NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Orchestrating one of the squad's finest performances of the season, the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team stormed past No. 16 Lynchburg, 22-10, during the third round of the NCAA Tournament on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon at Jennings Family Stadium.
Unloading on the opposition, CNU bolted out to a 15-4 lead at halftime and never looked back. Headlining the assault, Brett Jackson sank seven goals, which equaled the fifth-highest total in program history and marked the finest effort by a Captain in the national playoffs.
Along with Jackson, Miller continued to rewrite the record books. The second-year sensation collected eight points, including six assists. His six helpers tied the fourth-most in a single game in school history and established a new postseason record. Meanwhile, he finished the day with 110 total points this season. That also set a new single-season standard, breaking the old mark of 105 by former All-American Dylan Rice in 2022.
In addition to his record-setting point total, Miller wrapped up the day with 78 assists. That moved him to 11th on the all-time Division III single-season charts.
Rounding out his historic effort, Miller secured his 100th career assist during Sunday's showdown. He became just the fourth Captain to reach that plateau, joining former legends Matt Crist and Coby Auslander as well as his older brother, Drew, who punctuated his career with 125 assists last season.
Along with the record-setting duo, Jamie Smith deposited five goals, while Joey Fantinato posted his first collegiate hat-trick. Jackson Platner also set a new career-high with four assists.
On the defensive side, Mason Bellinger collected 10 saves in 45 minutes of work. The junior goalie also notched a pair of takeaways and added his fourth assist of the season with a Hail-Mary heave to beat a 10-man ride in the third quarter.
With the victory, Christopher Newport improved to 18-3 on the season and advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals for the fifth straight season. The Captains will return to action next Saturday with a showdown against No. 8 Bowdoin in Medford, Massachusetts.
On the other side, Lynchburg finished the 2025 campaign with a 14-7 record.
In the early going of Sunday's tilt, the two squads traded the first six goals. For the Captains, Fantinato landed a pair of early blows, including a jump-shot from the left wing after steaming past a defender at the top of the zone. Jackson also kicked off his day with a cross-body bullet that kissed the right post on the way to a 3-3 deadlock.
After that point, Christopher Newport took control as Smith went on a four-goal heater to wrap up the opening period. The junior juggernaut kicked off his streak with a well-timed tracer. Securing a flip from Platner, he loaded up in the left alley. Although Ethan Slusher was stationed directly in the danger zone with his back to Smith, he ducked just as the shot buzzed over his head and tucked itself into the back of the cage.
From there, Smith took over. Continuing his onslaught, he whistled a missile from the left wing, dodged a long-pole while sinking a worm-burner, and snapped off a screamer through the goalie's five-hole for a 7-3 lead.
Meanwhile, on the defensive side, Brett Kelley dumped a Hornet with a quick close-out at the top of the zone, while AJ Rosacker dislodged the ball from the stick of a shooter with a violent takeaway check. Bellinger also picked off a failed clear to go along with four early saves to keep Lynchburg at bay.
In the second quarter, the defense was nearly perfect as Christopher Newport held the visitors scoreless for the first 12 minutes while flipping a four-goal edge into a 12-goal advantage. Once again, Kelley was in the middle of the action as he stunted a surge in the right alley while stripping a streaker. Shortly thereafter, Mark Davison picked off a feed and saved a lengthy roller from slipping over the baseline with a slick, hockey flick around two attackers in the left corner.
On the opposite side, the Captains put together a remarkable run while pulling away from Lynchburg. At the forefront, Miller scored his first goal after dunking over the keeper during a man-up situation. Moments later, he found Will Cramp sprinting down the center of the turf for his third assist of the contest.
After Jackson came back with a long-range rocket and Fantinato punctuated his hat-trick with a laser from the left side, CNU kept the momentum with one of the more incredible sequences of the season.
Following Fantinato's goal, Grant Giunchi took the ensuing faceoff and held a clamp for 40 seconds during a lengthy battle that brought the crowd to its feet. Eventually, he popped the ball loose, but a Hornet managed to win the scramble for the roller before tossing it back to Lynchburg's goalie in the hopes of starting a successful clear.
Putting a wrench in those plans, Miller raced back towards the crease and applied pressure to the goalie and a defender. Battling a pair of Hornets by himself, he forced a loose ball and got his stick on the bouncer before launching it back into the air. Joining the fray, Smith stormed in, snatched the floater out of the sky, twisted around the keeper, and landed a blow on the doorstep, which sent CNU's sideline into a full-out frenzy.
Holding a 12-3 lead midway through the period, the hosts quickly gained a double-digit edge as Jackson uncorked three goals in a three-minute span, including a rare right-handed rip that gave Christopher Newport a 15-3 cushion.
Although the Hornets finally broke their dry spell with a goal at the end of the period, Jackson continued his one-man masterpiece after the break. In the third quarter, the Captains faced an early 10-man ride, but Bellinger beat the pressure with a 70-yard seed to Jackson. Catching the pass in the right corner, the senior All-American cut around the keeper and scored an empty-net tally.
Moments later, he came back with his seventh strike of the contest after snapping a sidewinder around a defender in the right alley.
Following Jackson's surge, Miller took advantage of a screen by Fantinato to wiggle free on the way to his second goal. Then, he dropped a looper down low to Logan Shassian, who rifled on the interior for a 19-6 lead.
Marching towards the end of the third quarter, John Santoro found his stroke with a pair of goals during a 60-second showcase. Kicking things off, he wrapped a backhand shot around the legs of the keeper while toeing the crease. Then, he unloaded a low-to-low liner from the top of the zone, which pushed the score to 21-8 entering the fourth quarter.
With little left to prove, Christopher Newport put its defense on display over the final 15 minutes. Taking over in the cage, Declan McCulloch made three straight saves, while Garrett Bralley and Jack Wheatley pinched off a shooter along the left post. Later, the two defensemen both blocked blasts as Bralley jumped into a shooting lane and turned away a rip from the right side, while Wheatley ate a wicked one-timer but recovered to grab the ground ball and start a clear.
Later, Jed Pellicano stole a shot right out of the stick of a Hornet before Whealtey and Bralley joined forces on one last takeaway along the crease.
In addition to their work on the back end, two long-poles also teamed up on Christopher Newport's final goal. At the end of regulation, Bralley dropped a 40-yard dime to Caden Cunningham on a successful clear. Looking for his first career goal, Cunningham buried a dagger into the top left corner of the cage to wrap up the scoring.
With that goal, Cunningham became the 39th different player with at least one point this season, making the 2025 Captains the most well-balanced squad in school history. Previously, the 2022 team boasted the most diverse attack with 38 unique point-scorers.
Overall, Christopher Newport held a 46-34 advantage in shots and a 45-23 lead in ground balls on Sunday. The Captains also won 21 of the game's 35 faceoffs, including a 13-for-20 performance by Warner Cabaniss. The three-time All-American hauled in nine ground balls, while Giunchi finished with five. During the game, Ryan Almassian notched his first career faceoff win as well.
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