NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Following a back-and-forth affair in the first quarter, the sixth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team erupted for 12 straight goals over the next two periods to pull away for a 20-6 victory over Cabrini during the second round of the NCAA Tournament on a gorgeous Saturday evening at Jennings Family Stadium.

Showcasing a well-balanced attack, five players notched multi-goal efforts, including hat-tricks from Andrew Cook and Alex Brendes. With his three tallies, Brendes moved past former All-American Dylan Rice for the most goals by a Captain in NCAA Tournament history. The fifth-year phenom now has 28 strikes during his career in the national playoffs.

Equally effective on the offensive end, Brett Jackson, John Santoro, and Carson Hoffman also had two goals apiece. Meanwhile, Kevin Miller handed out a career-high four assists to balance out the attack.

Coby Auslander and Drew Miller also had four points apiece. Auslander's goal in the second quarter was his 100th career tally, becoming the 10th Captain to reach that milestone. He also joined Miller and former All-American Matt Crist as the only players to reach 100 career goals and assists.

Meanwhile, on the defensive end, Christopher Newport forced 19 turnovers, including a career-high four takeaways from Colin DeGrassi. Five other Captains also had two strips apiece, including Brandon Young, who added four ground balls as well.

With the victory, CNU improved to 15-5 on the season and punched its ticket to the third round of the playoffs. The Captains will face No. 15 Stevens on Sunday at 7 p.m. after the Ducks advanced with a 10-9 win over Roanoke in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader.

The setback wrapped up Cabrini's season with an identical 15-5 record.

Snatching an early lead, the hosts struck twice in the first two minutes. Kicking things off, Brendes buried a bullet under the crossbar before Auslander found Jackson with a skip pass in the right alley. Later, after Cabrini cracked the scoreboard in the third minute, Cook responded with another high hammer to steal a 3-1 lead.

Once again, the Cavaliers fired back before both teams settled in for a defensive grind over the final 11 minutes of the opening period. Brandon Young came through with a pair of takeaways, while DeGrassi and Luke Nardone also stymied a pair of Cabrini runs in the middle of the stanza. Meanwhile, on the back end, Zac Hanway chipped in with a save and interception to keep the one-goal lead entering the second period.

Looking to break the game open, Christopher Newport found its rhythm with a fresh 15 minutes on the clock. Auslander sank his 100th career goal with a bouncer in the 17th minute. Later, Ryan Young picked off a failed clear by the visitors before Cook capitalized on the doorstep for a 5-2 lead.

Following a Cabrini timeout, Cook came back with his third dagger before the defense dug in for its finest effort of the contest.

After the Captains were hit with a two-minute, non-releasable penalty, the man-down unit suffocated the competition. Among the highlights, AJ Rosacker dislodged a ball in the left alley before tying up an attacker during a scramble for the roller. Although the visitors retained possession, Hanway added a huge save on a high-to-high heater to help kill off the penalty.

Back on even ground, the attack orchestrated a relentless assault on the other end of the field. Brendes danced around a defender on the left side of the zone before spinning a blast inside the pipe. Later, Kevin Miller broke down a defender in the right corner before finding Ryan Almassian along the crease for an 8-2 lead.

With little left to prove in the first half, Hoffman took advantage of a pick by Jackson before ripping a rocket inside the left post to secure a seven-goal edge entering the break.

Continuing the assault in the second half, the Captains pieced together six straight strikes in the third period. Drew Miller opened the flurry with his first goal of the contest before assisting on a bouncer by Santoro. Later, Jackson connected on a man-up missile to snatch a double-digit lead at 12-2.

Shortly thereafter, CNU landed back-to-back bullets in the span of nine seconds. Kicking off the rapid-fire assault, Brendes completed his hat-trick off a feed from Kevin Miller. Seconds later, after Michael Brost won the ensuing faceoff, Santoro came through with a spinning lefty laser in traffic to secure a 14-2 edge.

Looking to polish off the third period in style, Fulkerson ran a give-and-go with Jude MacLean before capitalizing along the left pipe.

Although Cabrini finally struck again in the waning moments of the period, Christopher Newport carried a commanding 12-goal lead into the final stanza.

With more than enough cushion, CNU eased into the victory. MacLean and Logan Shassian opened the final period with a pair of early goals before Hoffman added a highlight-reel rocket. During a sustained push, the senior broke out a pair of behind-the-back fakes to loosen up the defense. Eventually, after securing enough space, he blistered a backhand bullet into the top left corner of the cage.

Still doing work all over the field, Zack Sands swallowed a dodge by a Cabrini attacker at the top of the zone before riding him down the right alley. Eventually, the veteran short-stick specialist snatched a ground ball off the ensuing shot before jump-starting a quick clear that resulted in Cam Foti's second goal of the season.

Marching towards the end of regulation, Bryan Reilly drove home the final nail. Slicing through the defense, he used a swim dodge to get past one Cavalier before battling through three more on the inside. Despite the tight quarters, he eventually stung the back of the net with the game's last goal.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 55-24 advantage in shots, while Cabrini led the way on faceoffs, 16-12. Warner Cabaniss won six battles for the Captains, while Michael Brost added five. Both players also secured four ground balls, and Hanway finished with seven saves in 49 minutes of work between the pipes.

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