HAMPDEN SYDNEY, Va. -- Passing its first road test of the season, the third-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team recorded a wire-to-wire win at Hampden-Sydney as the Captains slipped out to an early lead and never looked back on the way to a 10-7 triumph on Saturday afternoon at Lewis C. Everett Stadium.

Leading the way on the offensive end, Kevin Miller posted a game-high five points, including three assists. That extended his school-record streak to 25 consecutive games with an assist. It also was his seventh straight outing with at least three helpers dating back to last year.

Equally impressive on the attack, Jamie Smith chipped in with three points, including his 100th career goal. With that performance, he became just the 11th player in program history to hit the century mark. Adding even more luster to his accomplishment, he achieved the feat in just his 31st career appearance, making him the fastest Captain to reach 100 goals. Former legend Andrew Cook set the previous standard after eclipsing the milestone in his 35th outing at CNU.

Along with the veteran duo, freshman Ryan Miller tallied his second straight multi-goal effort after sinking a pair of daggers, including the opening blow less than two minutes into regulation. Jackson Platner and Joey Fantinato also landed back-to-back bullets during a 30-second surge in the third quarter, which helped give the visitors some extra cushion entering the final frame.  

On the other end of the field, Mason Bellinger suffocated the opposition while pocketing 13 saves. Stepping up during a series of short-handed situations in the second half, the National Preseason Goalie of the Year stoned three on-target attempts during man-down rallies, including a huge stop with three minutes left in regulation that helped silence Hampden-Sydney's last gasp.

In addition to Bellinger's work in the crease, the entire defense did a tremendous job keeping HSC's high-powered offense in check. Facing a unit that returned three All-Conference attackmen from last year, CNU limited the Tigers to 20 on-target shots. Along the way, the Captains blocked a pair of rips and baited the hosts into 21 turnovers.

On an individual level, Armer Harrison, Brett Kelley, and AJ Rosacker had two takeaways apiece, while Daniel Siaton matched his career-high with five ground balls and helped anchor a clearing unit that successfully converted all 22 of its attempts during the contest.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improved to 2-0 on the season, while the setback dropped Hampden-Sydney to 0-1.

Right from the jump, CNU set the tone on both sides of the field. Rosacker came through with a takeaway mere moments after the opening faceoff before Ryan Miller kicked off the scoring on a second-chance opportunity just 68 seconds into the first quarter. Building on the early momentum, Smith and Jude MacLean added two more darts later in the period as the Captains wrapped up the opening stanza with a 3-1 advantage.

In the second period, Christopher Newport continued to foster its lead despite a pair of runs by Hampden-Sydney. The hosts struck first in the frame, but Miller and Randolph Campbell retaliated with back-to-back darts in less than a minute of action. Although the Tigers pulled back within one after their own two-goal spurt, CNU stepped up on the defensive side later in the quarter.

Headlining the work on the back end, Harrison posted his second strip of the half before Colin DeGrassi jumped on the loose ball to punctuate a lengthy offensive stand by HSC. Then, Bellinger swallowed a pair of shots, including a last-ditch rip in the final seconds of the frame to keep the 5-4 lead entering halftime.

Following the break, the Captains found their rhythm on the offensive side. Taking advantage of an early extra-man situation, Kevin Miller connected with Smith for his 100th goal. It was also his 14th career man-up tally, tying Alex Barber for the 10th most in program history. Moments later, Miller flashed his finishing skills with a goal of his own to secure a 7-4 edge less than four minutes into the third period.

Although Hampden-Sydney eventually struck again, Platner and Fantinato retaliated with two straight tracers to gain a four-goal spread. Refusing to go down quietly, the hosts inched back within three in the final minute before Bellinger pocketed a late save and Kelley came through with a strip on the last rally to keep the 9-6 advantage.

In the fourth frame, Bellinger continued his work in the cage with a man-down save on HSC's first rush. Later, he walled off another on-target attempt before Mark Davison hauled in the loose ball and kicked off a successful clear. Taking advantage of the possession, John Santoro found Ryan Miller, who pushed the lead back up to four midway through the final quarter.

With some more work to be done on the defensive end, Kelley added his second takeaway of the second half before Bellinger snatched another shorthanded save to quiet Hampden-Sydney's last opportunity to claw back into the contest.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 46-28 advantage in shots and a 35-21 lead in ground balls. The Captains also won 11 of the game's 21 faceoffs, including a 9-for-14 showcase by Grant Giunchi.

CNU will return to action next Saturday when the team squares off with No. 9 Gettysburg in a neutral-site battle at 1 p.m. That game, which was originally scheduled to take place in Severna Park, Maryland, has been moved to Stevenson University in Owings Mills.

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