OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Putting together an epic performance in all facets of the game, the third-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team jumped out to an early lead and never trailed while posting a 15-11 victory over No. 1 RIT on the opening day of the Mustang Classic on Friday evening at Stevenson's Mustang Stadium.

Squaring off against the two-time defending national champions, the Captains put an end to RIT's 18-game winning streak, which had been the longest active run in the nation. Dominating from the start, Christopher Newport registered the game's first goal just three minutes into regulation and never lost the lead after that point. Putting that performance into perspective, prior to Friday, the Tigers had held at least one lead in each of their past 211 games since suffering their last wire-to-wire setback against Cortland on March 28, 2012.

Showcasing a well-balanced roster, Christopher Newport benefited from a slew of top-flight efforts. Andrew Cook led the offense with six goals, which equaled the sixth-highest total in school history. Coby Auslander and Brett Jackson also landed hat-tricks, while Drew Miller handed out four assists.

Especially effective during their extra-man situations, the Captains deposited four man-up goals during the game, including a pair by Jackson.

Making sure the offense had plenty of opportunities during the contest, Warner Cabaniss controlled possession at the dot. The second-year star won 18 of his 23 faceoffs while collecting 15 ground balls. Helping the Captains vault out to an early lead, he was victorious during his first 10 battles, including an 8-for-8 showcase in the opening period.

Meanwhile, on the defensive end, Zac Hanway came through with a season-high 16 saves. The back line was equally effective throughout the 60-minute battle. Burke Widhelm blocked two shots, forced a turnover, and grabbed a pair of ground balls, while Mason Beckmeyer and Ryan Young also teamed up for three takeaways.

Taking advantage of the total team effort, Christopher Newport was able to hand RIT its first multi-goal setback in six years. Meanwhile, the Captains collected their second victory over a top-ranked team in the past two seasons after upending No. 1 Salisbury, 17-7, on April 16, 2022.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improved to 7-0 on the season, while the loss dropped RIT to 5-1.

In the opening stanza, the Captains burst out to a 3-0 lead. Kicking things off, Miller broke down a defender at the top of the zone before dishing a skip pass to Auslander, who juked the keeper on the way to the game's first tally. Less than a minute later, Cook ducked underneath a defender on the left side before landing a dagger just inside the pipe.

On the ensuing faceoff, Cabaniss won the battle before retreating into the defensive end. Looking to kill off Christopher Newport's clear attempt, RIT slipped into a 10-man ride. With the keeper out of the cage, Easton Lanclos took advantage of the situation as the junior rifled a 40-yard seed into the empty net for a fast three-goal edge.

Just as effective on the defensive side, Hanway made a huge save before Ryan Young snatched the ricochet and tight-roped down the left sideline for the successful clear. Moments later, Aidan Wheeler deflected a pass before Brandon Young collected the loose ball following a scrum in the right corner. 

Although RIT managed to crack the scoreboard in the eighth minute, Christopher Newport fired back. 

During an extra-man situation, Jackson landed a screamer underneath the crossbar for his first goal. Forty seconds later, Cook came through with his second strike after stepping down from 10 yards out on the left side of the field.

Battling back, RIT answered with a man-up tally at the end of the first quarter before adding the first two goals in the second period. With their lead cut down to one, the Captains regrouped.

Breaking out the hidden-ball trick in the 20th minute, Cook used a fake flip before feeding the ball to Alex Brendes, who skipped one into the back of the cage. Shortly thereafter, Jackson added back-to-back darts after capitalizing on his second man-up rocket before kissing the crossbar with a missile, which handed the squad an 8-4 lead.

Following RIT's fifth goal, Christopher Newport closed out the first half in style. After Will Mercado fought his way through three Tigers during a physical clear, Cook took advantage of the possession after slamming a shot into the top right corner of the cage. Then, in the final moments, he came back with another highlight-reel tally.

Putting together an incredible individual effort, Cook was tied up by a Tiger on the left side of the zone. Dropping his shoulder, he worked back into the center of the field. Eventually, he dipped low and dove around his defender before unleashing an acrobatic assault that ended in his fourth goal of the first half.

Staring at a 10-5 deficit, RIT answered in the third quarter. Refusing to back down, the Tigers began to find their rhythm. The squad posted a pair of quick goals at the start of the period before adding three more at the end of the stanza. However, Christopher Newport was able to stem the tide and hold on to its lead throughout the period.

After RIT's first two goals of the second half, Cook picked off a pass on the defensive end and bolted the other way during a quick transition. Shortly thereafter, Auslander connected with Mercado, who danced on the doorstep before finding the back of the cage.

Meanwhile, on the defensive end, the Captains did all they could to slow down the RIT attack. Hanway pocketed three saves in the third period, including a game-changing stop to snuff out a bouncer on a breakaway. Zack Sands also came through with a clutch clear on a burst up the right sideline, while Widhelm used a stick-lift to force an errant pass, which killed off another rally by the Tigers.

Still fostering a one-goal lead entering the final stanza, Christopher Newport found some breathing room with a fresh 15 minutes on the clock. Less than two minutes into the period, Brendes pushed around the left pipe and drew a second defender, which freed up space for Cook. After collecting the pass, the senior whistled a one-timer around a third Tiger to snatch a 12-10 lead.

Although RIT was able to win the ensuing faceoff, Miller quickly de-sticked a midfielder with a diving hack to regain possession. Moments later, he came back and set a screen, which bottled up a defender and allowed Cook to slip underneath for his sixth goal of the contest.

While the offense was finding traction, Hanway was a wall in the crease. He stoned a blast from his knees early in the period before brushing aside a long-range laser after a shooter slipped into the clear on the left side. Then, after a goal by the Tigers, he came through with another stop on a pointblank dart before handling a tough deflection and jumpstarting a successful clear.

With time winding down, Auslander snaked his way through four defenders during a circus-like surge right up the gut, which ended in Christopher Newport's 14th goal. Then, on the ensuing faceoff, Cabaniss won the battle and was shoved to the turf by a pair of Tigers, which resulted in a penalty.

With an extra man, the Captains went to work on the clock. The squad quickly cut off 80 seconds with a sustained possession. Then, after Hanway handled a rushed shot by RIT, Wheeler handed the ball back to the attack with a tremendous clear that saw him keep possession despite facing the wrath of nearly half a dozen Tigers.

Eventually, Christopher Newport went back to work on the clock. Keeping possession while working the ball around the field, the squad eventually added one final blow as Auslander landed an empty-netter with 17 seconds left to polish off the win.

Overall, RIT held a 45-40 advantage in shots and a 37-33 lead in ground balls. However, behind Cabaniss' starring role on faceoffs, Christopher Newport won 19 of the game's 29 draws to help secure the victory.

The Captains will return to action on Saturday when they wrap up the Mustang Classic with a 5:45 p.m. test against No. 7 Dickinson.

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