NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- After an early back-and-forth battle, the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team scored 11 straight goals, including seven in the second quarter, as the Captains rolled to a 17-12 victory over Roanoke on a chilly Wednesday evening at Jennings Family Stadium.

Trailing 5-4 entering the second stanza, CNU flipped the script with a remarkable run. Starring on both ends of the field, the Captains outscored the Maroons, 7-0, in the second quarter to steal the momentum while grabbing a lead they would never relinquish. Leading the way, Ryan Miller matched his career-high with seven points, including four strikes. Four of his points came during the squad's 11-goal streak, which turned a one-goal deficit into a double-digit advantage.

Along with the freshman phenom, Jamie Smith and Kevin Miller both had six points for the victors. Among his efforts, Smith posted five goals, including his 72nd of the season. That moved him into a tie with former legend Dylan Rice for the second-most by a Captain in program history. Incidentally, Smith already owns the school record after setting the standard with 84 tallies in 2025.

Equally impressive on the other end of the field, Christopher Newport posted 23 takeaways, including four by Brett Kelley. Garrett Bralley also set a new career-high with three strips, while Ryan Almassian, Mason Bellinger, Caden Cunningham, and AJ Rosacker had two apiece.

In addition to his two caused turnovers, Bellinger pocketed 17 saves against the Maroons, including his 200th of the season. Coupled with his 241 stops last year, the senior goalkeeper became the first player in program history to register at least 200 saves in back-to-back seasons.

Along with Bellinger's efforts, Declan McCulloch also added two stops in the fourth quarter. Overall, the 19 total saves tied the eighth-most in a single game in school history.

With the victory, CNU improved to 14-2 and extended its home winning streak to 16 straight games dating back to last season. That equals the longest run in program history, matching an identical 16-game surge from April 19, 2016 through March 24, 2018.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the setback dropped Roanoke to 8-4 on the season.

Although the visitors opened the scoring less than 30 seconds into regulation, CNU had an immediate response. On a failed clear by the Maroons, Kelley stopped a midfielder in his tracks along the right sideline before Bralley came bolting in and blasted the ball loose with a check from behind.

Seconds after the strip, Daniel Siaton stormed up the opposite boundary before connecting with Ryan Miller, who sank a tracer in transition.

Trading blows, the Maroons fired back before Christopher Newport retaliated just moments later. Off the ensuing faceoff, Grant Giunchi won the clamp before shoveling the ball to himself. Pushing forward, he eventually handed possession to Smith, who ripped a rocket from the left wing that landed only six seconds after Roanoke's previous strike.

Shortly thereafter, Bellinger came through with one of the plays of the season. Stationed 20 yards away from the crease while helping out on a 10-man ride, he wrapped up an attacker near the restraining line before swiping the ball away with a takeaway check. 

With the ball, the senior spun around the Maroon, crossed midfield, and dropped a 30-yard dime into Ryan Miller's pocket. After securing the pass, the freshman bounced a bullet into an empty net to complete the highlight-reel play.

Although Roanoke evened the score again at three, Fred Fulkerson pieced together another terrific response. Positioned in the left alley, he drew the attention of three defenders. Dodging the traffic while switching hands twice in close quarters, he eventually slipped through the crowd and found Smith, who polished off the play with a fake-and-finish on the doorstep.

Equally effective on the back end, Christopher Newport blanketed the field. Early on, Rosacker de-twigged Roanoke's faceoff specialist with a spinning strip that sent the Maroon's stick spiraling through the air. Later, Kelley pried a ball loose with a nice lift before teaming up with Jayden Hardnett on a devastating double-team that saw a cutter bounce off both men before stumbling to the turf.

Although Roanoke eventually broke through CNU's back line with two straight goals at the end of the opening period, the Captains shrugged off the momentary setback. Staring at a 5-4 deficit entering the second stanza, Christopher Newport quickly regained its footing.

Will Cramp kicked off the comeback with an underhanded scoop shot that slipped underneath Roanoke's goalie, who attempted a diving save between the pipes. Then, in less than five minutes, Ryan Miller had a hand in four straight goals. During that stretch, the first-year star carved up the Maroons with three assists before adding a dart of his own after capitalizing on a screen by Levi Wentz, which gave Miller all the space he needed in the right alley.

Later in the period, Kevin Miller twisted a rip around a defender and the goalie for his third strike of the stanza before finding Smith for a dagger on the doorstep, which handed the hosts an 11-5 lead.

While the offense was landing blow after blow, the defense kept a lid on Roanoke's attack. On a failed clear, Rosacker stalked a long-stick midfielder before rushing in from behind and unleashing an over-the-head check on the unsuspecting Maroon. Then, Chris Lewis subbed into the game and made a beeline towards the center of the field.

Just seconds after stepping onto the turf, he came through with an out-stretched strip to knock the ball away from a shooter, who was loading up for a long-range attempt. Later, in the waning moments of the period, Kelley dragged a midfielder to the turf and won a scramble for a roller along the center stripe before Hardnett cut off a run along the crease, which kept the lead at six entering the break.

In the second half, Kelley continued the defensive domination with a one-man show. On the back end, the junior sacrificed his body while blocking a shot in traffic. After recovering the loose ball, he flashed his wheels on a fast-break. Running past two midfielders, he cruised down the field and connected on a pole goal after firing a rocket before the defense could close out on the interior.

Looking for a double-digit lead, Smith sank a seed into the bottom right corner of the cage for his fifth goal. Then, Kevin Miller converted a second-chance opportunity after dunking over the keeper before Jude MacLean fired an absolute missile from long range, which gave CNU a 15-5 edge.

Although the visitors broke the streak with their first goal since the opening quarter, the Captains retaliated. During a man-up situation, Kevin Miller dumped a feed to his younger brother, who went low-to-high with some heat from the top of the zone to complete his afternoon.

Meanwhile, on the other end, Christopher Newport remained vigilant. Bralley came through with a takeaway in traffic before Cunningham broke up a pass with an lunging strip during a one-on-one showdown. Bellinger also notched three saves during a single possession. The senior made a sliding stop near the right post before standing tall to stone a secondary surge just moments later.

Then, to polish off the defensive stand, Bellinger tracked an attacker who attempted to circle behind the crease. Eventually, the Maroon slipped around the right post and uncorked a shot from close range, but the All-American keeper gobbled up the rip before clearing the back end.

With a 10-goal cushion entering the fourth quarter, the Captains eased into the victory. Randolph Campbell drove home the team's final tally after painting the top right corner of the cage with a blast in the 54th minute.

Although Roanoke put together a solid run later in the period, Christopher Newport stepped up on the defensive end. Cunningham chased down a cutter in the right alley to stymie a surge before Almassian helped put the finishing touches on the victory.

At the tail end of regulation, the senior avoided a screen at the top of the zone before bodying up an attacker with a bruising hit in the left wing. Then, on a subsequent rush, he tracked down a Maroon and forced a turnover with a takeaway check before Jed Pellicano snagged the loose ball to kill off the final threat.

Overall, CNU held a 55-36 advantage in shots and a 49-38 lead in ground balls, while both teams won 16 faceoffs. For the Captains, Giunchi captured nine battles and snagged six rollers, while Zach Ward went 7-for-12 on his attempts. Ward, Kelley, and Colin DeGrassi all came up with four ground balls as well.

Christopher Newport will return to action on April 18 when the squad concludes the regular season with a 3 p.m. battle against No. 7 Salisbury at Jennings Family Stadium.

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