SALISBURY, Md. -- Holding a three-goal halftime lead and a one-goal edge entering the final 15 minutes, the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team could not sustain its late advantage as No. 2 Salisbury overcame its deficit on the way to a 12-9 victory on Saturday afternoon at Sea Gull Stadium.

After slipping out to a 9-6 lead in the second quarter, the Captains were unable to build upon their early success as the Sea Gulls ended the contest on a 6-0 run to steal the come-from-behind win.

Despite the setback, Warner Cabaniss added his name to the history books. During the showdown with the Sea Gulls, he became just the 15th player from any level of the NCAA to reach 1,000 career faceoff victories. Winning 10 battles against Salisbury, he pushed his career total to 1,003. That now ranks 14th in NCAA history and seventh on the all-time Division III charts.

Along with Cabaniss' work at the dot, Mason Bellinger was spectacular between the pipes as the junior amassed 15 saves, including a series of highlight-reel stops during unsettled situations.

On the offensive end, Jackson Platner and Brett Jackson had three points apiece. Meanwhile, Jamie Smith added a pair of goals, including his 50th of the year. With that performance, he became just the sixth Captain to produce a 50-goal campaign, joining Jackson as well as former legends Alex Brendes, Andrew Cook, Will Geise, and Dylan Rice.

With the setback, CNU dropped to 12-2 on the season, including 1-1 in Coastal Lacrosse Conference action. On the other side, Salisbury improved to 13-0 with a 3-0 record against league foes.

Early on, the two teams traded blows. Kicking off the action, Smith spun underneath a defender in the left alley before snapping a low liner around the ankles of the keeper. Later, Jackson launched a lefty laser from long range, while Will Cramp dunked on the doorstep on the way to a 3-3 deadlock.

After the Sea Gulls responded with a go-ahead tally, Christopher Newport pieced together an outstanding defensive series. First, on Salisbury's ensuing rally, AJ Rosacker stayed with a shooter through a cutback on the left side to help force a low-percentage shot, which Bellinger pocketed. Moments later, during a man-down situation, Colin DeGrassi sealed off the right post with a bruising hit before Bellinger collected his second straight stop.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Platner buried the equalizer after skipping a seed into the bottom right corner of the cage.

With only seconds remaining in the opening quarter, the visitors dug in on the defensive side to keep the score knotted at four. During Salisbury's final possession, Ryan Almassian stayed tight with a shooter to prevent an attempt in the right alley before Rory Keverline lowered his shoulder and launched a Sea Gull during a physical altercation in the center of the zone to kill off the late threat.

In the second period, Salisbury regained a one-goal lead before CNU caught fire on the offensive side. During a man-up situation, Jackson used a skip pass to find Platner, who uncorked a one-timer before a defender could close out in the left alley.

Continuing the assault, Ethan Slusher showed incredible vision. After catching a feed from Kevin Miller, he turned and fired a seed through three defenders and the goalie before the ball tucked itself into the top left corner of the cage. Seconds later, Almassian helped keep the momentum planted on the CNU side. The junior secured the ground ball on the ensuing faceoff after pinning the roller to the turf while avoiding a pair of Sea Gulls during a scrum in the center of the field.

Taking advantage of the possession, Smith quickly dipped under a defender in the left corner before spinning a screamer around the goalie for a 7-5 lead.

Continuing the surge, Jackson uncorked a rip in traffic along the right post. Although the initial shot was stoned, he grabbed his own rebound and flipped it into the air while being swallowed by a pair of Sea Gulls. Collecting the floater, Miller took advantage of the second-chance opportunity as he spun around the carnage along the crease before connecting on a fake-and-finish.

Meanwhile, on the defensive side, Christopher Newport kept a tight lid on the opposition. Early in the period, Rosacker caught the stick of a shooter and sent a blast spiraling into the side of the net. Later, Jayden Hardnett stayed with a dodger along the right post to prevent an inside look, while Bellinger snatched a bouncer after a timeout in the middle of the period.

Although Salisbury eventually chipped its deficit back down to two, Bellinger continued to dominate between the pipes. During another rush by the hosts, he made back-to-back saves, including a huge stop during a one-on-one altercation in front of the cage. Later, he stoned another missile from his knees before blocking a shot with his chest after Brett Kelley used a stick-lift to prevent a clean look in the right alley.

Along with the work on the back end, the offense polished off the first half with one final dagger. Isolated near the baseline, Jackson showed off his speed. Sprinting underneath the defender, he found some space, burned a path towards the cage, elevated along the crease, and sank a diving dagger to snatch a 9-6 lead entering the break.

In the third quarter, the defense continued to slow down Salisbury's attack. On an early rally, Daniel Siaton held his ground during a lengthy standoff along the right post after an attacker tried to back him down. Later, Keverline picked off a loose ball along the left sideline, while Bellinger came back with another save from his knees.

Although the Sea Gulls eventually slapped a pair of goals on the board to pull back within one, Christopher Newport pieced together its finest defensive stand of the game. Facing back-to-back shorthanded situations, the downers put together a brilliant performance. On the first push, Caden Cunningham came through with an out-stretched interception in the center of the zone to flip possession.

Moments later, after the Captains were hit with another penalty, Siaton had fantastic pressure to stop a turnaround attempt before Mark Davison blocked a shot from the left side.

With time winding down in the period, Salisbury had one last rush during a fast-break opportunity just before the horn sounded. During an unsettled situation, two Sea Gulls found themselves free on a sprint towards the cage. Playing the 2-on-1 perfectly, Bellinger sealed off the right side and forced a pass towards the opposite post. Showcasing his athleticism, he quickly swiveled, elevated, and made a leaping save along the left pipe to keep the one-goal edge entering the fourth frame.

Unfortunately, Salisbury regrouped during the short break and came out swinging in the final period. The Sea Gulls grabbed an advantage with back-to-back goals in the first 50 seconds. Although Bellinger came back with four more saves, including another one-on-one stop later in the period, the hosts added two more strikes to pull away for the victory.

During the contest, Salisbury held a 44-37 advantage in shots and a 40-31 lead in ground balls. The Sea Gulls also won 13 of the game's 25 faceoffs, while Grant Giunchi snagged two of his three attempts at the dot.

Christopher Newport will return to action on April 12 when the squad hosts Kean in a league bout at noon.

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