NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Warner Cabaniss pieced together a clinic on faceoffs, while three Captains registered hat-tricks as the eighth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team toppled Colorado College, 18-12, during a rain-soaked Sunday afternoon at Jennings Family Stadium.

In an All-American career filled with historic performances, Cabaniss added another legendary effort to his résumé. Against the Tigers, he won 18 of his 24 faceoffs and snatched 13 ground balls, which equaled the eighth-highest total in program history. He also contributed three points, including his first career multi-goal effort.

Placing his name in the record books, Cabaniss' final faceoff win of the day was also his 773rd career triumph, tying former All-American Tony Cruz for the most in program history.

Taking advantage of Cabaniss' work on faceoffs, the Captains blitzed the Tigers with a lethal assault. Looking good on the offensive end, Jude MacLean came through with his first career hat-trick after bullying the defense from his perch on the midfield unit. Andrew Cook also deposited four strikes for the victors, while Drew Miller had six points, including three goals.

Equally effective on the attack, Alex Brendes also notched five points while matching his career-high with four assists.

Defensively, Christopher Newport forced 18 turnovers, including three takeaways apiece by Brandon Young, Ryan Young, and AJ Rosacker. Meanwhile, Zac Hanway chipped in with eight saves during his 40 minutes of action. With his appearance on Sunday, the reigning All-American eclipsed 3,900 career minutes, becoming just the ninth goalie in the history of collegiate lacrosse to reach that mark.

With the victory, CNU improved to 12-4 on the season, while the setback dropped Colorado College to 8-5.

In a sign of things to come, Cabaniss opened the contest with a quick faceoff victory before pushing forward. With a clean look at the cage, he burned a blast inside the right pipe just four seconds into regulation. That matched the fastest opening strike in program history, tying the squad's four-second surge against Southern Virginia on March 3, 2018.

After Colorado College responded with two straight goals, both squads settled in for a back-and-forth affair. MacLean sunk his first strike after lowering his shoulder to free up some space before launching from long-range. Later, Cook dusted a defender with a spin move before connecting from the inside, while Brett Jackson unloaded a bomb that deflected off the goalie's stick before landing in the back of the net.

Still tied at four, Christopher Newport came through with one of the finest series of the season in the last minute of the first quarter. On the defensive end, Aidan Wheeler and Mark Davison double-teamed an attacker at the top of the zone before knocking the ball loose. At that point, a wild scramble broke out along the left sideline as nine players chased the roller looking to gain possession.

Eventually, Brandon Young came up with the ground ball after making a snag just before it spun across the end line. From there, Colin DeGrassi jump-started a successful clear with a lengthy outlet pass. On the other end, Davison continued motoring down the field before sneaking behind a pair of defenders along the crease. With the Tigers struggling to catch up, Kevin Miller dished down to the long-pole, who quickly whipped a one-timer inside the right post to snatch a 5-4 edge at the end of the opening period.

Once again, the lead was short-lived as the visitors knotted the game early in the second stanza. Firing back, Cabaniss snatched another faceoff and bolted towards the cage. After allowing the opening goal, two defenders tried to cut off his push in the left alley, which allowed Ryan Almassian to cut down the right side, grab a flip, and deposit a diving dagger for his third goal in the last four games.

Less than a minute later, Cook added his own highlight-reel tally. Stationed behind the crease, he rolled along the left side before cutting underneath a defender. Although a second Tiger came over and tied him up along the crease, he managed to lay out between the two defenders while snapping off a wrap-around rip that landed inside the post.

Unfortunately, although Robby Adams drove home his first goal of the game in the 19th minute, Colorado College surged back and slipped out to a 9-8 advantage.

Following a timeout, CNU found an answer. Jackson drew two defenders towards the right side of the field, which freed up space for Drew Miller's first strike. On the ensuing faceoff, Cabaniss snatched a clean win before rifling another rocket inside the left post for his second goal of the contest.

Incredibly, his blast came just five seconds after Miller's tally. That marked the second-shortest span between goals in program history.

From there, the Captains took control. Cook beat the shot clock with a dart in the 26th minute before Drew Miller came back with another laser after buzzing a bullet over the head of a defender in the center of the zone. Then, just before halftime, MacLean added his second strike of the contest to snatch a 13-9 lead entering the break.

Although Colorado College pulled back within two early in the third quarter, the hosts settled in. On the defensive side, Almassian got into the body of a shooter and forced a ball to squirt into the left corner. Later, Hanway made a save from his knees before Wheeler caught the deflection and cleared the threat. 

Meanwhile, on the other side, Brendes and Cook uncorked a pair of man-up missiles to secure a 15-11 edge entering the final period.

Looking to put the game on ice, CNU clamped down on the back end. During a shorthanded situation, Ryan Young showed tremendous stick-work with an out-stretched interception in traffic. Later, Cook de-sticked a midfielder during a failed clear attempt by the visitors, while Zach Kurlander laid out a Tiger along the sideline to kill off a late rally by the squad.

On the offensive end, the hosts continued to roll. Drew Miller broke out a turnaround jump-shot over a short-stick in the left alley. Then, MacLean wrapped up his hat-trick after converting on a backdoor cut and a fake-and-finish on the doorstep. With little left to prove, Brendes added a no-look assist to Kevin Miller, who dunked along the right post to wrap up the 18-11 win.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 51-35 advantage in shots and a 43-27 lead in ground balls. The Captains also won 23 of the game's 32 faceoffs, including Cabaniss' historic work and a 5-for-7 performance by Michael Brost. Additionally, DeGrassi came up with six ground balls, while Wheeler, Ryan Young, and Brandon Young had three apiece.

CNU will return to action on April 27 when the squad concludes the regular season with a 1 p.m. test against No. 10 Washington & Lee at Jennings Family Stadium.

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