NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Despite outscoring the opposition over the final 30 minutes of action, the seventh-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team could not overcome its first-half deficit as the Captains dropped an 18-12 decision to No. 1 Salisbury during a Coastal Lacrosse Conference clash on a breezy Saturday afternoon at Jennings Family Stadium.

Trailing 11-4 at halftime, Christopher Newport chipped away at its deficit throughout the second half but could never quite pull even. The Sea Gulls continued to find an answer for every CNU surge while securing the six-goal triumph.

Alex Brendes led the Captains with five points, including his seventh hat-trick of the year. Andrew Cook also deposited three goals, while five players had at least one strike. Among the other scorers, faceoff specialists Warner Cabaniss and Michael Brost both landed daggers in the second half. Mark Davison also added a long-pole laser after serving as a wing during a quick faceoff win in the opening stanza.

On the defensive side, Luke Nardone matched his career-high with three takeaways, while Aidan Wheeler had a pair. Overall, nine different players forced at least one turnover during the 60-minute affair.

With the setback, Christopher Newport dropped to 8-4 on the season, including 1-1 in league action. The victory bumped Salisbury to 12-0 with a 3-0 ledger against conference foes.

Trailing 12-4 early in the third quarter, CNU dug in. Taking control, Cook landed a pair of blows. First, after finding himself isolated in the left alley, he used a swim move to scoot past his defender before slapping a sidewinder around the hip of the Sea Gull. Moments later, he charged around the left pipe, ducked underneath a pair of defenders, and scored on the doorstep.

Although Salisbury regained an eight-goal cushion, Cabaniss fired back. On the ensuing faceoff, he grabbed the roller and bullied his way towards the crease. With a defender tying him up on the right side, he went with an off-hand hammer in traffic for his first goal of the season.

Still fighting, John Santoro unleashed a screamer that was brushed aside by Salisbury's keeper. Fortunately, Cook was there to clean up the deflection as the fifth-year phenom snatched the bouncer and converted a second-chance opportunity along the left side of the crease.

Just over a minute later, Bryan Reilly set a screen that slowed down a pair of defenders. Capitalizing on the space, Brendes rolled around and dotted the top right corner of the cage in the 41st minute.

Unfortunately, Salisbury continued to push back and fostered a 16-9 lead entering the final stanza.

Still looking to close the gap, Brandon Young bullied his way through an attacker during a fight for a loose ball before Davison flipped it off a midfielder to secure possession while pinned to the sideline. Eventually, after clearing the defensive end, Cook connected with Kevin Miller, who rifled his first goal of the game to cut the deficit back down to six.

Trading punches, the visitors responded before Brost fought back. In the middle of the period, the fifth-year faceoff specialist won a scrum for a loose ball as AJ Rosacker helped box out a pair of Sea Gulls. After gaining possession, he charged in and bounced a bullet inside the left post for his first career goal.

Just over 30 seconds later, following another faceoff win, Brendes faked a feed to Santoro, which loosened up the defense. With a small window, he connected from long range to pull the hosts back within five with six minutes remaining in regulation.

Unfortunately, that was as close as CNU could get. Salisbury eventually hung a late goal on the board to lock up the 18-12 triumph.

Zac Hanway finished with nine saves, including the 700th of his career. He became just the eighth active goalie in the NCAA to reach that milestone. Meanwhile, Cabaniss won 15 of his 28 faceoffs and secured eight ground balls. With that performance, he eclipsed 100 rollers for the third straight year.

Long before the Sea Gulls secured the win, Christopher Newport got off to a fast start. Just 15 seconds into regulation, Brendes dodged a defender and took advantage of a screen by Cook to whistle a one-timer from the left side. Sadly, Salisbury had an emphatic response as the visitors strung together six straight goals to steal a 6-1 lead entering the final few minutes of the first period.

Needing a response, Robby Adams won a scramble for a loose ball after a failed clear by the visitors. After handing possession over to Drew Miller, he secured the return feed and skipped a shot into the back of the cage to cut the deficit down to four.

Just six seconds later, after Cabaniss snatched the ensuing faceoff, Davison rumbled in from his perch on the wing and unloaded a missile from the right side.

Still holding a 6-3 lead entering the second quarter, the Sea Gulls quickly stretched their advantage with five straight goals. Although Drew Miller came back with a strike in the 26th minute, Salisbury never lost its rhythm. The visitors were able to sustain their edge for the remainder of the game to steal the conference victory.

Overall, both teams unloaded 43 shots and won 17 faceoffs. Meanwhile, Salisbury held a 39-33 lead in ground balls.

Christopher Newport will return to action on April 13 with a 1 p.m. trip to Kean.

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