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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The fifth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team will open up a three-game homestand this weekend when the Captains host Grove City on Saturday at noon before squaring off with Scranton on Sunday at 4 p.m at Jennings Family Stadium.

Coming into the weekend, CNU sits at 3-0 on the season, including 2-0 at home. Meanwhile, Grove City is 1-3 overall, while Scranton is 0-3. Both squads are also 0-2 on the road this year.

For those fans unable to attend the games, the Captains will provide a live broadcast of both contents with Jake Myers, Andy McGregor, and Will Geise calling all of the action. Live stats will also be available throughout CNUsports.com. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the schedule page.

Christopher Newport is coming off of a hard-fought 13-10 triumph at No. 18 Stevenson last Saturday. Against the Mustangs, junior Mason Bellinger collected 17 saves, which established a new career-high, equaled the fifth-most in a road game in program history, and matched the seventh-highest total by a Captain against a nationally-ranked foe.

Along with Bellinger's efforts on the back end, Kevin Miller paced the attack with seven points, including four goals. That was his third straight game with at least seven points, marking the longest run in program history. In fact, only four other Captains had ever notched at least seven points in back-to-back contests. Along with Miller, that group includes former All-Americans Coby Auslander, Andrew Cook, and Dylan Rice as well as longtime legend and current broadcaster Will Geise.

So far this season, Miller ranks sixth in the NCAA with a 9.00 points-per-game average. He is also third in assists-per-contest with a 5.67 rate, while Jamie Smith is 25th with a 4.33 goals-per-game mark. As a team, CNU boasts the country's seventh-ranked scoring offense, which is averaging 19.67 goals per game.

Equally impressive on the offensive end, senior Brett Jackson enters the weekend with 144 career points. With one more, he will pass former standout John Thompson for the 10th-most in program history. His 20 man-up tallies are also the fourth-most all-time, just five shy of matching Dylan Rice's all-time standard. 

Also inching up the record books, All-American Warner Cabaniss won 11 faceoffs at Stevenson on Saturday, which bumped his career total to 873. That places him 18th on the all-time NCAA Division III charts. He is just five away from passing former Dickinson standout and current Johns Hopkins faceoff specialist John McKee for 17th all-time. Additionally, with 27 more wins, he will become just the 15th player to eclipse 900 in a career.

Cabaniss is also 21st in Division III history with 556 ground balls. He is just five away from moving past former Randolph-Macon legend Nick Benhoff for a spot in the top-20.

Grove City enters the weekend on a two-game skid, including a 17-11 setback against No. 2 RIT last Saturday. Although the Wolverines have three losses this season, all have come against teams listed in the most recent USILA rankings. In addition to RIT, the squad fell to No. 3 Salisbury, 8-6, on February 8 and suffered an 18-12 loss at Ohio Wesleyan, who received two votes in the latest poll.

Based upon the team's work in its early-season top-20 battles, Grove City also received a vote in the most recent USILA rankings. The Wolverines, who have advanced to the last five NCAA Tournaments, are led by senior Matt Blythe. His 178 career goals are the eighth-most among all active players in the NCAA. Meanwhile, the team has also shined on faceoffs, ranking 29th in the NCAA with a .682 winning percentage this year.

Scranton has also faced a grueling slate in the early going of the 2025 campaign. Among the program's three losses, the Royals dropped a 17-4 decision at No. 3 Salisbury in the season opener and a 7-2 setback against No. 14 Dickinson last Saturday. However, the team is coming off of a trip to the second round of last year's NCAA Tournament after claiming its second straight Landmark Conference Championship.

An incredibly disciplined team, Scranton has only committed two penalties so far this season, and the Royals have yet to allow a goal during a man-down situation. Meanwhile, between the pipes, Carsen Kirchner ranks 22nd in the NCAA with a 16.67 saves-per-game average. On the other end of the field, Patrick D'Amaro leads the team with six points, while Cooper Roberts also has three goals.

Saturday's match-up will be the fourth all-time meeting between CNU and Grove City with the Captains holding a 3-0 record in the series, including a 16-9 win last year. Meanwhile, Sunday's tilt will be the first showdown between Scranton and Christopher Newport.

After this weekend, CNU will remain at home on March 5 for a 1 p.m. battle against John Carroll.

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