Christopher Newport and Lynchburg split their two games against each other in the regular season, but on Saturday, Christopher Newport won the game that mattered most.

Like the Captains’ regular-season win over the Hornets, overtime was needed to decide the winner. It was Alex Brendes who found the back of the net in overtime, sending CNU to the NCAA Division III semifinals against Salisbury.

Brendes also put himself in the running for post-goal celebration of the year.

ALEX BRENDES WINNER.

ALEX BRENDES DEAD FISH. @CNULacrosse downs Lynchburg in the @NCAADIII quarters. pic.twitter.com/Is6fbe7fug

— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) May 22, 2021

Lacrosse is a game of runs, and CNU twice utilized 4-0 spurts to change the momentum. Down 6-2, a four-goal run between the end of the second and start of the third quarter tied the score at 6.

Then, after Ryan Kenney scored consecutive goals for Lynchburg, CNU ended the third quarter with three goals and scored the first tally of the fourth, going ahead 10-8.

Up 11-9, CNU relinquished the lead. Trammel Robinson scored the equalizer with 1:27 left to play, setting the stage for overtime. Despite the Lynchburg momentum, it was Christopher Newport that earned a semifinal bid.

Dylan Rice scored four goals, Brendes scored three and Coby Auslander had two goals and two assists for the Captains. Zac Hanway made 11 saves.

SALISBURY BLASTS ILLINOIS WESLEYAN

Cross Ferrara scored four goals and four players — Griffin Moroney, Isaac Thrasher, Josh Melton and Logan Posner — recorded hat tricks as Salisbury steamrolled Illinois Wesleyan 30-5.

The Sea Gulls led 11-0 after the first quarter and 20-1 at halftime.

Salisbury’s lone loss this season came to Lynchburg. The Sea Gulls have beaten Christopher Newport, their semifinal opponent, three times since April 3.

RIT REMAINS PERFECT

A feisty Colorado College team gave RIT a run in the first half, but the Tigers put together a better offensive performance in the second half to walk away with a 19-13 win in Rochester.

With the score tied at 7, Ryan Rosenblum scored with one second left in the second quarter, giving RIT an 8-7 lead heading into the break.

Colorado College eventually tied the score at 10, but RIT scored nine of the next 10 goals to full take control. John Mozrall’s goal with 3:15 left to play put the Tigers ahead 19-11.

RIT plays Tufts in the semifinals — a matchup that should be a lacrosse fan’s dream.

TUFTS ROLLS PAST YORK

Mac Bredahl scored five goals and two assists, Bryce Adam had four goals and three assists and Matt Treiber scored three goals as Tufts ripped 52 shots and defeated York 17-7. The Jumbos led 15-3 after a 7-0 third quarter.

It was the third quarter that truly put the game out of reach, even though an 8-3 lead at halftime already had York reeling. Bredahl and Adam each scored twice in the third period, with goals from Cam Kelleher, Jack Donohue and Sam Sturim rounding out the scoring.

Tufts and RIT, both undefeated with legitimate claims to the top ranking in the country, square off in the semis.