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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Kicking off the national playoffs at home, the sixth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team will open the NCAA Tournament on Saturday at 4 p.m. when the Captains host Cabrini at Jennings Family Stadium.

Christopher Newport enters the postseason with a 14-5 record, including a 9-2 ledger at home. Meanwhile, Cabrini is 15-4 overall and 5-2 on the road.

Tickets for Saturday's contest are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Fans can purchase tickets with cash only at the stadium beginning at 3 p.m. Meanwhile, CNU students will be admitted free-of-charge with a university ID.

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

Along with the Captains and Cavaliers, No. 15 Stevens will battle Roanoke at 7 p.m. at Jennings Family Stadium. Saturday's victors will face each other on Sunday at 7 p.m. with a spot in the NCAA Quarterfinals on the line.

CNU earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight season. During the squad's recent run of success, the Captains advanced to the Final Four in 2021 and 2023 while reaching the Elite Eight in 2022. Overall, the program will be making its sixth all-time appearance in the national playoffs.

Securing its spot among the top programs in the country, Christopher Newport has been a mainstay in the top-10 of the USILA National Coaches Poll throughout the year. During the regular season, the Captains beat four programs that captured their league titles after knocking off Dickinson (Centennial), Stevenson (MAC Commonwealth), Lynchburg (ODAC), and Grove City (Presidents' Athletic Conference).

Along with the four conference titlists, Christopher Newport also posted a win over Washington & Lee, who earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Entering the playoffs, CNU ranks seventh nationally in clearing percentage (.902), ninth in takeaways-per-game (13.47), and 19th in assists-per-contest (9.47). Meanwhile, the Captains' 14.95 goals-per-game rate is the fourth-highest in program history, and their 35 man-up tallies are the most in school lore.

On an individual level, Alex Brendes is one point shy of joining former legend Dylan Rice as the lone Captains to reach 300 career points. Incredibly, only five players have ever eclipsed 250 points, and four are on the current roster. Along with Brendes, Coby Auslander is third on the program's scoring charts with 257 points, while Andrew Cook is fourth with 252, and Drew Miller is fifth with 250.

Among other approaching milestones, Auslander is one goal away from becoming the 10th Captain to reach 100 career strikes. He would also join Miller and former All-American Matt Crist as the only players to record at least 100 career goals and assists. With eight more helpers, Brendes would also enter the exclusive 100-100 club.

Additionally, Brendes currently has 25 career goals in NCAA Tournament action. That is two away from matching Rice's postseason school record, which he set from 2018-22.

Cabrini comes into the playoffs after rolling to the Atlantic East Championship. The Cavaliers knocked off Neumann, 28-7, in the semifinals before upending Marymount, 19-12, in the championship. In the title bout, the squad fell behind, 4-0, in the first quarter and still trailed 6-5 at halftime before outscoring the opposition, 14-6, over the final 30 minutes.

 So far this season, Cabrini ranks second in the nation in assists-per-game (11.63), sixth in scoring offense (17.42 goals-per-game), and 11th in man-up offense (.468). On the defensive end, the team has limited its opposition to a .711 clearing percentage, which ranks 11th on the national charts.

On an individual level, John McCormick is fourth in the country in ground-balls-per-game (11.79) and 29th in faceoff percentage (.643). Meanwhile, Connor Herraiz is averaging 3.26 goals-per-game, while Brayden Skipper has a 9.74 goals-against-average.

Saturday's game will mark the first meeting between CNU and Cabrini.

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