NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Highlighting another remarkable performance by the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team, Kevin Miller established a new single-season school record for assists, while 13 different Captains scored a goal as CNU rolled past Mary Washington, 22-8, during a Coastal Lacrosse Conference showdown on a sunny Wednesday evening at Jennings Family Stadium.

Against the Eagles, Miller handed out six assists, which equaled the fourth-most by a Captain in program history. With that effort, the second-year star bumped his season total to 58 helpers, which set a new school standard. It eclipsed the previous mark of 54 assists, which was set by former All-American Coby Auslander in 2023.

Along with Miller, Jamie Smith drove home six goals, which matched the eighth-highest total by a Captain. Logan Shassian also established a new career-high with four points, while Joey Fantinato, Brett Jackson, and John Santoro all added multi-goal efforts as well.

Making even more history on faceoffs, Warner Cabaniss won 10 of his 11 attempts during the game. The three-time All-American now has 1,028 career victories, moving him past University of Delaware Hall of Famer Alex Smith for the 14th-most by any player in the history of the NCAA.

Cabaniss also picked up seven ground balls and chipped in with an assist. With his seven rollers, he bumped his season total to 109, which vaulted him past CNU Hall of Famer Tony Cruz for the fourth-most by a Captain in program history. Adding even more luster to that achievement, Cabaniss now holds the top-four single-season ground ball totals in school lore.

Meanwhile, on the defensive side, CNU forced 22 turnovers, including four by Jack Wheatley during a suffocating performance in the fourth quarter. AJ Rosacker also added three strips in the first period, while Jayden Hardnett and Jed Pellicano had two apiece.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improved to 14-2 on the season, including 3-1 in league action. The Captains also locked up the No. 2 seed in the upcoming conference playoffs and guaranteed the program a home game in the semifinals on April 30.

On the other side, the setback dropped Mary Washington to 8-6 overall and 2-2 against league foes.

Although the Eagles scored the first tally of the contest, Christopher Newport had an emphatic response. On the ensuing faceoff, Cabaniss won the battle, pushed in, and found Will Cramp trailing the play. After securing the pass, the freshman whistled a one-timer from the top of the zone to even the score at one.

Continuing the assault, Smith sank his first stinger from the left side before CNU added a highlight-reel finish in the seventh minute. On the play, Jackson Shaw snapped a behind-the-back feed through two defenders. On the receiving end, Gabe Montognese caught the flip and uncorked his own no-look, behind-the-back bullet past a third defender and the goalie for a 3-1 lead.

Still marching along, Smith converted a dip-and-dunk along the right post before Jackson hammered home the final two nails in the opening period. First, he snapped off a lefty sweeper from the right wing before adding a second-chance stinger after his initial rip tattooed the chest of the keeper.

Meanwhile, on the defensive end, Rosacker put on a show in the first quarter. The junior star picked off an errant feed on a failed clear, created a yard sale after de-sticking a midfielder near the restraining line, and blasted another ball loose with a hard check at the top of the zone.

Along with Rosacker's work, Hardnett killed off a clear attempt with a strip along the center stripe, while Mason Bellinger pocketed a pair of saves to help secure a 6-2 lead after the first 15 minutes of action.

In the second quarter, the defense continued to silence the UMW attack. Daniel Siaton dropped an attacker to the turf and stripped him in the left wing before Colin DeGrassi buried a second Eagle near the same spot. Eventually, he stepped over the carnage and helped Bellinger recover the loose ball. 

Along with the stars on the back end, the offense never lost its rhythm. Miller and Smith teamed up on two straight goals, including an impressive strike in the 20th minute that saw Miller absorb a violent hit along the right post while securing an and-one opportunity. Later, Shaw added a lefty laser in transition, while Smith notched his third dagger of the period after dunking over the keeper.

Meanwhile, the faceoff crew did tremendous work to set up a series of strikes in the middle of the period. In the 23rd minute, Cabaniss kept possession through a slew of checks while tiptoeing along the left sideline. Just moments later, Hardnett took advantage with a curl along the right post to snatch a 10-3 lead.

Shortly thereafter, Cramp secured a hard-fought ground ball on another faceoff after battling through an illegal hit while splitting a pair of Eagles near midfield. Later, he regained possession in the right alley and fired a skip-pass to Smith, who capped off his six-goal eruption with a screamer through the five-hole.

Just seven seconds later, on the ensuing faceoff, Connor Bade popped the ball to himself and cut right to the cage. Although his initial shot was stoned, he stayed with the play, grabbed his own rebound, and capitalized on the follow-up attempt for his first career goal.

With less than a minute left in the opening period, CNU added two more strikes. Fantinato collected his first on a bouncer before Santoro grabbed a ricochet off a pipe-shot by the Eagles. Flipping the field, he cruised up the turf and ran a give-and-go with Caden Cunningham. After collecting the return feed, he ran through a check and unleashed a missile on the move to push the lead to 15-4 entering halftime.

After the break, Christopher Newport went right back to work on the offensive side. Shassian showed off his range with a lengthy blast from the left side before assisting on Fantinato's second strike. Then, Bennett Spruell found Brady Mitchell screaming down the center of the zone for the squad's 18th tally.

Meanwhile, on the defensive side, Christopher Newport continued to clamp down. Shassian pinched off a defender along the right sideline to force a turnover on a failed clear. Later, Pellicano and Garrett Bralley teamed up on a strip near the right post, while Jack Lyman added a leaping interception with an outstretched snag after jumping a passing lane near midfield.

Carrying an 18-5 lead into the fourth quarter, the hosts quickly put the game on ice. Shassian kissed the crossbar with a man-up missile on Miller's sixth assist of the contest. Later, Spruell snapped off a sidewinder in traffic, while Jude MacLean dropped a looping feed over two Eagles before Matt McCabe converted on the interior.

Then, with time winding down, Brady Mitchell leveled a defender along the left sideline, grabbed the ground ball, and flipped it to Luke Solomon. Working fast, the junior pushed towards the crease before handing possession to Santoro, who laced a liner for the squad's final strike.

Along with Mitchell's defensive work on the failed clear by the visitors, Wheatley put on a showcase over the final six minutes of regulation. Kicking off his wizardry, he chased down an errant feed in the right corner before using a slick back-check to strip an Eagle along the opposite sideline.

Later, the freshman pushed an attacker into a double-team with Ethan Pope before dropping another player with a lethal blow along the interior to punctuate the 22-8 victory.

Overall, CNU held a 56-35 advantage in shots and a 47-21 lead in ground balls. The hosts also won 17 of the game's 31 faceoffs, including a 6-for-6 effort by Bade. Fellow faceoff stars Grant Giunchi and Tom Best also added takeaways during the contest to help the Captains control possession throughout the game.

Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday when the Captains punctuate the regular season with a 1 p.m. test at Stockton.

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