NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Flashing a well-balanced arsenal, the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team had six players register multi-goal efforts, while 13 Captains collected at least one point as CNU toppled Kean, 18-7, during a Coastal Lacrosse Conference clash on a cloud-covered Saturday afternoon at Jennings Family Stadium.

Headlining the action, Kevin Miller finished with eight points, including six assists. His six helpers equaled the fourth-most by a Captain in program history. It also was his 16th consecutive outing with at least one assist dating back to last year. That stands as the longest run in school history, topping the 15-game streak by former All-American Coby Auslander from April 8, 2023 - March 2, 2024.

Along with Miller, Brett Jackson and Jamie Smith both posted hat-tricks, while Jackson Shaw, Logan Shassian, and Ethan Slusher all had two goals apiece.

Helping feed the attack, Christopher Newport dominated possession while winning 23 of the game's 29 faceoffs. Warner Cabaniss went 15-for-16 at the dot and hauled in 14 ground balls, which equaled the sixth-highest total by a Captain. With that performance, the senior All-American reached 100 ground balls for the fourth straight season.

On the back end, Colin DeGrassi forced three turnovers, while Zack Sands and Mason Bellinger had two strips apiece. Bellinger also pocketed nine saves during his time between the pipes.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improved to 13-2 on the season, including 2-1 in league action. The setback dropped Kean to 11-4 overall and 1-2 against conference foes.

From the very beginning, CNU set the tone on both ends of the field. First, on the defensive side, Sands lowered his shoulder and blasted an attacker while forcing a turnover on Kean's initial possession. Moments later, Bellinger came through with a huge save on a fast-break opportunity to keep the Cougars off the board.

Although the visitors eventually struck in the fourth minute, the Captains quickly responded with a three-goal surge. Shaw opened the action with a rocket from the right alley before Jackson bounced one home from the left side. Moments later, Miller connected with Jackson Platner, who burned a one-timer in traffic to snatch a 3-1 edge.

Trading blows, Kean shot back and leveled the score at three before CNU added the final punctuation mark in the first quarter. With just seconds remaining in the period, Fred Fulkerson drew a double-team towards the left post before flipping the ball to Logan Shassian, who capitalized on the shooting lane with a rip from the left wing.

Holding a slim 4-3 lead, Christopher Newport continued to clamp down on the Kean attack. Early in the second stanza, Rory Keverline planted a Cougar with a check along the left post before Fulkerson tied up a midfielder along the center stripe during a failed clear. Then, Jed Pellicano joined the fun with a strip in the left corner before barreling through a pair of attackers to secure the hard-fought loose ball.

Shortly thereafter, CNU was hit with a penalty, but the man-down crew stood tall. During the rally, Garrett Bralley intercepted a flip in the right alley to quiet the initial surge. Although the visitors regained possession, DeGrassi knocked down a feed in the center of the zone before Bralley came back and pocketed the roller along the crease.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the field, the Captains continued to stretch their lead. Early in the period, Sands picked off a clear attempt before Miller took advantage of the unsettled situation with a man-up missile. Later, Smith dunked over the defense along the crease before Shaw notched his first multi-goal outing with a bullet from the top of the zone.

Still rolling in the final moments of the first half, Jayden Hardnett screened a defender during a violent altercation, which allowed Smith to slip free for his second strike of the contest. Then, just seconds later, Jackson sank a screamer under the crossbar to lock up a 9-3 lead entering the break.

In the second half, Slusher stretched the advantage to seven with a low-to-low liner from the left side. Although Kean fired back with two straight tallies, the defense quickly regrouped. Mark Davison had a key takeaway during a man-down situation before Jackson de-sticked a Cougar during another failed clear. Later, Bellinger pieced together an impressive series as the junior made a sliding stop on a worm-burner towards the right post before crushing an attacker with a huge hit along the crease to force a turnover.

After that point, the offense regained its rhythm. Jackson uncorked a sweeping sidewinder to kick off a five-goal blitz. Following Jackson's rip, Miller dropped a midfielder along the right sideline, grabbed the loose ball, and connected on a tracer in transition. Later, Smith came back with a fake-and-finish to punctuate his hat-trick before Shassian landed a spinner from the right side after Miller split a double-team with a slick assist.

Holding a 14-5 lead, the Captains quickly pushed their advantage to double-digits on the ensuing faceoff. Collecting a flip from Grant Giunchi, Ryan Almassian slipped a backhand feed over three defenders. Grabbing the pass, Will Cramp bolted towards the cage and slammed home CNU's 15th strike of the contest.

In the final stanza, Christopher Newport landed three more punches on the offensive end. Slusher sank a high-to-low shot to kick off the fourth quarter before Joey Fantinato sidestepped a defender and converted from long range. Then, during another unsettled situation, Bralley found Luke Solomon, who was swallowed by three Cougars in the left alley. Although the junior was taken to the turf, he managed to snap off a bouncer from his knees that just snuck under the crossbar.

Meanwhile, on the other end, CNU never let the visitors back into the contest. Early on, John Santoro had a takeaway check along the left post before Patrick Dunn drove an attacker into the crease to force another turnover. Shortly thereafter, Trey Landolfi snagged a man-down save before Tyler Yang stripped a shooter who attempted a long wind-up during a fast-break to help close out the victory.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 52-31 lead in shots and a 48-21 advantage in ground balls. Along with Cabaniss' 14 rollers, Giunchi and Miller added four apiece, while Bralley and DeGrassi picked up three each.

CNU will return to action on Wednesday when the Captains host Mary Washington at 4 p.m.

---ISH---