OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- After slipping out to an early lead, the second-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team could not quite keep pace with No. 1 Tufts over the final three quarters as the Captains dropped a 17-9 decision to the Jumbos on Saturday during the Callum Robinson Mustang Classic at Stevenson's Mustang Stadium.

During the contest, CNU landed the first two blows of the game and regained a 5-4 edge early in the second stanza, but the high-powered Tufts' attack proved to be too much to handle over the final 36 minutes. Although the Captains eventually pulled back within two early in the third quarter, the Jumbos went on a eight-goal run to put the game out-of-reach.

Standing tall against the assault, senior All-American Mason Bellinger collected 18 saves, which equaled the 10th-highest total in program history. Colin DeGrassi also picked up three caused turnovers to help slow down the Jumbos.

On the offensive end, Jude MacLean, John Santoro, Jackson Shaw, and Jamie Smith all posted a pair of goals for the Captains. With his eruption, Smith wrapped up the day with 51 goals this season. Coupled with his record-setting 84 tallies in 2025, he became just the fourth player in program history to notch at least 50 strikes in back-to-back campaigns. In that club, he joined fellow All-Americans Alex Brendes (2023-24), Andrew Cook (2022-24), and Dylan Rice (2018-19, 21-22).

Saturday's game was also Smith's 29th consecutive outing with at least one goal. That equals the second-longest scoring streak in school history, trailing only Andrew Cook's 54-game run from 2022-24.

Overall, the setback dropped Christopher Newport to 9-2 on the season, while the victory bumped Tufts to 5-0. It also marked the Jumbos' 33rd consecutive triumph, which includes back-to-back national championships.

Early on, CNU jumped out to a fast start. In transition, Ryan Miller caught a feed in the right wing before finding Smith, who was cutting down the opposite alley. After collecting the pass, the fourth-year phenom quickly scored along the post to put the Captains on top.

Moments later, after Rory Keverline launched a midfielder across the right sideline to help kill a clear, the attack went back to work. This time, Miller found Shaw, who squeezed a shot between the shoulder of a defender and the left post for a 2-0 advantage.

Meanwhile, on the defensive side, AJ Rosacker used an over-the-head check to strip an attacker on a clear before Colin DeGrassi blew up a play with a takeaway along the baseline. Moments later, Mark Davison had a tight ride in the left alley to force an errant shot before Bellinger snagged a rip from his knees to keep Tufts off the board.

Still pushing forward, the Jumbos finally cracked the scoreboard with two late goals at the end of the opening stanza. Then, with a fresh 15 minutes on the clock, the squad sank two more tallies to steal a 4-2 edge in the second quarter.

Looking for a response, MacLean kicked off the rally with a highlight-reel tally. In the 19th minute, the senior was dragged to the turf in front of the cage. Although the ball popped out of his stick, he stuck with the play. While laying on his side along the crease, he simply batted the ball around the keeper for his first goal of the contest.

Following MacLean's heroics, Smith set up two straight goals. First, he grabbed a ground ball off a pipe shot to set up a second-chance opportunity. With possession, he dropped a dime over the defense to Randolph Campbell, who slipped behind the crowd and scored on the interior.

Minutes later, Smith killed a clear attempt after punching the ball away from a midfielder along the left sideline. After settling in for a 6-on-6 possession, Shaw buried a go-ahead goal into the upper-90 from the right alley.

Facing a 5-4 deficit, Tufts retaliated. Over the final six minutes of the first half, the team slapped four straight goals on the board to steal an 8-5 edge entering the break.

In the third quarter, the Jumbos stretched their lead to four with an early tally before CNU fought back. On the offensive side, Kevin Miller handed possession to Smith. With a long-pole bearing down on him, the senior was unfazed by the impending contact. Eventually, he ripped a one-timer while getting decked by the defender for his second goal of the contest.

Later, MacLean spun past two Jumbos in the right alley before uncorking a 15-yard firecracker, which cut the deficit back down to two.

Meanwhile, on the back end, Brett Kelley put on a clinic. The junior stuck to an attacker through a tough dodge before forcing a low-percentage shot, which Bellinger handled. Later, he got into the body of another Jumbo and ripped the ball away before winning a runout with great hustle along the baseline to flip possession after an off-target shot.

After Tufts finally added its eighth strike to regain a three-goal cushion, the defense clamped down again. This time, Daniel Siaton pushed a shooter off his mark in the left wing to force an errant attempt before disrupting another rocket from the opposite alley. Then, in the waning moments of the period, Armer Harrison prevented a shot in transition after tying up a Jumbo to keep the deficit at three entering the final frame.

Unfortunately, Tufts put the game away in the fourth quarter. The team drained seven straight strikes, which flipped a three-goal lead into a double-digit advantage.

Battling until the bitter end, Santoro landed the final two blows during a 10-second spurt at the end of the contest. First, he caught a flip from Ryan Miller and dunked along the left post. Then, after Zach Ward won the ensuing faceoff, Garrett Bralley fed the ball back to Santoro, who skipped one over the keeper with a long-range bouncer.

Overall, Tufts held a 49-39 advantage in shots and won 16 of the game's 30 faceoffs, while CNU had a 42-34 edge in ground balls. Bellinger and Kelley both secured six rollers for the Captains, while DeGrassi snagged four. Meanwhile, at the dot, Ward won four of his five faceoff attempts.

Christopher Newport will return to action with another neutral-site battle against No. 17 Amherst at the USA Lacrosse Headquarters in Sparks, Maryland on March 14 at 3:30 p.m.

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