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OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- The fourth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team will face a pair of top-20 tests at the Callum Robinson Mustang Classic this week as the Captains will square off with No. 8 Gettysburg on Friday at 6:15 p.m. before battling No. 16 Lynchburg on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Stevenson's Mustang Stadium.

Entering the competition, CNU sits at 7-0 on the season, including 2-0 on the road. Meanwhile, Gettysburg is 3-1 overall, while Lynchburg is 2-2.

For those fans unable to attend the games, a video stream of both contests will be available at GoMustangSports.com. A direct link can be found at the top of this release and on the schedule page.

Christopher Newport improved to 7-0 on the season after knocking off Roanoke, 16-7, last Saturday. Against the Maroons, Mason Bellinger pocketed a career-high 19 saves, which equaled the third-most by a Captain in program history and the highest total since former legend Andy McGregor set the school standard with 25 stops in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament at Stevenson on May 8, 2013.

For that performance, Bellinger was celebrated as the Coastal Lacrosse Conference Defensive Player of the Week.

Along with Bellinger's efforts, Jamie Smith netted six goals, which matched the eighth-most by a Captain. Meanwhile, Warner Cabaniss went 10-for-16 on faceoffs. With that showing, he bumped his career total to 908 faceoff victories, making him just the 16th player in Division III history to eclipse 900 triumphs.

In addition to the historic efforts, Kevin Miller and Brett Jackson both landed hat-tricks, while Will Cramp handed out a pair of assists. Grant Giunchi also won eight of his 10 faceoffs, snatched four ground balls, and scored his second goal of the year. 

Aided by his work last week, Miller sits just nine points away from becoming the 20th Captain in program history to reach 100 for his career. Meanwhile, Jackson is four man-up goals away from matching former All-American Dylan Rice's school record of 25 career power-play strikes.

So far this season, CNU ranks sixth in the NCAA in scoring offense with an 18.14 goals-per-game average. That also stands as the second-highest rate in school history. The Captains are also 12th in the country in takeaways-per-game (13.86), 21st in shooting percentage (.341), and 24th in faceoff percentage (.693).

Equally potent on the offensive end, Gettysburg is 16th in the NCAA in shooting percentage (.347) and 23rd in scoring offense (14.50 goals-per-game). On an individual level, Jackson Hearn sits 18th nationally in shooting percentage with an impressive .563 mark, while Charlie Johnson boasts a team-high 13 goals.

So far this season, Gettysburg has played four nationally-ranked opponents, including victories over No. 9 Washington and Lee, No. 12 Lynchburg, and No. 19 Stevenson. The team also dropped a close 12-11 decision to No. 3 Salisbury. 

Lynchburg also sits among the national leaders in several offensive categories as the Hornets rank 23rd in scoring offense (14.50 goals-per-game) and 27th in shooting percentage (.333). The team has also held its opposition to a .680 clearing percentage, which stands as the 18th-best rate in the NCAA.

Along with the team success, Riley Frankel is 33rd nationally in faceoff percentage with a .657 mark, while Jake Rust is 36th in shooting percentage (.520) to go along with 13 goals. Along with their loss to Gettysburg, the Hornets also dropped an 18-13 decision to No. 3 Salisbury while knocking off Pfeiffer and No. 16 Denison.

Christopher Newport is 2-0 all-time against Gettysburg and 5-4 against Lynchburg. The Captains last beat the Bullets, 17-12, in the third round of the NCAA Tournament on May 13, 2023. CNU knocked off Lynchburg, 11-9, in their most recent meeting on March 23, 2024.

After this week's trip to Owings Mills, Maryland, Christopher Newport will return home on March 20 for a 5 p.m. showdown with No. 1 Tufts.

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