No. 4 Christopher Newport men's lacrosse storms past No. 7 Gettysburg, 17-12, in third round of NCAA Tournament

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Behind a five-goal outburst from Alex Brendes, the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team put its high-powered attack on full display as the Captains stormed past No. 7 Gettysburg, 17-12, during the third round of the NCAA Tournament on a rain-soaked Saturday evening at Jennings Family Stadium.

Overcoming an hour-long lightning delay in the middle of the contest, the Captains never lost their rhythm throughout the 60-minute showcase. Headlining the attack, Brendes finished with eight total points, which marked the most in an NCAA Tournament game in program history. Equally lethal, Andrew Cook and Brett Jackson both deposited four goals apiece, while Coby Auslander handed out three assists.

Along with the offensive standouts, Warner Cabaniss controlled possession while winning 17 of his 24 faceoff attempts. Overall, his 17 total victories and 11 ground balls established new program records for an NCAA Tournament game. 

Meanwhile, on the back end, Christopher Newport forced 14 turnovers during the showdown. Leading the way, Burke Widhelm had three takeaways to go along with a 60-yard strike that beat a 10-man ride in the second quarter. Campbell Pozin also contributed two strips and three ground balls during a gutsy performance by the short-stick specialist.

With the victory, the Captains improved to 18-2 and locked up a berth in next week's NCAA Quarterfinals. The team will take on the winner of Sunday's third-round bout between Stevens and No. 7 Dickinson. The time and location of Christopher Newport's next contest will be determined after all of this weekend's action has concluded.

Right out of the gate, the Captains set the tone on both ends of the field on Saturday. During Gettysburg's initial push, Ryan Young de-sticked a midfielder with a vicious check. Eventually, Aidan FitzGerald sorted through the carnage, collected the ball, and kicked off a successful clear.

Taking advantage of the ensuing possession, Cook battled through a double-team at the top of the zone before rolling to his right and firing a long-range rocket for the game's first goal.

Although the Bullets fought back and hung two straight tallies on the board, Christopher Newport had an emphatic answer. Following a timeout, Jackson absolutely torched the back of the net with a lightning bolt off a flip from Auslander. Later, Cook barely had an angle on the left side of the turf but still managed to spin a shot into the top left corner of the cage.

Following another goal by Gettysburg, which knotted the game at three, the Captains took control in the final minute of the opening period. During a man-up situation, Drew Miller laced a long skip pass over the cage to Brendes, who drove home his first goal. Then, just over 50 seconds later, the senior star came back for another tally after sinking a turnaround tracer following a sprint from the end line.

Holding a 5-3 edge entering the second quarter, Brendes continued his domination. Just two minutes into the period, he came charging in from the left wing before going airborne over the crease. Flying past two defenders and the keeper, he eventually landed a midair missile before crashing back down on the turf.

Less than a minute later, he converted his fourth straight goal after firing a dart from the left side.

After showcasing his finishing skills, Brendes served as the facilitator on Christopher Newport's eighth goal. Pushing in from the top of the zone, he shuffled a feed over to Miller, who quickly gave the hosts an 8-3 lead in the 18th minute.

Just as effective on the defensive side, Pozin found himself isolated against an attacker on the left wing. Taking advantage of the situation, he stood face-to-face with the Bullet before picking his pockets with a stick-check to end the threat. Moments later, after the man-down unit took the field following a penalty on the Captains, Widhelm made his mark on the offensive end.

Following a faceoff victory by Cabaniss, the hosts retreated while setting up a clear attempt. Eventually, Widhelm collected the ball while facing a 10-man ride. With the keeper out of the cage, the senior took his shot. After facing slight pressure in the left corner of the defensive end, he pulled up around the restraining line and fired a 60-yard seed into the back of the cage for his first goal of the season.

Moments later, following back-to-back saves by Zac Hanway, Jackson put the finishing touches on the first half with another scorcher to secure a 10-5 lead entering halftime.

Although the mid-game break was extended for over an hour after a lightning storm rolled through the area, Christopher Newport came out reenergized in the second half. First, on the defensive end, Hanway slipped out of the cage and intercepted a pass along the right pipe. Then, Aidan Wheeler jumped into a passing lane and picked off a feed on a failed clear attempt.

After pushing back against Gettysburg's early advances, Jackson took over with two straight goals. His second tally came on a fast break as Pozin pushed the tempo before handing possession over to Brendes, who sliced an assist through multiple defenders.

Continuing the assault in transition, AJ Rosacker faced heavy pressure from two Bullets after crossing midfield on a clear. Keeping his wits, the freshman remained in control as Gettysburg attempted to force him into an over-and-back turnover. Eventually, he toed the line and dished a feed to Cook, who stormed up the field before unleashing a rocket on the run, which gave the hosts a 13-5 advantage.

Following Gettysburg's sixth goal, Christopher Newport tossed two late strikes on the board. First, with the shot clock winding down, Miller connected with Cook, who unleashed a step-down screamer just under the crossbar. Then, with less than 30 seconds left in the period, Robby Adams landed a dagger on the doorstep to snatch a 15-6 lead.

With a little luck on their side, the Captains capitalized on a perfect deflection early in the fourth quarter. Firing a pass through heavy traffic, Cook saw his feed deflect off Auslander's stick before finding its way to Adams on the right side of the field. Snagging the ricochet, the senior quickly snapped off his second straight strike.

Pulling away, Christopher Newport eventually eased into the victory. On the defensive side, Rosacker killed off a clear attempt after pinning a midfielder against the right sideline, while Brendes chopped down on the stick of a defender, which forced a pass to sail out of bounds. Later, Widhelm broke up a play with an interception along the crease before Ryan Almassian used a trail-check to regain possession after a faceoff win by the visitors.

With little left to prove, Brendes capped off the evening by circling through four defenders on a run from the right corner before scoring on the interior for his fifth and final goal.

Overall, the Captains held a 38-37 lead in shots and a 37-29 advantage in ground balls. Jackson, FitzGerald, Pozin, and Brandon Young all pocketed three rollers apiece, while Hanway added a pair to go along with eight saves.