NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Jumping out to an early advantage, the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team pieced together a wire-to-wire victory while punctuating a perfect weekend with a 15-7 triumph over Ohio Wesleyan on a chilly Sunday afternoon at Jennings Family Stadium.

Just 24 hours after knocking off Stevenson on Saturday evening, the Captains continued their winning ways with a well-rounded victory over Ohio Wesleyan. Andrew Cook headlined the festivities as the reigning All-American deposited six goals, which equaled the seventh-highest total by a Captain. Incidentally, his eruption came on the one-year anniversary of his nine-goal explosion at Stevenson on February 25, 2023.

Fellow All-American Warner Cabaniss also hit multiple milestones against the Battling Bishops. During the contest, he collected eight ground balls while capturing 11 of his 17 faceoffs. With that performance, he eclipsed 600 career faceoff wins and 400 ground balls. Both of those totals place him in the top-20 among all active players in the NCAA.

Making a little history of his own, Coby Auslander posted an assist in the third quarter, marking his 14th consecutive game with at least one helper dating back to April 8, 2023. That stands as the longest streak in school history, breaking Alex Brendes' run of 13 straight from April 24, 2022 through March 18, 2013.

Although he saw his record go down on Sunday, Brendes was equally impactful against Ohio Wesleyan as the fifth-year star contributed four points, including three assists. Meanwhile, Robby Adams notched his second hat-trick of the season, and Brett Jackson landed a pair of goals.

Defensively, the Captains forced 15 turnovers, including two apiece by Ryan Young, Aidan Wheeler, Ryan Almassian, and Cam Foti. Almassian also deposited his first goal of the year after turning one of his takeaways into a fastbreak score in the third period.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improved to 4-0 on the season, while the setback dropped Ohio Wesleyan to 0-2.

Opening the action with an emphatic statement, Cook scored twice in the first five minutes. First, he dodged his way through three defenders before bouncing a shot inside the left pipe. Moments later, he caught a looping feed from Drew Miller before hammering another missile from close range.

Continuing to attack, Jackson joined the party with a long-range rip from the right side before Cook polished off a first-quarter hat-trick with a sidearm whip along the crease.

Although Ohio Wesleyan kept the game close with three goals in the opening quarter, Christopher Newport blew the game open in the second stanza. Capitalizing on a lethal assault and a suffocating defensive effort, the hosts outscored the opposition, 5-0, during the period.

Flashing some hops, Jackson elevated and caught a pass from Brendes before dunking on the doorstep. Just 18 seconds later, CNU struck again. This time, Mark Davison buried the Ohio Wesleyan faceoff specialist, who attempted to convert a one-man scoop-and-score. After the ball popped loose, Brandon Young collected the roller and fed it to Almassian, who found Luke Nardone in-stride near midfield.

Sprinting up the turf, Nardone blew past a back-pedaling defender before rifling a rocket from the right side to complete the fastbreak score.

Continuing his work on the back end, Brandon Young de-twigged an attackman with a gorgeous check that sent the opponent's stick spinning through the air. Eventually, he started another successful clear before Adams added a leaping laser along the crease to snatch a 7-3 lead midway through the second quarter.

Later in the period, the Captains continued turning defensive dominance into goals on the other end. Ryan Young broke up a 5-on-4 breakaway with a slick interception before Brendes circled underneath a screen by Cook and landed a diving dagger along the left pipe. Shortly thereafter, Zac Hanway stoned a blast by Ohio Wesleyan before Adams scored on another feed by Brendes.

Holding a 9-3 edge entering halftime, Christopher Newport never slowed down in the second half. In the third period, Almassian sent a midfielder spinning to the turf before Henry Crean gobbled up the ground ball. On a two-man break, Crean eventually flipped possession back to Almassian, who cranked a long-pole screamer past the keeper.

Later, Auslander found Cook with a skip pass for the squad's 11th goal before a screen by Daniel Siaton opened up space for Jackson Shaw, who skipped a spinner inside the pipe. Then, Cook punctuated the period with a one-timer while shrugging off an illegal hit by a Battling Bishop.

Leading 13-4 entering the final 15 minutes, the Captains put the game on ice. Fittingly, Cook helped polish off the contest. Early in the stanza, he caught a pass from Fred Fulkerson and unleashed a missile on the move after motoring past three defenders. Later, he slipped a feed down low to Adams, who completed his hat-trick while tiptoeing along the crease.

Meanwhile, on the defensive side, Almassian broke up an early rush with an interception, Brett Kelley added a wraparound trail-check, and Carson Hoffman helped kill off a clear in the final minutes to seal the win.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 52-28 advantage in shots and a 39-28 edge in ground balls. The Captains also won 14 of the game's 26 faceoffs. Along with Cabaniss' eight rollers, Wheeler added four, while Ryan Young had three to go along with his two takeaways.

CNU will return to action on March 2 when the squad wraps up its four-game homestand with a noon showdown against Grove City.

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