Strong Second and Third Quarters propel CNU over Marlins

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.-- The Virginia Wesleyan College men's lacrosse team was outscored 10-2 in the two middle quarters, which helped Christopher Newport University secure the 16-9 victory in a non-conference tilt.

The first quarter was tightly contested with VWC drawing first blood on an Evan Merrill goal. CNU responded at the 9:58 mark with an unassisted goal of their own, which came off the stick of Jay Gaffney. With the score tied at one, Josh Currier made big plays for the Marlins scoring two goals in less than two minutes and adding a third after a Captains' response. Christopher Newport would add a goal as time expired in the period with Matthew Crist finding the back of the net with zeroes on the board.

The second and third periods proved to be the turning point in this game as CNU went on an offensive barrage. After a Currier goal at the 13:10 mark in the second frame, the Captains turned it on with eight unanswered goals that spanned the intermission. Randy Foster and Ryan Mills provided the firepower with the former finding the net three times and latter twice.

The run the Captains' went on proved to be enough as Virginia Wesleyan could not cut the deficit to less than five goals the rest of the way.

Crist paced CNU (7-1) with four goals. Mills and Foster each found the back of the net three times with Mills adding two assists.

Currier led the way for the Marlins with six goals. Merrill, Trenton Gahm, and Cory Hilliard each added a goal.

Virginia Wesleyan (6-2/1-1) returns to action on Saturday at 1 p.m. for a conference battle with Bridgewater College (5-3/0-1).