NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Taking advantage of 18 different goal-scorers and a historic performance on faceoffs, the sixth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team took down Adrian, 22-9, during a non-conference tilt on a cloud-covered Saturday afternoon at Jennings Family Stadium.

Controlling possession throughout the contest, CNU won 30 of the game's 35 faceoffs, including a remarkable 19-for-21 showcase by All-American Warner Cabaniss. Overall, the 30 total victories marked the third-most in program history, while Cabaniss' 90 percent success rate was the second-highest by a Captain with at least 20 attempts. Only CNU Hall of Famer Tony Cruz eclipsed that mark after winning 24 of 25 battles against Virginia Wesleyan on March 11, 2015.

Taking advantage of the extra possessions, Christopher Newport unloaded on Adrian's defense with a relentless assault. Fred Fulkerson, Jackson Platner, Logan Shassian, and Jamie Smith all had two strikes apiece, while 14 other Captains collected a single tally. That group included Cabaniss and fellow faceoff specialist Grant Giunchi, who both landed fast-break bullets.

Reigning National Player of the Week Kevin Miller continued his incredible sophomore season as well. After setting a new program record with eight assists in the opener last Saturday, the second-year star came back with six more helpers against Adrian. That equaled the fourth-highest total in program history.

Meanwhile, on the back end, Mason Bellinger chipped in with a career-high 10 saves to go along with a pair of takeaways. Brett Kelley also had three strips for the victors, while Platner, Zack Sands, and Daniel Siaton had two apiece.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improved to 2-0 on the season, while the setback dropped Adrian to 0-1.

Erupting early, Platner and Will Cramp headlined CNU's opening action. Just four minutes into regulation, Platner drew two defenders away from the crease before finding Cramp in the vacated zone. With some room to work, the freshman dunked on the doorstep to snatch an early lead.

Moments later, Platner buried a bullet under the crossbar before the defense set up the third strike. Following a rare faceoff win by the Bulldogs, Siaton broke up a pass to the wing before Cramp pounced on the loose ball. Working quickly, he bolted across midfield and found AJ Rosacker, who ripped a long-pole goal for a fast 3-0 edge.

Just six seconds later, the hosts slapped another tally on the board. On the ensuing faceoff, Giunchi popped the ball to himself, pushed forward, and stung a one-timer in the back of the net for his first goal of the season.

Trailing by four, Adrian chipped into its deficit with back-to-back tallies before the Captains retaliated. Driving home three goals in the final four minutes of the opening period, Jayden Hardnett connected on the interior, Jackson Shaw deposited a lunging laser after winning a one-on-one battle, and Gabe Montognese spun past a defender in the center of the zone to steal a 7-2 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Fighting back, the visitors put together a solid run in the second stanza, including the first two goals of the period. Looking for an answer, Smith stepped up with two straight scores. First, he landed a diving dagger on the inside after Miller dodged a double-team behind the crease. Then, Sands tied up an attacker on the defensive end before grabbing the ground ball and jump-starting another fast-break.

Barreling down the field, the fifth-year standout quickly found the hot hand as he dished to Smith, who gave the Captains a 9-4 advantage.

Along with Sands' work on the back end, Christopher Newport dug in on the defensive side throughout the middle of the period. During a man-down situation, Colin DeGrassi bottled up a feed along the left boundary before winning a footrace to the sideline to flip possession. Meanwhile, Bellinger slipped out of the crease and intercepted a pass along the left post before adding three straight saves, including back-to-back stops during another shorthanded situation.

Continuing the defensive domination, Platner stoned a long run by the visitors before flipping the field in the 28th minute, which led to Shassian's first goal of the contest.

Staring at a 10-4 deficit, Adrian showed impressive resolve and came through with a series of blows to cut Christopher Newport's lead down to two early in the third quarter. Needing to respond, CNU turned back to Miller, who put on a clinic during a remarkable run at the end of the period.

Kicking things off, the Preseason All-American dropped a perfect feed to Brady Mitchell, who unleashed a screamer from the left wing. Later, following Fulkerson's first goal, Miller sank a second-chance strike after collecting some trash off a rebound along the right pipe. Then, just seconds later, he took advantage of a screen by Jude MacLean to slip past a crowd along the opposite post.

After finding a little freedom, Miller capped off his third-quarter highlight-reel with a dime to Ethan Slusher, who connected on a long-range rifle from the left side.

Entering the fourth frame with some momentum, Cabaniss quickly extended the lead just six seconds into the period. With a clean victory on the opening faceoff, he grabbed the roller, stormed towards the crease, and whipped a low liner through the keeper to snatch a 15-8 advantage.

Although Adrian attempted to respond, Bellinger came through with a gorgeous save to stymie the retaliation before dropping an outlet pass to Siaton. Generating a one-man breakaway, the junior midfielder did the rest by himself. Burning up the turf on a 70-yard sprint, he went straight towards the cage before painting the left post with a missile on the move.

Keeping pressure on Adrian's defense, Brett Jackson found himself isolated in the right corner. Taking advantage of the situation, he lowered his shoulder, swept across the right wing, and snapped off a sidewinder for his first goal of the contest.

After the Bulldogs landed their final tally, Christopher Newport rolled towards the victory. In the 50th minute, Kelley used a stick-lift to punch the ball away from an Adrian attacker before grabbing the spinner and completing the clear by himself. Eventually, he handed possession over to Jackson, who found Sands screaming down the center of the field for his first goal since the 2022 campaign.

With little left to prove, Fulkerson curled around the left pipe for his second rip before Shassian elevated over a defender for his final dart. Later, Preston Hoexum shrugged off a violent confrontation along the right post while driving home his first goal and securing an extra-man advantage with only three minutes left in regulation.

Capitalizing on the man-up situation, Miller found Platner on the interior for a tough tally in traffic to seal the 22-9 triumph.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 66-26 lead in shots and a 49-13 edge in ground balls. Cabaniss collected 10 rollers, while Giunchi and Cramp picked up five apiece. Sands also stuffed the stat sheet with three ground balls to go along with two points and a pair of takeaways.

CNU will return to action on Wednesday when the Captains travel to Lexington, Virginia for a battle with No. 4 Washington and Lee at 6 p.m.

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