NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Leading by six goals at halftime, the third-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team could not carry the momentum into the second half as No. 5 Salisbury deposited the game's final seven strikes, including an overtime dagger in the 62nd minute, which handed the Captains a 10-9 setback in the Coastal Lacrosse Conference Championship on a sun-soaked Sunday afternoon at Jennings Family Stadium.
After the Sea Gulls secured a slim 3-2 lead early in the second stanza, CNU scored seven consecutive goals during an 11-minute blitz, which gave the Captains a 9-3 advantage entering the second half. Unfortunately, Christopher Newport was unable to find an opening during the final 32 minutes of action as Salisbury stormed back to steal the come-from-behind victory.
On the back end,
Mason Bellinger finished the contest with 16 saves, including 11 in the first half. With that performance, the senior All-American wrapped up the day with 254 stops this year. That stands as a new single-season program record, topping the 246 saves by Zac Hanway in 2023.
Along with Bellinger, the entire defense held firm against the high-powered Salisbury attack. CNU collected 21 caused turnovers, including five by
Brett Kelley.
Rory Keverline and
AJ Rosacker also notched three apiece, while
Colin DeGrassi had two to go along with a goal in the second quarter.
With his performance, Rosacker became just the fifth player in program history to eclipse 100 career takeaways. The fourth-year standout joined former legends Drew Cornell, Phoenix Hines, Max Wayne, and Ryan Young in that exclusive club.
On the other side of the field,
Fred Fulkerson and
Jackson Platner had two goals apiece, while
Kevin Miller handed out three assists.
With the setback, Christopher Newport fell to 16-3 on the season. Meanwhile, Salisbury locked up the league championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament while concluding the day with an identical 16-3 record.
Jumping out to an early lead, the Captains blistered the Sea Gulls in the first two minutes of regulation. First,
Jamie Smith saved a loose ball from slipping across the left sideline before tossing it to Platner. Seconds later, the senior set a screen in the alley, which bottled up a pair of defenders. Rolling around the logjam, Platner slipped inside and dunked over the keeper for a fast 1-0 lead.
On the ensuing faceoff,
Grant Giunchi won the clamp and flipped the ball to himself. Although he was eventually dragged to the turf, the faceoff specialist shoveled the ball through a crowd to Kelley. After collecting the spinner, the defenseman burned a path straight towards the cage before bouncing a long-pole dart through the keeper for a 2-0 edge.
Although the visitors responded with two goals of their own, Christopher Newport dug in on the defensive end. Kelley and
Daniel Siaton sandwiched an attacker in the left alley to cause an early turnover before Smith stopped a Sea Gull in his tracks near the center stripe to force a clearing violation.
Later, Bellinger added three saves just before the end of the quarter. Building a wall between the pipes, the senior swallowed a low-to-high hammer from the left alley before pocketing a worm-burner from the opposite side. Then, just before the horn sounded, he snagged a hip-high heater near the right post to keep the score deadlocked at two.
In the second stanza, Salisbury struck early to take a 3-2 lead before the Captains found their groove. Kicking off a seven-goal spurt, Fulkerson skipped a seed through the keeper in the 20th minute. Then, on the next faceoff, Giunchi won a 10-second duel at the dot before rolling the ball towards the attack.
Situated along the restraining line, Miller eventually snagged the spinner before lofting a floater to his brother, who snapped a shot around the keeper for a 4-3 advantage.
Continuing the assault, Fulkerson buried a bullet under the crossbar for his second goal before Smith unleashed a missile on the move. Then, in the 24th minute, CNU played a little tic-tac-toe as Fulkerson found
Ryan Miller, who dropped a dime to Platner. After curling along the left post, the sophomore uncorked a quick-hitter to push the lead to 7-3.
Still rolling along,
Jackson Shaw barreled up the right alley, switched hands, and laced a lefty laser into the top right corner of the cage. Then, in the final moments of the first half, Christopher Newport took advantage of a fantastic defensive stand to land a last-second blow.
On the back end,
Jayden Hardnett stayed tight with an attacker and forced him to cut back along the left post. Flying over to help out, Kelley added some pressure on the inside before landing a takeaway check, which jostled the ball loose.
Pouncing on the roller, DeGrassi scooped it up and bolted in the opposite direction. Going coast to coast, the defenseman cut right through the Sea Gulls before draining a bouncer in transition to lock up a 9-3 lead entering the break.
In the third quarter, Christopher Newport continued its work on the defensive side of the ball. Early on,
Daniel Siaton stood up an attacker in the left lane before DeGrassi charged in and dropped a series of checks that dislodged the ball and flipped the field. Later,
Will Cramp launched a Sea Gull over the baseline to force another turnover before Kelley came back with two more strips, including a physical play that saw him dump a midfielder to the turf before ripping the ball out.
Although Salisbury managed to score twice in the third period, CNU still held a 9-5 lead entering the final 15 minutes of regulation. Unfortunately, the Sea Gulls continued to attack in the fourth frame.
Early on, the visitors slapped two more tallies on the board to inch back within two. Despite the shift in momentum, the Captains stayed vigilant on the defensive end. Keverline laid out an attacker to force an early turnover before Rosacker added a takeaway check of his own. Then,
Armer Harrison got into the body of a Sea Gull and punched the ball out before Bellinger plucked it off the turf and spun out of traffic.
However, Salisbury eventually scored the squad's eighth goal to inch back within one with less than four minutes remaining in regulation.
After the Sea Gulls regained possession in the 58th minute, the visitors called for a timeout to set up a late rally. Following the stoppage, Rosacker blew up the play. The senior shadowed an attacker on a roll behind the crease. Eventually, Keverline slid in to add a little extra pressure before Rosacker connected on an over-the-head check to strip the player along the baseline.
Despite the defensive stand, Salisbury came back again and sank a game-tying goal with 23 seconds left on the clock.
With time remaining, CNU dug in on the ensuing faceoff. In the middle of a scrum, Giunchi battled hard to keep the ball on the turf before Rosacker punched it away from a Sea Gull. Eventually,
Mark Davison picked it up for a brief moment before it was dislodged again.
Bouncing down the field, the ball ended up in
Ryan Miller's stick with eight seconds to go. Working quickly, Miller split a double-team and tossed the ball to his brother, who launched it towards the cage. Unfortunately, it skipped past Smith and rolled into the right corner as the horn sounded.Â
In overtime, the Sea Gulls earned the first look, but CNU held tough. Keverline stayed close with a shooter in the right wing and forced a low-percentage jump shot, which Bellinger quickly corralled. After a successful clear, Fulkerson attempted to end the festivities with a rocket from long range, but Salisbury's keeper made the save.
Following the stop, the visitors flipped the field in less than 30 seconds before sinking a tracer in transition to lock up the league title.
Overall, Salisbury held a 35-27 lead in shots and won 13 of the game's 23 faceoffs. Meanwhile, CNU had a slim 35-34 advantage in ground balls, including four by Bellinger, Rosacker, and
Ryan Miller. Giunchi also secured three rollers while winning 10 faceoffs.
Christopher Newport will find out what comes next at 9 p.m. this evening with the NCAA Tournament selection show, which will air on NCAA.com.
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