SALISBURY, Md. -- Falling behind early, the top-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team could never quite close the gap as the Captains suffered a 16-8 setback at No. 4 Salisbury during a Coastal Lacrosse Conference battle on Saturday afternoon at Sea Gull Stadium.

After Salisbury slipped out to a 4-0 lead early in the opening period, Christopher Newport cut its deficit down to three on multiple occasions but could never pull any closer as the Sea Gulls captured the wire-to-wire win.

During the contest, Danny McMinn led the Captains with three points, including a pair of goals. Alex Brendes also struck twice for the visitors, while Coby Auslander chipped in with his 30th assist of the season. That marked his 41st consecutive game with at least one point dating back to April 20, 2021, matching the longest scoring streak in program history.

Along with the offensive standouts, Ryan Young added three takeaways, including the 100th of his tenure. Cole Evans also set a new career-high with seven ground balls while winning nine faceoffs. Warner Cabaniss collected a pair of rollers as well, bumping his total to 136 this year. That broke his own school standard of 135 set in 2022.

Equally impactful on the defensive side, Burke Widhelm, Aidan Wheeler, and Brandon Young all caused two turnovers apiece, while Luke Nardone helped spark a late third-quarter rally with a strip and assist in the span of a minute.

With the setback, Christopher Newport dropped to 12-1 on the season, including 1-1 in conference action. The victory bumped Salisbury to 11-1 and 3-0 against conference foes.

From the outset, the Sea Gulls dominated possession. Capturing the game's first four faceoffs, the hosts stormed out to a quick 4-0 lead before the Captains whistled for a timeout midway through the opening period. Needing to flip the script, the visitors stepped up on both ends of the field.

After getting hit with a penalty, the man-down unit pieced together a terrific stand. Brandon Young popped a ball free on the left side of the field early in the possession. Although the Sea Gulls managed to keep control, Zac Hanway stoned a second-chance opportunity before Aidan FitzGerald tied up an attacker along the right pipe, which allowed Ryan Young to pounce on the ground ball.

Following the defensive stand, the offense found an opening. Taking advantage on the other end of the field, Brendes grabbed the ball on the left wing before snapping off a sidewinder around the hip of a defender to get the Captains on the board.

After Salisbury regained a four-goal edge with seven minutes left in the opening period, Christopher Newport locked down on the defensive side again. This time, Wheeler bottled up a cutter on the interior before Brandon Young grabbed the roller. Less than a minute later, Widhelm picked the pockets of an attacker behind the crease to force another turnover on a subsequent Salisbury surge.

On the other side of the turf, Cook found some daylight. After spinning around a defender at the top of the zone, he stung a bullet inside the right pipe before a second Sea Gull could close out.

Trading blows, Salisbury landed a final strike at the end of the first quarter before the teams settled in for a defensive grind throughout the second stanza. 

Early on, Christopher Newport dug in during a lengthy push by the Sea Gulls. Slowing the pace, the hosts worked the ball around the field, but the Captains kept the squad from generating a clean look. Eventually, Campbell Pozin stood up against an attacker and forced a last-second pass, which helped lead to a shot-clock violation.

Later in the period, Hanway grabbed a low laser before Widhelm caused a turnover on the inside. Shortly thereafter, Zack Sands pressured a shooter on the left side of the field and forced an off-balance shot to squirt past the left pipe. Then, on a late stand, Ryan Young used a slick stick lift to swipe possession away along the crease.

Unfortunately, despite the defensive showcase, Salisbury managed to slip a pair of goals on the board in the period to snatch an 8-2 lead entering the break.

After halftime, the Sea Gulls continued to stretch their advantage. In the third period, the hosts scored five straight goals in the first 11 minutes before Christopher Newport called for another timeout.

Once again, the stoppage paid immediate dividends as Nardone put on a show. With 90 seconds left in the period, the junior buried a Sea Gull on the right side of the crease to force a turnover. Staying on the field for the clear, he eventually regained possession on the offensive end, drew a slide along the cage, and flipped a pass to Brendes, who went top-shelf for his second tally of the game.

Still chipping away in the fourth quarter, McMinn dodged behind the goal and slipped a feed to Robby Adams, who went low with a submarine shot for Christopher Newport's fourth strike. Moments later, Wheeler showed incredible instincts to jump a passing lane and collect an interception before landing a missile on the move, which pulled the Captains back within eight at 13-5.

Sadly, Christopher Newport could never close the gap any further. During the final nine minutes of regulation, the two squads traded the last six goals. McMinn added two daggers for the Captains, including a high-to-high hammer along the left post. Brett Jackson also struck in the waning moments after switching hands and lining a righty rip into the cage before the Sea Gulls closed out the 16-8 victory.

Overall, Salisbury held a 40-25 advantage in shots and a 41-31 lead in ground balls. The hosts also won 18 of the 28 faceoffs. Along with Evans' seven rollers, Ryan Young pocketed five, while Brendes snatched three. Hanway also collected a pair to go along with eight saves.

The Captains will return to action on April 15 when the squad treks to Galloway, New Jersey for a 1 p.m. showdown at Stockton.

---ISH---