NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Erupting for nine goals in the third quarter, the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team cruised to a 21-9 victory against Grove City during a non-conference test on a chilly Wednesday evening at Jennings Family Stadium.

Holding a four-goal lead at halftime, Christopher Newport put the game away in the third period after outscoring the opposition, 9-0, during a 15-minute masterpiece. Incredibly, the nine goals in the quarter were scored by nine different players as the hosts flashed a well-balanced arsenal on the way to the victory.

Overall, Alex Brendes led the Captains with four goals, while Dylan Rice and Brady Altobello also added hat-tricks. Meanwhile, Altobello's final blast was his 15th career man-up dagger. That moved him into a tie with former legend Aaron Chrzaszcz for fourth on the program's all-time list.

Helping balance out the attack, Drew Miller handed out five assists against the Wolverines. That equaled the fifth-highest total in program history and the most since former All-American Matt Crist had six helpers against St. Mary's (Md.) on April 12, 2017.

On the other side of the field, the Captains tormented Grove City throughout the contest. Max Wayne had six takeaways, which equaled the seventh-highest single-game total in school history. Additionally, Phoenix Hines caused five turnovers of his own. Overall, the squad finished with 28 total takeaways, which tied the third-most in program lore.

Among other standout performers, Warner Cabaniss did yeoman's work at the 'x.' Battling senior All-American Grant Evans, who ranked second in the NCAA in faceoff percentage last year, Christopher Newport's freshman phenom held his own. He eventually won 15 of his 26 battles while securing eight ground balls.

With the victory, the Captains improve to 4-0 on the season, while the setback drops Grove City to 2-2.

Facing a squad that already recorded a victory against a top-20 opponent this year after advancing to the NCAA Tournament last season, the Captains found themselves in a back-and-forth battle right out of the gate. During the early going, Robby Adams and Andrew Cook both burned the back of the net on the way to a 2-2 deadlock midway through the opening quarter.

Later, Miller found his rhythm. The junior dished out an assist on a strike by Brendes before unleashing a low-to-low laser in the final moments of the first stanza to snatch a 4-2 edge.

In the second period, Christopher Newport got off to a solid start with tremendous work on the defensive end. First, Hines absolutely badgered a midfielder with relentless pressure before forcing a turnover. Moments later, Rice clamped down on a clear attempt in the left corner before Brendes snatched a loose ball in the center of the zone and bounced a dagger inside the pipe.

Although the visitors eventually pulled back within one at 5-4 midway through the period, Christopher Newport erupted for a back-breaking surge at the end of the stanza. Altobello and Brendes added back-to-back blows before Campbell Pozin joined the fun. Following a faceoff victory by Cabaniss, Pozin grabbed the ground ball and bolted right up the field before burying a rocket on the run to secure an 8-4 lead entering the break.

After his work on the offensive side, Pozin kicked off the third period with a fantastic stretch on the other end of the field. Pestering the Wolverines all over the turf, he deflected a pass at the top of the zone before stripping another attacker along the left sideline to thwart two straight offensive surges by Grove City.

Following the defensive stand, the offense regained its rhythm. Coby Auslander corralled a roller behind the crease before flipping a feed to Altobello, who deposited from deep. Later, Miller forced a turnover on a clear attempt before Brendes grabbed possession near midfield. With the keeper out of the crease, Brendes quickly fed to Auslander, who capitalized on the confusion for his first goal of the game.

Still motoring along, Rice whipped a missile around a defender, Will Stockhausen struck from long range, and Cook snapped off a sidewinder to secure a 13-4 lead with six minutes left in the period.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the field, Wayne brought the hammer down on back-to-back rallies by Grove City to keep the opposition on its heels.

Looking for a double-digit advantage, Brendes eventually pushed the lead to 14-4 with his fourth goal of the game before Adams and Deal continued the onslaught with daggers of their own. Then, with 10 seconds left in the quarter, Christopher Newport added the highlight of the game.

With Grove City attempting to hold for the last shot, Aidan FitzGerald came through with a textbook trail-check to rip possession away from the visitors. After the Captains corralled the roller, they had less than 10 seconds to go the length of the field. Unfazed by the short time, Pozin eventually grabbed control near midfield before lacing a perfect feed to Miller, who caught the pass and converted while diving along the crease just as the horn sounded.

Entering the final period with a 17-4 lead, Christopher Newport cruised to the victory. Rice added two straight goals early in the period, including a dunk on the doorstep during a man-up situation. Later, Luke Nardone spun a bullet from the left side of the field before Altobello added the final punctuation mark to lock up the win.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 60-25 advantage in shots and a 57-40 lead in ground balls. The 57 rollers equaled the fourth-most in program history. Along with Cabaniss' eight ground balls, Pozin, Rice, Brendes, and Hines all had five apiece. Meanwhile, between the pipes, Zac Hanway came through with seven saves to earn the victory.

The Captains will be back in action on Saturday when the squad travels to Catholic for a 1 p.m. battle.

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