NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- For the fifth straight season, the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team will contend for league supremacy as the Captains advanced to the Coastal Lacrosse Conference Championship after knocking off Kean, 19-7, during a semifinal clash on a boiling Wednesday afternoon at Jennings Family Stadium.

Capitalizing on a lethal attack to power past the Cougars, CNU received four goals apiece from Jackson Platner and Jamie Smith, while Kevin Miller and Brett Jackson chipped in with six points each. Jackson eventually matched his career-high with four assists, as did Fred Fulkerson, who handed out three helpers.

Along with the offensive standouts, Christopher Newport combined for 19 saves, which equaled the sixth-most in program history. Mason Bellinger collected 13 of those stops, including his 200th career save. He became just the fifth Captain to reach that mark, joining former All-Americans Zac Hanway, Matt Hayden, and Scott McAneney as well as longtime legend and current broadcaster Andy McGregor.

In addition to Bellinger's work between the pipes, Colin DeGrassi equaled his career-high with four takeaways, while Mark Davison added a pair of caused turnovers.

With the victory, CNU improved to 16-2 on the season and advanced to the league championship, which will be held at No. 2 Salisbury on Sunday. Meanwhile, the setback dropped Kean to 14-5 on the year.

From the very beginning, Christopher Newport bolted out to a fast 4-0 lead. Ethan Slusher opened the scoring with a dart from the left wing. Just 30 seconds later, Jackson kicked off his afternoon with a hammer that tattooed the keeper before spinning into the cage. Shortly thereafter, Platner barreled through a defender on the way to his first tally before Smith converted on a fast break.

Meanwhile, on the defensive side, Bellinger turned away back-to-back shots in the middle of the period, including a great save from his knees along the right post and a stick-side stop near the opposite pipe. Moments later, Ryan Almassian cut off an attacker on a race for a loose ball to flip possession before DeGrassi picked off a failed clear near the restraining line.

Although Kean lit up the scoreboard just before the end of the opening period, the hosts fired back in the second quarter. Smith capitalized on a skip-pass from Jackson for the squad's fifth goal before Bellinger kick-started a jailbreak after stoning a blast on the interior. As soon as he collected the rebound, the junior goalie lofted a floater to Jayden Hardnett, who blew past a defender along the left sideline before draining a missile on the move.

Later, Miller picked apart the Cougars with a relentless assault. The sophomore star connected with Fulkerson in the left alley before finding Jackson and Smith cutting down the center of the zone for three straight goals on the way to a 9-2 advantage.

On the other end of the field, DeGrassi continued to lock down the Kean attack. Chris Lewis pressured the visitors into a turnover in the 20th minute before DeGrassi collected the loose ball and completed the clear. Later in the period, the senior standout deflected a feed behind the crease before blasting the ball out of the stick of a cutter with a vicious check in the left alley.

Holding a seven-goal edge entering halftime, CNU quickly put the game out of reach with a lethal assault early in the third frame. Opening the second-half action, Platner launched a lefty laser that kissed the right pipe before Smith uncorked a low-to-high heater. Still rolling along, Joey Fantinato flashed his athleticism in the 33rd minute. Elevating in traffic, he caught a flip from Jackson and ripped a backhand blast all before landing along the right post.

Minutes later, Jackson came back and assisted on a rip by Miller to push the lead to 13-2. After Davison stripped a Cougar with an over-the-head check along the baseline, Jackson Shaw made them pay in transition. Bolting in the other direction, he faked a shot after loading up from deep. The trickery drew the attention of two defenders, which allowed Will Cramp to slip free underneath. Eventually, Shaw found his teammate, who scored on the interior.

After setting up the team's 14th goal, Shaw came back with a dagger of his own. Showing off his strength, the sophomore lowered his shoulder and tossed a defender in the right alley before unloading a screamer just under the crossbar.

Three minutes later, after the visitors were hit with a penalty, Jackson threaded a no-look skip-pass to Platner, who unleashed a man-up bullet for a 16-2 advantage.

Although Kean capped off the third stanza with two straight tallies, Christopher Newport kept the Cougars at bay. In the final frame, Platner came back with his second straight man-up goal before Fantinato dodged through traffic following a feed from Matt McCabe. Later, with time winding down, Jack Herron snapped off a sidewinder to punctuate a 19-7 triumph.

Overall, the Captains held a 65-41 advantage in shots and a 36-29 lead in ground balls. Christopher Newport also won 18 of the game's 30 faceoffs. Warner Cabaniss went 9-for-14 at the dot, while Tom Best set a new career-high with five victories to go along with four rollers.

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