OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Erasing a four-goal deficit in the fourth quarter, the fifth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team staged an epic comeback to force overtime, but No. 10 St. Lawrence prevailed in the end as the Captains dropped a 13-12 decision on Saturday at Stevenson's Mustang Stadium.

Trailing 11-7 with 12 minutes remaining in regulation, CNU fought back to knot the score at 12 with an epic rally that featured five different goal-scorers during a six-minute window. The Captains eventually had multiple looks to break the deadlock at the end of regulation and in the extra session, but the Saints landed the final blow with 44 seconds remaining in the first overtime period.

During the contest, Andrew Cook posted six points, including four assists. Drew Miller also landed four goals, while Kevin Miller and Coby Auslander had two apiece. Meanwhile, Brett Jackson stung the back of the net with a crucial blow in the fourth quarter, which also marked his 100th career point. He became just the 19th player in program history to reach that benchmark.

On the other side of the field, Ryan Young forced three turnovers, while Zac Hanway and Declan McCulloch combined for 10 saves.

With the setback, Christopher Newport dropped to 6-2 on the season. The victory bumped St. Lawrence to 8-0.

Facing a four-goal hole just three minutes into the fourth quarter, the Captains started chipping away at their deficit. Kicking things off, Cook found Auslander rolling on the inside before Jackson unleashed a sidewinder that kissed off the right pipe and cut St. Lawrence's lead down to two at 11-9.

Although the Saints responded less than a minute later, Young knocked down a pass on the back end before Colin DeGrassi came away with the roller to kill off the ensuing surge. Seconds later, with the defense shading Cook, he dodged through a double-team and found Brendes, who rifled from the right side.

Following a faceoff violation on the Saints, CNU pieced together a lengthy offensive stand. Drew Miller helped keep the rally alive with a diving play along the end line to sustain the possession. Later, his younger brother capitalized on the hustle play after circling the right pipe before changing speeds and sending a spinner past the keeper, which led to a St. Lawrence timeout.

Following the break, Warner Cabaniss came up with another faceoff win before Cook took control. Rolling to his right, the reigning All-American used a swim move while switching hands to reverse course and avoid a defender at the top of the zone. After gaining an inch of space, he fed back across the field to Drew Miller, who landed the equalizer from the left alley.

Back on even ground, the defense held up against several late rallies by the opposition. McCulloch dropped to his knees to stone a low liner before connecting with Brendes on a lengthy outlet. Later, on the next series, Ryan Cammarata laid the wood on a shooter to force an attempt to sail wide before Aidan Wheeler caused another off-kilter shot after staying in the face of a Saint.

Although St. Lawrence eventually earned the final look of regulation, Christopher Newport's back line held up again. This time, Cammarata avoided a pick and switched off his mark to prevent a look from the top of the zone. Later, just before the horn sounded, Brandon Young got into the hands of a shooter and forced a rip to skip high.

Continuing his work in the extra session, Young pounced on a loose ball that bounced off the stick of an attacker to thwart St. Lawrence's initial rush. Later, Auslander came up with a critical takeaway after punching the ball away near midfield to set up CNU's last offensive possession. Unfortunately, the squad came away empty-handed before the Saints scored during an unsettled situation on the opposite end with less than a minute remaining in the first overtime.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 51-34 advantage in shots, but St. Lawrence won 17 of the game's 29 faceoffs and led the way in ground balls, 33-26. 

Long before his defensive efforts at the end of the game, Brandon Young set up the game's opening goal after connecting with Kevin Miller on a fast-break dagger. Firing back, the Saints scored four of the next five goals to secure a 4-2 edge with three minutes remaining in the opening period.

Clawing back into the game, Cook and Drew Miller both landed blows in the waning moments of the period to knot the score at four.

Continuing the back-and-forth battle in the second stanza, Miller came through with his second goal, while Auslander added his first on the way to a 6-6 halftime deadlock. Following the break, the Miller brothers teamed up on an early dart, which gave the Captains their first lead since the opening minutes of regulation. Unfortunately, over the next 13 minutes, the Saints went on a 5-0 run to steal an 11-7 advantage.

Although the Captains managed to pull even again at the end of regulation, St. Lawrence had just enough left in the tank to survive the squad's second straight overtime battle.

Christopher Newport will return to action on March 23 when the team hosts No. 12 Lynchburg at 6 p.m.

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