NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Brady Altobello netted his 100th career goal, while the defense continued to dominate as the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team took down Washington & Lee, 13-8, on a rainy Wednesday afternoon at Jennings Family Stadium.
Against the Generals, Altobello collected his fifth hat-trick of the year and added his name to an exclusive club in the process. With his first goal of the game, he joined current teammate
Dylan Rice and former legends Matt Crist, Will Geise, and Randy Foster as the only Captains to notch 100 career strikes.
Along with Altobello, Rice and
Andrew Cook both registered hat-tricks, while
Jackson Deal contributed four points, including a pair of assists.
Meanwhile, on the defensive side,
Burke Widhelm was a beast on the back end with six takeaways, which equaled the seventh-highest single-game total in program history.
Max Wayne also caused three turnovers, while Deal added three of his own to go along with his work on the offensive end.
Wednesday's game also marked the 74th career outing for both Wayne and
Phoenix Hines. That moved them past former standout Drew Cornell for the most appearances by a Captain.
With the victory, Christopher Newport improved its record to 10-0 this season. The squad's 10-game winning streak now stands as the longest in program history, topping the nine-game roll pieced together by the 2018 squad during its run to the NCAA Sweet 16.
Early in the contest, Washington & Lee slipped out to a quick 2-1 lead before the Captains found their rhythm. Kicking off a mid-quarter surge, Cook laced a laser from long range, while Altobello landed his 100th tally with a rip from the right side less than a minute later.
Holding their first lead of the game, the Captains continued their surge. On the defensive side, Widhelm locked up a shooter in the center of the zone before forcing a turnover. After
Ryan Young scooped up the loose ball and kicked off a successful clear, Rice took advantage on the other end with his first goal, which handed the hosts a 4-2 edge.
Continuing to capitalize on strong defensive work,
Zac Hanway walled off the cage during a man-down situation before Cook rifled on the run just seconds later to secure a three-goal lead. Then, in the waning moments of the opening stanza, Deal sent a skip pass across the top of the zone to Rice, who quickly blistered from the left side for a 6-2 advantage.
In the second period, Christopher Newport continued to stretch its lead. Brendes added an impressive goal to kick things off. After an initial save by the Generals, the junior star showed off incredible hands as he snagged a high hopper off the post before blasting in traffic.
Following the highlight-reel tally, Deal added a goal and assist during a four-minute window, while Altobello drained his second strike off a feed from
Coby Auslander, which secured a 10-5 lead heading into a Washington & Lee timeout.
After the stoppage, the Generals regrouped but ran headfirst into Christopher Newport's defensive unit. Killing off a pair of penalties, Wayne came through with a key takeaway before
David Gonzalez registered a huge trail-check to clamp down on a separate rally. Meanwhile, Hanway chipped in with two saves, including a fantastic stop on a pointblank rip after a failed clear.
Entering the third quarter with a five-goal lead, the Captains quickly extended their edge early in the second half. After a defensive stand, Widhelm flashed some fancy footwork while tight-roping the sideline on a clear attempt. Taking advantage on the other end, Altobello used a quick flip to connect with Brendes, who unloaded a strike from the inside for his second goal.
Later, after Altobello completed his hat-trick, Washington & Lee orchestrated a late rally to cut its deficit back down to five. In the last few seconds of the third quarter, the Generals looked ready to pull even closer, but
Miles Collins stuck to the hip of an attacker on a roll along the right side of the crease, which forced an errant pass that Widhelm snatched to punctuate the final rally of the period.
Following the defensive stand at the end of the third quarter, Christopher Newport continued to star early in the fourth. Suffocating the opposition, Widhelm stripped an attacker from behind during an initial surge by W&L before
Aidan Wheeler blanketed another General and forced an off-target shot on a separate trip down the field.
Minutes later,
Brandon Young bodied up an attacker and notched another takeaway, while
Griffin Hanes orchestrated a strong ride during a lengthy defensive stand, which resulted in a shot-clock violation.
After the work on the back end, the offense added one final highlight as Cook drove home the final nail off a feed from Rice with two minutes left in regulation to lock up the 13-8 win.
Overall, Christopher Newport held a 51-23 advantage in shots and a 42-34 lead in ground balls.
Warner Cabaniss also won 13 of his 24 faceoffs while collecting five rollers.
The Captains will return to action on Sunday when they host Whittier at 4 p.m.
---ISH---