Live Stats // Video Stream

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Taking part in the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year, the sixth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team will travel to No. 2 RIT on Saturday at noon for a quarterfinal clash at Tiger Stadium.

Entering the battle, CNU sits at 16-5 on the season, including 5-3 on the road. Meanwhile, RIT is 19-2 with an 11-1 mark at home.

Tickets for Saturday's game will be $5 for adults and $3 for students and children. For those fans unable to attend the contest, live stats and a video stream of the action will be available at RITAthletics.com. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the schedule page.

Christopher Newport advanced to the quarterfinals after knocking off Cabrini and No. 15 Stevens during the first weekend of the tournament. Headlining the action, Andrew Cook posted nine points during the two games, including a hat-trick in both contests. On the defensive side, AJ Rosacker had five takeaways, while Zac Hanway compiled a .667 save percentage last weekend.

With his work against the Cavaliers and Ducks, Hanway reached 4,246 minutes of action since his debut in 2020. That stands as the second-most by a goalie in NCAA history. He only trails Gettysburg's Pat Vaughan, who saw 4,317 minutes of work from 2004-07.

Several other Captains also rank among the NCAA's active leaders in a variety of categories. Alex Brendes sits seventh among all active players in the country with 213 career goals. That also stands as the second-highest total in program history. Meanwhile, Coby Auslander is eighth among active players in assists (160), and Warner Cabaniss is 18th in faceoff victories (808). Both of those totals also stand as new school records.

So far this season, Christopher Newport ranks third in the nation in clearing percentage (.902), eighth in takeaways-per-game (13.81), and 19th in assists-per-contest (9.43). The squad also boasts a .326 shooting percentage, which is 23rd in the NCAA.

Entering the weekend, Cook is three points shy of becoming the second player in program history to reach 100 in a single campaign. Former All-American Dylan Rice set the program standard with 105 in 2022. Cook's 59 goals also rank fourth on the school's single-season charts.

In addition to Cook and Brendes, five other Captains have at least 20 goals this season. Drew Miller is third on the team with 39, while Kevin Miller, Brett Jackson, and Robby Adams all have 28 apiece. Auslander also reached 20 with his two-goal eruption against Stevens on Sunday. The 2024 squad is the only one in program history to have seven 20-goal scorers. The 2016 and 2022 teams had six each.

Receiving offensive contributions from all over the team, long-stick midfielder Ryan Almassian also collected his fifth goal of the year against Cabrini last Saturday. With that performance, he tied former legend Jack Cook for the most long-pole goals in a single season in program history.

RIT rolled into the NCAA Quarterfinals after knocking off Hope, 23-9, on Friday before taking down Babson, 23-16, on Saturday. In the third-round bout against the Beavers, Luke Pilcher and Kaden Brunson had five goals apiece, while Allyn French won 23 faceoffs and grabbed 14 ground balls. 

So far this season, RIT ranks first in the NCAA in shooting percentage (.374), assists-per-game (12.24), man-up offense (.594), and points-per-contest (30.57). On an individual level, Clifford Gaston sits third on the NCAA charts with 13 man-up goals, while Jake Erickson is 28th with a 2.33 assists-per-game rate. Between the pipes, Alex Zborowski is 25th in the country with a .585 save percentage.

RIT and CNU previously met in the 2023 Mustang Classic at Stevenson. During that bout, Cook erupted for six goals while helping lead the Captains to a 15-11 victory. Cabaniss also won 18 of his 23 faceoffs, while Gaston had seven points for the Tigers.

Saturday's winner will advance to the national semifinals on Sunday at 3 p.m for a meeting with the survivor of the quarterfinal bout between No. 11 Middlebury and No. 14 Bowdoin.

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