NEWPORT NEWS — The Christopher Newport men’s lacrosse team qualified for the NCAA Elite Eight on Saturday night in a game that featured an extended weather delay sandwiched between two waves of Captain offensive cavalcades.
As the final seconds of fourth-ranked CNU’s 17-12 victory over No. 7 Gettysburg College ticked, CNU coach Mikey Thomson could draw a sigh of relief, not just from the win, but from the added pressure of possibly having to extend the contest to a second day.
Instead, the Captains can relax and prepare for their quarterfinal. They will go to Salisbury, Maryland, for a 3 p.m. game Saturday against No. 6 Dickinson. The Red Devils ousted No. 20 Stevens of New Jersey 12-10 Sunday. The CNU-Dickinson winner will face the victor of the noon Saturday game between No. 2 Salisbury against No. 9 Washington and Lee.
The Bullets (13-5) came out hard. While defenders weren’t always in sync, Gettysburg displayed a brand of toughness that caught the hosts off guard.
CNU’s Andrew Cook opened the scoring with a spin move, but the visitors from Pennsylvania quickly answered with two goals. They showed an ability to move well in transition and show off their speed, which was doubly surprising in their second contest in 24 hours.
But the Captains (18-2) found their next gear, transforming a 2-2 tie into an 8-3 lead within an eight-minute span that crossed from the first into the second quarter. Alex Brendes was particularly on fire, scoring four goals in a 3-minute, 4-second span.
The game was put on hold after the second period as the threat of storms forced a delay. Fans were asked to seek shelter while the players headed for their locker rooms. The delay threatened to stall the Captains’ momentum as they led 10-5.
In spite of the mercurial conditions, which had the balance of completion swinging like a pendulum, an hour later, both teams retook the field, warmed up for five minutes, and went back to work.
It was the Captains who extended the storm. Two quick goals by their leading scorer Brett Jackson (62 for the season) were followed by a pair of Cook scores, and the Captains extended the lead to 15-6 at the end of the third quarter.
Brendes finished with five goals, and his three assists gave him a CNU postseason-record eight points. Jackson and Cook had four goals apiece, and Coby Auslander had three assists.
Warner Cabaniss’ 17 face-off victories and 11 ground balls established CNU records for an NCAA Tournament game, and goalkeeper Zac Hanway made eight saves.
