CNU Postgame Press Conference

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Kicking off the NCAA Tournament in style, the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team stormed out to a nine-goal lead at halftime and never looked back as the Captains toppled Hope, 17-9, during the second round of the national playoffs on a warm Friday evening at Jennings Family Stadium.

Headlining the lethal attack, Alex Brendes poured in a game-high six points, including four goals. Drew Miller and Andrew Cook also chipped in with four points apiece, while Easton Lanclos added a pair of darts. Overall, 13 different players recorded at least one point for the victors.

Christopher Newport also controlled possession throughout the game as Michael Brost won 10 of his 16 faceoffs, while Warner Cabaniss went 8-for-13 at the dot. Cabaniss' final victory marked his 500th career faceoff win, joining longtime legend Ari Elgort and former All-American Tony Cruz as the only Captains to reach that benchmark.

On the back end, Christopher Newport baited Hope into 18 turnovers. Ryan Young and Mason Beckmeyer helped lead the defensive unit with two takeaways apiece, while Coby Auslander and Luke Nardone also forced a pair of miscues. Meanwhile, Zac Hanway earned the win while pocketing eight saves. The senior keeper now has 207 stops this season, joining former All-American Scott McAneney as the only players in program history to eclipse 200 in a single campaign. McAneney set a school record with 243 saves in 2019.

With the victory, the Captains improved to 17-2 on the season and advanced to the third round of the playoffs for a showdown with No.7 Gettysburg, who upended Scranton, 22-9, in the nightcap on Friday. The two squads will square off on Saturday at 7 p.m. with a spot in the national quarterfinals on the line.

Meanwhile, the setback ended Hope's season at 13-6.

Right from the start, Christopher Newport grabbed control of the contest. Brendes deposited a pair of goals and set up a dagger by Robby Adams on the way to a fast 3-0 lead. Then, after Hanway secured his fifth save of the opening period, AJ Rosacker polished off a quick clear with some long-pole lightning, which gave the hosts a four-goal edge at the end of the first quarter.

Continuing the assault in the second stanza, Luke Nardone caught the Flying Dutchmen in transition again with a fast feed to Brendes, who sniped from the left wing. Seconds later, after Cabaniss won the ensuing faceoff, Daniel Siaton connected with Lanclos, who spun through the defense while firing on the inside for a 6-0 edge.

On the other end of the field, Ryan Young came through with a great strip in traffic to force a turnover early in the second quarter. Later, Auslander pieced together an incredible diving trail-check to strip possession from a midfielder during a fast break by the opposition.

In addition to his work on the defensive end, Auslander put a defender on skates with a tremendous cutback before striking on the interior. Keeping the pressure on Hope, Miller landed back-to-back daggers before Brett Jackson got his hands free while lacing a screamer just under the crossbar with less than five minutes left in the period.

Although Hope was able to scratch out three goals in the stanza, Christopher Newport ended the first half on a high note. First, Lanclos drove home his second tally after storming up the left side of the field before shaking off a stick to the head while going airborne along the crease. Then, with just seconds remaining in the period, Burke Widhelm kick-started a clear after finding Nardone streaking up the turf. Eventually, the junior tossed the ball to Miller, who found Cook in the center of the zone for his first goal, which gave the Captains a 12-3 lead just before the horn sounded. 

After halftime, Christopher Newport slapped three more goals on the board. Adams laced a pass through two defenders to Brendes, who opened the second-half scoring with a dunk on the doorstep. Moments later, Cook used a bounce pass to set up a strike by Miller before adding a laser of his own after ripping a rocket in the middle of a crowd.

Staring at a 15-3 deficit in the 34th minute, Hope battled back. The Flying Dutchmen scored twice in the middle of the period before Carson Hoffman connected on a high-to-low hammer along the right pipe. Then, the visitors went on a late surge at the end of the stanza to cut Christopher Newport's lead down to eight at 16-8.

Looking to respond in the fourth quarter, the Captains stepped up on the defensive end. Mason Beckmeyer ate up a roll on the right side of the zone before punching the ball free. Then, Rosacker knotted up an attacker to force a shot-clock violation before Hanway brushed aside another on-target rip.

Following the defensive stand, Christopher Newport added one final highlight on the offensive side of the field. Pushing up the left side of the turf, Siaton handed the ball to Jamie Smith, who faked high before hammering a low liner around the keeper for the game's last goal.

Overall, the Captains held a 44-37 lead in shots and a 39-34 advantage in ground balls. Cabaniss secured eight rollers to go along with his eight faceoff victories, while Brost, Hanway, and Ryan Almassian all added three ground balls apiece.

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