NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Dominating in nearly every facet of the game, the second-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team pieced together a well-balanced showcase as the Captains took down Randolph-Macon, 19-7, during a non-conference battle on a chilly Wednesday evening at Jennings Family Stadium.

Against the Yellow Jackets, Alex Brendes led the Captains with four goals and a pair of assists. With that performance, he became just the fifth player in program history to eclipse 150 career points. The fourth-year phenom now has 154 in his decorated tenure.

Along with Brendes, Drew Miller collected five points, including three assists. Meanwhile, Coby Auslander chipped in with four points, Andrew Cook added three, and Brett Jackson came through with his third straight hat-trick.

Overall, 11 different players registered at least one point for the victors, including a highlight-reel, behind-the-back blast by Carson Hoffman in the second quarter.

Just as effective on the defensive side, Christopher Newport baited Randolph-Macon into 19 turnovers. Ryan Young forced four miscues by himself, while Brandon Young and Burke Widhelm had two takeaways apiece.

The Captains also dominated the faceoffs, winning 24 of the game's 29 battles. Warner Cabaniss captured 13 draws and collected 11 ground balls, which equaled the 10th-most in program history. Cole Evans also went 5-for-5 during his duels, including a decisive victory in the third quarter that he quickly turned into a man-down goal.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improved to 3-0 on the season, while the setback dropped Randolph-Macon to 2-2.

From the start, the Captains set the tone on both ends of the field. Defensively, Widhelm brushed aside each of RMC's first two rallies. First, he intercepted a pass in the center of the zone before snatching another loose ball that squirted free on a failed clear by the visitors.

After withstanding Randolph-Macon's early advances, Christopher Newport went to work on the offensive end. Brendes struck first after corralling a deflection off an initial shot by Cook. Later, Will Mercado was buried on the inside by a host of RMC defenders, but he was able to shuffle the ball out to Auslander, who converted along the right pipe.

Although the visitors managed to knot the score at two midway through the opening period, the Captains quickly responded. Capitalizing on a man-up situation, Jackson ripped a rocket from long range. Later, Miller put his incredible precision on full display while netting the squad's fourth goal.

With less than a minute left in the period, Cook shoveled a feed to Miller, who was just a few steps off the goal-line extended on the left side of the field. With absolutely no angle and a defender closing out quickly, he somehow found a microscopic hole and fit a screamer into the top left corner of the cage without even touching iron.

Holding a slim 4-3 edge after the first period, Christopher Newport owned the second quarter. Defensively, the hosts went right to work. In the early going, Ryan Young used a trail-check to strip an attacker who attempted to slip underneath him. Later, Brandon Young used a strong showing to clamp down on a clear. The junior stood up a midfielder with a shot to the back before clubbing the stick right out of his hands along the left sideline.

Meanwhile, on the other end, the Captains blistered the RMC defense with a relentless assault. Cook notched his first goal with a rocket on the run. Then, in the 16th minute, Hoffman took advantage of another man-up situation. After collecting a feed from Brendes, he unleashed a behind-the-back bullet that spun past two defenders and the keeper for an early "Goal of the Year" submission.

Continuing the attack, Auslander completed a 360-spin while cloaked by three defenders on the way to his second strike before Jackson added back-to-back tallies. Later, Brendes broke out a face-dodge to shake a Yellow Jacket on the way to the squad's sixth straight goal, which gave the Captains a 10-3 lead entering halftime.

Still rolling after the break, Miller opened the second half with a blast along the left pipe. Shortly thereafter, Brendes came through with two straight daggers before Cook used a swim move to cut through a double-team on the way to his second goal of the contest.

Meanwhile, on the defensive end, Christopher Newport continued to handle Randolph-Macon's clear attempts. Brandon Young forced a failure with a good ride early in the stanza. Later, Cook ripped possession away from a defender to clamp down on another try before Ryan Young screened an attacker to prevent the Yellow Jackets from picking up a pass along the left sideline, which killed off another RMC surge.

With time winding down in the third quarter, Evans came through with the final highlight of the period. Attempting a man-down faceoff, he posted a decisive win while grabbing his own ground ball. With two defenders draped on his back, he continued to push up the field before firing a low liner into the back of the cage, which gave Christopher Newport a 15-4 lead.

Despite carrying a double-digit edge into the final stanza, the Captains continued to give max effort all over the field. Early on, Campbell Pozin tied up a midfielder while flashing impressive footwork to force an early turnover. Taking advantage of the possession, Luke Nardone sprayed a shot into the five-hole for the squad's 16th goal.

Still rolling, Daniel Siaton added his first career strike after dodging a defender at the top of the zone. Later, Maxwell Gladieux came through with an interception and broke free on a quick clear. Although an initial shot by AJ Rosacker sailed over the cage, Christopher Newport capitalized on a fast restart.

Collecting the ball behind the crease, Danny McMinn flipped a feed to Ryan Cammarata, who came screaming towards the cage before landing some long-pole lightning for his second career tally.

With little left to prove, McMinn came back with the team's last goal after dunking on the doorstep with five minutes left in regulation. Moments later, Bryan Reilly added the final punctuation mark on the defensive end as he de-cleated a midfielder with a bone-crushing hit in the center of the turf to put a violent end to another Randolph-Macon clear attempt.

Overall, the Captains forced 10 unsuccessful clears by the visitors while converting all 23 of their own. Meanwhile, Christopher Newport also held a 52-26 advantage in shots and a 42-19 lead in ground balls. Along with Cabaniss' 11 rollers, Widhelm and Evans added three apiece.

The Captains will return to action on Saturday when the squad hosts Catholic at 4 p.m.

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