OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Alex Brendes scored a pair of goals in the final six minutes while carrying the third-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team to a 13-12 victory over No. 7 Dickinson during the final day of the Mustang Classic on Saturday evening at Stevenson's Mustang Stadium.

Trailing by three in the third quarter and one in the fourth, the Captains showed tremendous heart while battling back to secure the victory. Brendes headlined the squad's efforts while finishing with six points, including four goals in the second half. With that performance, he moved past longtime legend Will Geise for the third-most goals in program history. The fourth-year phenom now has 124 strikes, just two behind All-American Matt Crist.

Along with Brendes, Ryan Young came through with a momentum-turning takeaway in the final minutes, while Zac Hanway added four of his 11 saves in the fourth quarter. Andrew Cook also chipped in with five points and completed the final clear with less than 30 seconds remaining in regulation to help run out the clock.

With his four goals during the game, Cook also added his name to the history books. The senior star scored in his 27th straight appearance dating back to last year. That matches the longest streak in school history, tying Dylan Rice's run from April 24, 2021 through May 21, 2022.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improved to 8-0 on the season, while the setback dropped Dickinson to 5-2.

Trailing 11-8 with 10 minutes left in the third quarter, the Captains started their comeback bid. Kicking things off, Brendes rifled from long range for his first goal of the second half. Less than 20 seconds later, after a faceoff violation on the Red Devils, Cook simply ran straight through three defenders before unleashing a high-to-low liner, which cut Dickinson's lead down to one.

With more work to be done, Zack Sands won a one-on-one battle on the defensive end with a leaping check to regain possession. Taking advantage on the other side, Brendes slipped a seed inside the left pipe, which knotted the game at 11.

With the score still tied entering the final stanza, Dickinson regained an advantage with just over eight minutes left in regulation.

Unfazed by the scoreboard, Christopher Newport retaliated. Following a save by Hanway, which kept the game within reach, the offense took over. In the 54th minute, the Captains converted after a scramble drill. Although the ball hit the turf multiple times, Coby Auslander saved the possession, snatched the bouncer, and fed it to Brendes, who uncorked a high blast for the equalizer.

Following a turnover on Dickinson's next possession, Brendes came back for more. Playing some bully ball during a one-on-one matchup, he simply backed down his defender on the left side of the zone. Eventually, the senior spun to his left and buried a go-ahead dagger just underneath the crossbar, which handed the Captains a 13-12 lead.

Looking for a response, Dickinson had a sustained possession with less than two minutes remaining in regulation. Following a timeout, Hanway went down to a knee to brush aside a worm-burner. After the Red Devils kept possession, an attacker nearly slipped free along the right side of the crease, but Young was there to tie him up before forcing a turnover and grabbing the loose ball.

Although the Captains were unable to complete an initial clear, Young was there again. This time, he put his instincts on full display. With Dickinson rushing on the offensive end, the senior defenseman slipped into the right corner behind the crease. After an errant shot blew past the pipe, Young was there to back up the play and regain possession.

With a second opportunity, Christopher Newport completed the clear. Cook barreled his way across midfield before the Captains whistled for a timeout. Following the stoppage, Cook killed off the final few ticks as he used an incredible spin move to break the ankles of two defenders while tight-roping the end line to keep control and close out the victory.

During the game, Christopher Newport held a 40-33 advantage in shots and a 38-28 lead in ground balls. Warner Cabaniss also won 15 of his 26 faceoff attempts and secured 11 rollers.

Although Saturday's bout had a storybook ending for the Captains, it got off to a slow start as Dickinson stole a 4-0 lead early in the opening period. Shaking off the momentary stumble, Christopher Newport regrouped in a timeout.

Showing off a well-balanced attack, four different Captains landed goals to even the score at the end of the period. Brett Jackson whipped a sidewinder from the right side of the field before Cook blasted from the top of the zone. Later, Brendes used the turf to tuck a bouncer under the crossbar before Ryan Cammarata hit the Red Devils with some long-pole lightning following a quick transition set up by Luke Nardone.

Although Dickinson broke the deadlock early in the second quarter, Christopher Newport shot back again. Cook connected with Drew Miller on a skip pass before adding two straight goals of his own, including a sweet rollback on the left side of the field that saw him switch hands before driving home his third tally on the way to a 7-5 lead.

Later, Auslander came screaming around the right post before lacing a low liner between the keeper and the pipe for the team's eighth strike. Unfortunately, the tide began to turn after that point. Dickinson ended the first half on a four-goal spurt as the Red Devils entered the break with a 10-8 advantage.

Thankfully, Christopher Newport had more than enough time to complete the comeback. Storming out of the gate in the third quarter, the Captains eventually pulled even again before Brendes polished off the late-game heroics in the final stanza.

Along with Cook and Brendes, Auslander finished with four points, including three assists. With that performance, he moved into sole possession of second-place on the school's all-time assists list. He now has 98 helpers, just eight behind Matt Crist's school standard.

Meanwhile, on the defensive end, Brendes, Burke Widhelm, and Aidan Wheeler all had two takeaways apiece, while Miller, Ryan Young, and Brandon Young all had four ground balls.

Christopher Newport will return to action on Wednesday at 7 p.m. when the Captains face another top-10 showdown at No. 9 Washington & Lee.

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