Live Broadcast // Live Stats

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The fifth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team will kick off the NCAA Tournament on Saturday at noon when the Captains host Pfeiffer in a second-round battle at Jennings Family Stadium.

Entering the national playoffs, CNU sits at 16-3 on the season, including 11-1 at home. Meanwhile, Pfeiffer is 16-2 with a 6-0 mark on the road.

In addition to the battle between the Captains and Falcons, Jennings Family Stadium will also host a second-round showdown between No. 7 Gettysburg and No. 13 Washington and Lee, which will take place on Saturday at 3 p.m. The winners will return on Sunday for a third-round match-up at 3 p.m. 

Single-day tickets for this weekend's action will be $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. CNU students will be admitted free of charge with a university ID. All tickets can be purchased with cash only at the stadium beginning one hour prior to the start of the game.

For those fans unable to attend this weekend, Christopher Newport will provide a broadcast of all three contests with Jake Myers and Randy Foster calling Saturday's action before Myers and Andy McGregor handle Sunday's tilt. Live stats will also be available at NCAA.com. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the schedule page.

CNU is making its sixth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Captains have advanced to the Elite Eight during each of their past five trips, including Final Four runs in 2021 and 2023. Christopher Newport is one of only three programs in the nation that has advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals during each of the last five years, joining perennial powers Tufts and RIT.

This year also marks the fifth straight season during which CNU has hosted at least one game in the NCAA Tournament. Overall, the Captains are 8-1 at home during the national playoffs, including wins over Grove City and Lynchburg during last year's postseason.

So far this season, Jamie Smith ranks second in the NCAA with 78 goals. That is just six shy of matching his own school record, which he set last spring. The senior All-American is also only 10 points away from reaching 100 for the season. He would join current teammate Kevin Miller and former standouts Dylan Rice and Andrew Cook as the only Captains to reach that benchmark in a single campaign.

Meanwhile, Miller is also on the cusp of his own history. The junior ranks fourth in the NCAA with 65 assists and 17th nationally with 94 points. He could become the first Captain to hit the century mark twice after he established the school's single-season points record with 115 last spring.

Equally impressive, Ryan Miller is also inching towards his own record-setting performance. The first-year phenom has 72 points this season, which is just three shy of matching Dylan Rice's freshman record of 75 set in 2018.

On the defensive end, Brett Kelley ranks first in the Coastal Lacrosse Conference with 44 caused turnovers. He could become just the fourth Captain to record 50 in a single season. Previously, Phoenix Hines and Max Wayne hit that mark twice, while Brandon Moloney accomplished the feat once.

Along with Kelley, Colin DeGrassi has been a centerpiece on CNU's back line throughout his time with the Captains. The senior defenseman has started 57 consecutive games since cracking the lineup for the first time on March 15, 2024. With one more start, he would pass longtime legend Ryan Young for the second-longest Iron Man streak by a defenseman in program history. Young also started 57 straight during his reign from 2021-24.

Overall, DeGrassi's streak is currently tied for the sixth-longest by any player in program history and only trails Max Wayne's 84-game run among defensemen.

Aided by the work of the back line, Christopher Newport currently ranks second in the nation in takeaways-per-game with a remarkable 15.58 average. That also stands as the third-highest rate in program history. Additionally, CNU is eighth nationally in clearing percentage (.903), while Mason Bellinger is 10th in the NCAA with a stellar .606 save percentage.

Pfeiffer is making its fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament after winning the USA South Athletic Conference championship. The Falcons earned their spot in Saturday's game after knocking off Transylvania, 15-8, in a first-round tilt on Wednesday. During that contest, the squad never trailed after scoring the first five goals of the game. Tiger Hopkins led the victors with four points, while Korbin Hamilton hauled in 17 saves.

Entering the weekend, Pfeiffer has won 13 consecutive games, which is the third-longest active run in the NCAA. Boasting a potent attack, the Falcons rank second in the nation in scoring offense with a 19.28 goals-per-game rate. The team is also averaging 13.56 assists per contest, which is the highest mark in the country. Additionally, the squad sits second nationally in man-up offense (.570), third in shooting percentage (.375), and 11th in caused turnovers per game (12.94).

On an individual level, Ethan Miles is fifth in the NCAA with 111 points, which is also seven shy of the program's all-time single-season record of 118 set by Jared Nelson in 2021. He also slots ninth nationally with 57 assists. Meanwhile, Tiger Hopkins is 11th in the country with 98 points, and Dylan Sullivan is third on the squad with 90. Pfeiffer is the only program in the nation with three 90-point scorers this year.

Along with the offensive standouts, Korbin Hamilton boasts a .619 save percentage and 8.96 goals-against-average, while Michael Keane has a team-high 40 caused turnovers. As a team, the Falcons also have a .612 faceoff percentage this spring. Lee Caldwell leads the squad with a .697 mark after winning 138 of his 198 attempts.

Saturday's meeting will be the first ever match-up between CNU and Pfeiffer in men's lacrosse.

---ISH---