Postgame Interview with Mikey Thompson

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Storming out to a double-digit advantage in the first half, the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team pieced together a clinic during a nationally-ranked showdown with No. 10 Gettysburg as the Captains cruised to a 17-11 victory on Friday afternoon during the Mustang Classic at Stevenson's Mustang Stadium.

Unloading on the opposition with a ruthless assault, Christopher Newport built an 11-0 lead less than 19 minutes into the game. After that point, the Captains continued to hold a double-digit advantage into the fourth quarter before Gettysburg tacked on a few late goals after the game had already been decided.

Headlining the offensive attack, Dylan Rice contributed seven points, including five goals. Meanwhile, Alex Brendes, Drew Miller, and Brady Altobello also added a pair of strikes for the Captains. With his performance on Friday, Brendes also became just the 14th player in program history to eclipse 100 career points.

On the defensive side, Zac Hanway was a force between the pipes while contributing 13 saves. The Captains also baited Gettysburg into 13 turnovers, including a pair of takeaways by Miller.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 8-0 on the season. The setback drops Gettysburg to 5-2.

Making a quick statement, the Captains burst out to a commanding lead early in the first quarter. Kicking things off, Andrew Cook came barreling around the left pipe before laying out along the crease with a diving dagger that gave the squad an early lead. Seconds later, following a quick faceoff win by Warner Cabaniss, Campbell Pozin launched from long range for the team's second tally.

Continuing the early onslaught, Miller snapped off a sidewinder before Rice added back-to-back rockets, including a screamer through the goalie's five-hole, which gave Christopher Newport a 5-0 lead less than seven minutes into regulation.

Meanwhile, on the defensive side, the Captains were equally effective. Early on, Phoenix Hines peppered a Gettysburg attacker with a relentless assault before Hanway collected the loose ball. Later, Hanway punctuated the next two rallies with back-to-back saves, including a huge stop after an attacker slipped free on a charge up the right side of the field.

As the defense continued to smother the opposition, the offense never lost its rhythm. Altobello dotted the top of the cage with a laser just under the crossbar. Moments later, Burke Widhelm blocked a shot before Hanway kicked off a quick clear that saw Hines connect with Miles Collins, who blistered from deep for a 7-0 edge.

Entering the last minute of the first quarter, Rice added one final highlight. Isolated with a defender in the middle of the zone, the All-American switched hands, pulled to his left, and unleashed a dagger for his third goal of the period.

In the second stanza, Christopher Newport continued its all-out attack. Kicking things off, Coby Auslander skipped a shot over the keeper's head before Cabaniss won the ensuing faceoff and buried a blast under the bar for the team's second goal in six seconds. Just over a minute later, Will Stockhausen uncorked a bouncer into the back of the cage, which gave the Captains a healthy 11-0 lead.

After the Bullets got on the board for the first time, Christopher Newport came through with another strong defensive stand. Widhelm led the way as he tied up a shooter before forcing an errant pass during a lengthy possession. Shortly thereafter, during a man-down situation, Hanway added a clutch save before David Gonzalez cleaned up and cleared the zone.

Over the final five minutes of the first half, the two teams traded blows. Gettysburg tacked on a pair of goals, while the Captains added three of their own. Brendes kicked off the late push after dropping low for a submarine shot. Later, in the final minute, Rice stepped around a defender and whipped a tracer from the left side before Altobello added another scorcher to lock up a 14-3 lead entering the break.

After halftime, Rice kept the momentum early in the third period with a turnaround jumper in the middle of the zone, which extended the team's advantage to a dozen. Although Gettysburg fired back and began chipping away at its deficit with a solid surge that resulted in three straight goals, Christopher Newport regained its confidence later in the period with solid work in transition.

First, on the defensive side, Auslander killed off a clear by Gettysburg with a tremendous check that de-sticked a midfielder. Moments later, after Pozin scooped up a rebound off a pipe shot by the Bullets, he showcased Christopher Newport's explosive transition game. The fourth-year speedster burned up the field while cruising past several defenders. Eventually, he handed possession over to Brendes, who took one step and uncorked a missile to regain a double-digit lead at 16-6.

After that point, the defense stepped up again. Hines tied up an attacker and prevented an on-target shot during a flag-down situation. Later, while playing shorthanded, Gonzalez intercepted a pointblank rip to kill off the final few seconds of the third quarter.

In the fourth, Christopher Newport continued to shine on the back end. During another man-down situation, Pozin flashed his wheels again and flipped possession while winning a race to the sideline following an errant shot. Shortly thereafter, Hanway came through with a ridiculous save during a breakaway attempt, and Gonzalez blocked a shot on a roll along the right pipe.

Later in the period, Brandon Young added a sensational series of his own. The second-year defenseman bodied up a Bullet and forced a shot to sail high before coming through with a quick closeout on a second attacker, which resulted in another off-target attempt.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the field, the attack added one final punctuation mark in the fourth quarter. Landing the last blow, Miller circled around the left pipe before snapping off a hopper that bounced into the right side of the cage, which helped cap off the lopsided victory.

Overall, Gettysburg held a 49-38 advantage in shots and a 37-32 lead in ground balls. Meanwhile, Christopher Newport won 16 of the game's 31 faceoffs. Cabaniss went 8-for-12 at the dot, while Zack Sands added seven wins on 13 attempts.

The Captains will return to action on Saturday when the squad wraps up the Mustang Classic with an 11 a.m. test against No. 7 Lynchburg.

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