NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Capitalizing on several historic efforts, the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team extended its winning streak to 11 straight games with a 21-6 victory over Whittier on a chilly Sunday evening at Jennings Family Stadium.

Headlining the history-makers, Dylan Rice deposited four goals while handing out a career-high six assists. His 10 total points equaled the single-game program record, which he originally established against St. Mary's (Md.) on May 1, 2021 before matching it earlier this year in a win over Roanoke on February 12, 2022.

Aided by his performance on Sunday, Rice also became the first Captain to secure 300 career points. In fact, he is just the fifth active player at any level of the NCAA to reach that milestone.

Equally effective on the offensive side, Brady Altobello chipped in with four goals of his own. His first tally of the day marked his 103rd career strike. That moved him past former All-American Randy Foster for the most goals by a midfielder in school history.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Phoenix Hines also added his name to the history books. The All-American scooped up four ground balls, including the 200th of his career. He became just the fourth Captain to reach that mark, joining former legends Ari Elgort, Tony Cruz, and Teddy Pekalski.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 11-0 on the season. The setback drops Whittier to 7-3.

After the Poets opened the scoring early in the first quarter, the Captains took control. Firing back on the offensive side, Rice set up two straight goals by Altobello and Coby Auslander. Shortly thereafter, Drew Miller flashed his skill set by snagging a loose ball, splitting two defenders, and lacing a pinpoint pass over the crease to Auslander, who snapped off his second dart of the period.

Seconds later, Miles Collins joined the fun. On the ensuing faceoff, the senior star battled through contact, scooped up the ground ball, and barreled his way towards the cage before landing a bouncer underneath the crossbar for a fast 4-1 advantage.

Still rolling in the waning moments of the period, Will Stockhausen capitalized on a screen by Rice before painting the inside of the right pipe before Andrew Cook rolled his way through the defense on the way to his first goal, which gave the hosts a 6-1 lead entering the second quarter.

Picking up right where they left off in the opening stanza, Christopher Newport went right back to work. Isolated one-on-one with a defender, Rice used a quick cut to his left before unleashing a scorcher from the right side of the field. Later, Altobello added back-to-back strikes, including a fantastic play that saw him intercept a pass on a clear attempt before charging inside for his third goal of the game.

Looking for double-digits, Cook landed the squad's 10th goal with a high-riser during a man-up situation, while Stockhausen contributed his second blow after securing a feed from Rice, who drew a double-team that opened up a lane on the left side of the field.

Continuing the rapid-fire assault, Thomas Mark came through with a highlight-reel tally after cruising around the left pipe before unloading a screamer while diving backwards in a cluttered zone. Seconds later, Cole Evans secured the ensuing faceoff and raced directly at the cage for his first goal, while Miller added the final punctuation mark of the first half, which handed the hosts a 14-2 lead.

Although the offense was electric, the defense was equally dominant. Ryan Young had a terrific interception on a clear attempt, and Zac Hanway snuffed out a tricky behind-the-back blast. Meanwhile, Hines simply bullied the opposition with persistent pressure. Near the end of the first half, he built a wall at midfield and prevented a successful clear before stoning a rollback attempt on a last-second shot just before the horn sounded.

Leading by a dozen entering the third quarter, Christopher Newport continued to stretch its edge. During the period, the Captains tossed four goals on the board, and Rice had a hand in all of them. First, he sent a feed to Altobello, who unleashed a rocket just under the crossbar. Moments later, he used a quick hitch to free up some space before dropping a pass down low to Alex Brendes, who scored on the interior.

After setting up back-to-back tallies, Rice put his finishing skills on display. Capitalizing on passes from Hines and Burke Widhelm, he deposited two straight bouncers into the back of the net, which helped push the lead to 18-3.

In the fourth quarter, Rice punctuated his day by burying a blast inside the left pipe for his 300th career point. Then, Ryan Cammarata and Brett Jackson added the final two nails with tremendous efforts. First, Cammarata burned up the field on a clear. After faking a pass, the long-pole sent a defender crashing to the turf after blowing right through a check before landing his first career goal midway through the period.

Minutes later, Jackson fired a shot that was knocked down by a Poet. Unfazed by the disruption, he simply corralled his own rebound, continued motoring to his left, and cracked off another attempt, which he quickly tucked into the back of the net for the team's final tally.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 65-20 advantage in shots and a 53-31 lead in ground balls. Meanwhile, Whittier won 16 of the game's 30 faceoffs. For the hosts, Zack Sands captured nine of his 16 battles, while Evans went 4-for-7 to go along with his goal in the first half.

The Captains will return to action on Wednesday when the team hosts No. 17 Williams at 7 p.m.

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