SPARKS, Md. -- Piecing together a performance for the history books, Mason Bellinger secured a career-high 20 saves while helping carry the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team to a 12-9 victory over No. 14 Amherst during a neutral-site battle on a sunny Saturday afternoon at the USA Lacrosse Headquarters in Sparks, Maryland.

Suffocating the high-powered Amherst attack, Bellinger put together a 60-minute clinic. His 20 saves marked the third-highest total in program history and the finest effort by a Captain since Andy McGregor pocketed 25 against Stevenson in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on May 8, 2013.

Along with his 20 stops, Bellinger also hauled in a game-high six ground balls and added a takeaway for good measure.

In addition to Bellinger's work on the back end, CNU baited Amherst into 13 turnovers, including a pair of strips by both Garrett Bralley and Rory Keverline. Coming through in the clutch, AJ Rosacker also had a key takeaway in the 55th minute before assisting on a goal just moments later.

On the offensive end, Ryan Miller led the way with five points, including three goals. Jamie Smith also added four strikes of his own, while Kevin Miller chipped in with two goals and a pair of assists.

With the victory, the Captains improved to 10-2 on the season, while the setback dropped the Mammoths to 3-3.

Setting the tone early, Bellinger snagged Amherst's first on-target shot before Bralley buried an attacker into the turf. After a successful clear, Kevin Miller had a nice backup on an errant shot before he found Smith, who unleashed a one-timer from the left alley.

After CNU opened the scoring, the two teams traded blows. For the Captains, Jackson Platner assisted on a rope by Ryan Miller before skipping a seed off the crossbar from the left wing to knot the score at three. Bralley also blocked a shot on the defensive end to keep the game deadlocked at the end of the first quarter.

In the second stanza, Amherst snatched a quick lead before CNU responded with a vengeance. First, on the back side, Keverline helped punctuate a shorthanded situation with an interception. Following a successful clear, Levi Wentz took advantage of a second-chance opportunity on the offensive end.

On the play, the first-year phenom snagged a rebound along the right post. After spinning behind the crease, he circled around the opposite pipe and landed a jumper on the doorstep to tie the game at 4.

After that point, Christopher Newport's attack took control. Ryan Miller connected on back-to-back shots, including a rip from the right wing off a feed from Wentz. Then, on a fast-break in the 26th minute, Bellinger jump-started a successful clear before Kevin Miller found Smith in transition, which gave the squad a 7-4 lead.

Meanwhile, on the defensive end, Brett Kelley leveled a shooter with a bone-crushing hit at the top of the zone to prevent an on-target attempt. Later, Bellinger walled off the cage with two straight saves, including a slick stop on a hip-high hammer from the left side.

Carrying a 7-4 lead into halftime, Christopher Newport stretched its advantage early in the third period. Although Amherst got on the board first, Smith and Jackson Shaw fired back with a pair of darts during a two-minute surge, which pushed CNU's edge to four.

Looking to keep the Mammoths in check, Bellinger stole the show. Over the next seven minutes, the senior All-American made six saves, including a highlight-reel stretch in the middle of the stanza. During a lengthy spurt by Amherst, he stoned a laser from the left wing before diving across the crease to brush aside a second-chance seed from his knees along the opposite post just seconds later.

Trying to regain some momentum, Amherst finally broke through at the tail end of the third quarter before adding back-to-back bullets in the fourth frame, which cut CNU's lead down to one at 9-8.

Needing to respond, Christopher Newport dug in on the defensive end. Keverline sacrificed his body to block a shot early in the final stanza before Rosacker came through with a momentum-turning strip with five minutes left to kill off a late push by the Mammoths. Shortly thereafter, Kelley wrestled a ground ball away from a host of attackers before the offense went back to work.

In transition, Brendan Medearis connected with Smith, who gave the Captains a two-goal cushion with just over two minutes left in regulation. Then, after a huge win by Zach Ward on the ensuing faceoff, Rosacker came up with the loose ball and burned a path to the cage. Eventually, he flipped possession to Kevin Miller, who unloaded a bullet only 12 seconds after Smith's strike.

Looking to put the game on ice, Bellinger snagged his 20th save on Amherst's next possession before the Miller brothers teamed up on one final tally with 31 seconds left in regulation to seal the win.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 44-37 advantage in ground balls, while Amherst led the way in shots, 51-38. The Mammoths also captured 14 of the game's 25 faceoffs, while Ward won 11 for the Captains and grabbed four ground balls. Mark Davison also matched his career-high with four rollers, including a key save on a bouncer after Rosacker's takeaway in the fourth frame.

Christopher Newport will return to action at noon on March 28 for the Coastal Lacrosse Conference opener against Stockton at Jennings Family Stadium. That contest will also serve as the program's annual Senior Day.
 
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