NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Rewriting the record books while capitalizing on a relentless assault, the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team opened the NCAA Tournament with a 16-14 victory over Grove City on a sun-splashed Saturday afternoon at Jennings Family Stadium.

During the contest, Jamie Smith sank four goals, including his 74th of the season. That eclipsed the previous school record of 72, which was set by former All-American Dylan Rice in 2022. Meanwhile, Brett Jackson had a team-high five tallies, which matched the highest total by a Captain in NCAA Tournament history.

With those five goals, Jackson also became the seventh player in program lore to reach 200 career points.

Equally impressive on the offensive end, Kevin Miller picked apart the competition with six points, including five assists. His five helpers established a new postseason record at CNU. Aided by that performance, he wrapped up the day with 72 assists this year. That total ranks first in the nation in 2025 and places him 21st on the all-time single-season Division III leaderboard. Additionally, it is the sixth-highest total by a sophomore in the history of collegiate lacrosse.

Overall, Miller also finished the day with 102 points this year, tying former All-American Andrew Cook for the second-most by a Captain in program lore.

Along with the offensive standouts, Warner Cabaniss won 19 of his 27 faceoffs while snatching 13 ground balls. His 19 victories matched his own tournament record, which he set against No. 2 RIT in last year's NCAA Quarterfinals. It also bumped his career total to 1,085. That places him sixth in Division III history and 10th among all lacrosse players from all three levels of the NCAA.

On the defensive end, Mason Bellinger pocketed 15 saves, marking the fourth-highest total by a Captain in the history of the NCAA Tournament. He was aided on the back end by Mark Davison and AJ Rosacker, who notched three takeaways apiece. Overall, Christopher Newport forced 13 turnovers during the contest.

With the victory, CNU improved to 17-3 on the season and advanced to the third round of the national playoffs, while Grove City concluded the 2025 campaign with a 14-8 record.  The Captains will return to action tomorrow at 3 p.m. for a date with No. 16 Lynchburg, who reached the third round after topping No. 15 Stevenson, 15-6, in the nightcap of Saturday's twin bill.

From the very beginning, Christopher Newport vaulted out to an early lead against the Wolverines. In his first appearance on the national stage, freshman Jackson Platner made his presence felt immediately. A little over 30 seconds into the contest, he lowered his shoulder, drove a defender into the turf, spun underneath, and scored on the doorstep for the game's opening tally.

Moments later, Jackson came back with two straight strikes before the Wolverines slapped their first goal on the board. Orchestrating an immediate response, Platner shoveled a feed to Miller, who spun through two defenders along the right post before sinking a tracer in traffic. Then, in the sixth minute, Jackson polished off his first-quarter hat-trick after sidestepping a long-pole in the right alley before cracking a high hammer just under the crossbar.

Searching for an answer, the visitors cut their deficit back down to two before Christopher Newport punctuated the period in style. First, Ethan Slusher capitalized on a flip from Miller on the right side before Davison unleashed some long-pole lightning after Rory Keverline found him in transition.

Although the offense stole the show in the opening quarter, the defense was equally electric. Early on, Davison tied up an attacker along the baseline before tossing him out-of-bounds to complete a takeaway. Later, Rosacker had a slick, over-the-head check near midfield before Colin DeGrassi used a stick-lift to rip possession away from an attacker in the left wing.

The Captains also frustrated the opposition with four blocked shots in the first quarter. Ryan Almassian and Jayden Hardnett used a pair of trail-checks to disrupt two attempts on a single possession by the visitors. Later, Miller was trapped on defense but stayed in front of a shooter to cut off a look on the interior before Daniel Siaton knocked a Wolverine off-balance at the top of the zone. Eventually, Grove City's ensuing shot deflected off DeGrassi's dome and landed out-of-bounds.

In the second quarter, Christopher Newport continued to push back against Grove City's high-powered attack, which entered the game ranked sixth in the nation in both scoring offense and shooting percentage. Flashing their physicality, Keverline and DeGrassi buried two attackers in the turf at the top of the zone, while Slusher used a slap-check to kill off a clear attempt along the left sideline.

Meanwhile, CNU never lost its rhythm on the other end of the field. Carving up the competition, Miller connected with Smith on back-to-back bullets before Jackson landed a laser from long range to secure a 10-5 lead with less than four minutes to go in the first half.

Although Grove City fought back and notched three straight goals before the end of the period, Christopher Newport carried a 10-8 edge into the break.

Looking to regain some momentum in the third quarter, CNU went to work on the offensive side. Joey Fantinato snapped a sidewinder around the hip of a midfielder to open the scoring before Fred Fulkerson converted a step-back strike after torching a defender during a one-on-one match-up in the right alley.

After the visitors collected their ninth goal, the Captains polished off the period in style. First, after Bellinger stepped out of the crease and leveled a Wolverine with a bone-crushing hit on the doorstep, CNU bolted up the right sideline on a fast-break. Pushing the tempo, Siaton ran straight through three defenders before finding Smith, who converted a fake-and-finish in front of the cage.

Just six seconds later, after Grove City committed a faceoff violation, Hardnett took the ball and went right to work. Cutting around a Wolverine at the top of the zone, he left the defender sprawled out on the field before avoiding a late slide while uncorking a missile on the move for a 14-9 lead.

Still marching along, Miller and Smith teamed up on one final dagger with 18 seconds left in the period to snatch a six-goal edge entering the fourth frame.

With a fresh 15 minutes on the clock, Christopher Newport kept the momentum as Jackson shrugged off a defender in the right wing before burying a screamer inside the left post for his final goal of the game.

Refusing to go down quietly, Grove City battled back, but the Captains kept them at bay. After the Wolverines collected two straight tallies, Almassian knocked down a feed on the interior before Zack Sands swooped in, grabbed the ball, and scooted through traffic. Later, Hardnett broke up a pass in the left alley, while Bellinger notched three saves during a two-minute surge.

With time winding down, the visitors scored three late goals, including two in the final 30 seconds, but CNU never lost control of the game while capping off the 16-14 triumph.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 46-44 advantage in shots and a 38-32 lead in ground balls. Along with Cabaniss' 13 rollers, Bellinger and Rosacker picked up four apiece.

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