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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The seventh-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team will face another nationally-ranked test on Saturday at 1 p.m. when the Captains welcome No. 1 Salisbury to town for a Coastal Lacrosse Conference contest at Jennings Family Stadium.

Entering the weekend, CNU sits at 8-3 overall, including 5-1 at home. Meanwhile, Salisbury is 11-0 with a 5-0 mark on the road. The Sea Gulls are also 2-0 against conference foes, while the Captains are 1-0 in league action.

For those fans unable to attend the game, live stats will be available at CNUsports.com. The Captains will also provide a broadcast of the contest with Andy McGregor and Will Geise calling all of the action. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the schedule page.

Christopher Newport has not seen game action since handling Montclair State, 12-6, in the league opener last Saturday. Against the Red Hawks, the defense limited the opposition to only one first-half goal while forcing 10 turnovers during the 60-minute affair. Luke Nardone established a new career-high with three takeaways, while AJ Rosacker had a pair. Ryan Young and Colin DeGrassi also had one apiece while collecting three ground balls.

Coupled with his five-takeaway showcase against No. 20 Williams last Wednesday, Young was honored as the Coastal Lacrosse Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.

Along with the defensive standouts, Andrew Cook contributed five points, including four goals, while Robby Adams and Coby Auslander had two strikes apiece. Overall, seven different players found the back of the cage for the victors, including an impressive run in the fourth quarter that saw CNU hang six goals on the board during a six-minute window.

With his two tallies on Saturday, Auslander also moved two goals shy of becoming the ninth player in program history to reach 100 for his career. With two more strikes, he would also become just the third Captain to notch at least 100 career goals and assists, joining current teammate Drew Miller and former All-American Matthew Crist.

So far this season, Christopher Newport ranks second in the country in clearing percentage with a .921 mark. Incidentally, Salisbury is the top-ranked squad with a .928 rate. Meanwhile, the Captains also slot 15th nationally in takeaways-per-game (13.00) and 28th in scoring offense (14.55 goals-per-game). 

On an individual level, Warner Cabaniss is 28th in ground balls-per-game (8.64) and 35th in faceoff percentage (.636). He currently has 95 rollers this year. Only three Captains have ever eclipsed 100 in a single season. Cabaniss has already done it twice, while Tony Cruz had 107 in 2018, and Brandon Moloney collected 100 in 2016.

Zac Hanway also hit a milestone against Montclair State as the fifth-year goalie pocketed 10 saves, including the 100th of the season. He became just the third player in program history to post 100 saves in four different campaigns. On that list, he joined former All-American Matt Hayden (2014-17) and longtime legend Andy McGregor (2010-13).

Hanway also climbed into the top-20 in NCAA history in career minutes by a goalie on Saturday. He has played 3,797 total minutes for the Captains, marking the 18th-most in the history of collegiate lacrosse. That total also ranks first among all active goalies in the country and places him 12th in Division III history.

Salisbury enters the weekend after knocking off Stockton, 27-4, on Tuesday. The Sea Gulls have notched at least 20 tallies in each of their last three outings and have won every game this year by at least five goals. That domination includes a 14-8 win over No. 9 Gettysburg and a 13-8 triumph over No. 11 Lynchburg in back-to-back bouts last month.

So far this season, Salisbury ranks second in the nation in scoring offense (18.64 goals per game), 15th in scoring defense (7.82 goals-against-average), and first in scoring margin (10.82 goals per game). The Sea Gulls are also sixth in ground balls-per-game (43.09) and 21st in takeaways-per-contest (12.55).

On an individual level, Nicholas Ransom is second in the country in goals-against-average (6.41), while Jude Brown is fourth in assists-per-game (3.36). Between his time at Salisbury and St. Mary's (Md.), Brown has 414 points in his career, which stands as the highest total among all active players in the NCAA. It also places him 10th in the history of collegiate lacrosse and eighth in Division III lore.

In 18 previous meetings between the two programs, Salisbury holds a 16-2 edge in the series. Last year, the Sea Gulls picked up a pair of wins, including a 12-8 triumph in the conference championship game.

Following Saturday's contest, Christopher Newport will hit the road for a 1 p.m. showdown at Kean on April 13.

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