SPARKS, Md. -- For the second time in two days, Christopher Newport men's lacrosse standout Mason Bellinger was celebrated for his work last week as the senior All-American was named the USA Lacrosse National Player of the Week, which was announced by the organization on Tuesday afternoon.

The prestigious honor comes just 24 hours after Bellinger was named the Coastal Lacrosse Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.

Adding his name to an illustrious group of CNU standouts, Bellinger became just the fourth Captain to receive the national award. Current teammate Kevin Miller was named the USA Lacrosse National Player of the Week on February 11, 2025, while former legends Warner Cabaniss (April 23, 2024) and Andrew Cook (March 21, 2023 and February 27, 2024) also picked up the honor.

Bellinger earned the recognition following a historic appearance on Saturday at the USA Lacrosse Headquarters in Sparks, Maryland. During a top-25 showdown with No. 14 Amherst, he guided the Captains to a 12-9 victory after putting together a performance for the ages.

During his time in the cage, Bellinger hauled in 20 saves, which established a new career-high and marked the third-most by any player in program history. It was also the top effort by a Captain since former legend Andy McGregor set the school standard with 25 stops against Stevenson in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on May 8, 2013.

In addition to his 20 saves, Bellinger also collected six ground balls and a caused turnover. His six rollers equaled the second-highest total of his career.

Dominant throughout the contest, Bellinger was especially effective in the third quarter. During the stanza, he registered nine saves, which marked the second-highest total in a single period in program history. Among his efforts, he stoned back-to-back ropes during a four-second spurt early in the frame before notching three saves during a lengthy two-minute possession later in the quarter.

Along with his work in the third period, Bellinger pocketed nine saves in the first half before securing two more stops in the final stanza. He also intercepted a last-second pass to kill a rally at the end of the first quarter and provided pinpoint outlets to jumpstart a series of transition opportunities, including a fast-break goal in the 26th minute.

Adding another footnote to his performance on Saturday, Bellinger also eclipsed 400 career saves during the contest. He became just the fifth Captain to reach that benchmark, joining McGregor as well as fellow All-Americans Zac Hanway, Matt Hayden, and Scott McAneney.

Saturday's performance continued an impressive senior campaign for Bellinger. After beginning the year as the USA Lacrosse Magazine and Inside Lacrosse National Preseason Goalie of the Year, he currently ranks third in the NCAA with 148 saves. The Paramus, New Jersey native also sports a .565 save percentage and 10.03 goals-against-average.

Bellinger and the rest of the Captains will return to action on Saturday when Christopher Newport hosts Stockton in the Coastal Lacrosse Conference opener at noon.

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