OTTAWA — After wrapping up an All-American career in the spring, former Christopher Newport men’s lacrosse legend Coby Auslander signed with the National Lacrosse League’s Ottawa Black Bears, who will begin their inaugural NLL campaign in December.
Auslander inked a two-year deal with the Black Bears, who relocated to Ottawa following a five-year run as the New York Riptide. The organization competes in the prestigious NLL, which is a professional box lacrosse league in North America featuring 15 teams in the United States and Canada.
Ottawa will play its home games at the Canadian Tire Centre, which also serves as the home of the National Hockey League’s Ottawa Senators.
Auslander was previously drafted by the organization in the fifth round of the NLL Entry Draft last September.
Polishing off a five-year run with the Captains in the spring, Auslander finished his career as one of the nation’s elite play-making midfielders. During his tenure, he handed out 161 assists, which placed him in the top-30 in Division III history and established a new program record. The Pennington, New Jersey native also landed 104 goals, becoming just the third player in program history to register at least 100 career assists and strikes.
Stockpiling awards throughout his career, he earned All-American honors during each of his final three campaigns, including first-team accolades from the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association in 2022. Additionally, he was a three-time All-Conference, All-State, and All-Region selection.
In addition to his record-setting assist total, Auslander wrapped up his tenure ranked fourth in school history with 265 points and fifth with 79 starts. He also owns the program’s top-two single-season assist marks, including a program-best 54 helpers in 2023. Meanwhile, his seven assists against Catholic on March 4, 2023 tied the single-game school standard.
Incredibly consistent throughout his career, he contributed at least one point in 77 of his 80 appearances, including 61 straight outings from April 20, 2021 through March 30, 2024. That marked the longest scoring streak in school history.
Auslander’s tenure coincided with the most successful stretch in the history of the Christopher Newport men’s lacrosse program. From 2020-24, the Captains compiled a 71-18 record, including four trips to the NCAA Tournament and Final Four appearances in 2021 and 2023.
