DANVILLE, Ky. – Caitlin Cahill drove home a pair of goals and Meghan Sullivan scored for the second straight day as the #17 ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team completed its opening weekend with a 5-3 victory over Centre at the South Campus Complex.

Cahill, who also scored yesterday in the season opener, tallied two goals in the early going to give the Captains a quick lead that they never relinquished. Sullivan also added her second score of the season to continue her offensive surge.

With the victory, CNU improves to 2-0, while Centre falls to 0-2.

Just four minutes into regulation, Cahill found an opening and fired a rocket into the back of the cage. With some early momentum, the squad stayed on the attack. Less than four minutes after she opened the scoring, Cahill uncorked her second shot of the contest. Fittingly, it found open spaces as well, giving the team a 2-0 lead with less than eight minutes expired from the clock.

With a quick advantage, CNU continued to pressure Centre, but goalie CeCe Lindsey pushed aside a pair of attempts while three other blasts went just wide during a five-minute span in the middle of the first half.

Continuing its relentless attack, CNU lit up the scoreboard once again with 19 minutes remaining in the opening period. After Marlene Lichty took a penalty corner, Sullivan swooped in and cleaned up with a shot past Lindsey for her second goal in as many days.

Staring at an early 3-0 deficit, Centre pieced together a response. Less than three minutes after surrendering Sullivan's goal, the Colonels answered. After withstanding a pair of shots and a penalty corner, the Captains could not quite corral a ball off the stick of Chelsea Klein, who cut CNU's lead down to two at 3-1.

After allowing their first goal of the season, the Captains fired right back. Although four straight CNU shots were brushed aside by the stingy Centre defense, the visitors eventually found another opening. In the waning moments of the first period, Taylor Young took a pass from Belle Tunstall and uncorked a laser to help the squad retake its three-goal lead at 4-1.

With a strong showing just before halftime, the Captains mirrored that effort after the break. Less than 30 seconds into the second half, Tunstall came through again as the sophomore standout roped a shot through the Centre defense for her first goal of the year and the squad's fifth of the contest.

Holding an impressive four-goal advantage, CNU withstood a quick surge by Centre, highlighted by a big save by Jamie Dowling. Later, after the Colonel defense stood up against a Captains' attack, the hosts broke through again to chip away at their deficit.

With just over 22 minutes remaining in regulation, Sydney White helped Centre pull back within three after depositing a pass from Erin Bacon in the back of the goal.

Still holding a comfortable lead at 5-2, the Captains continued to test the Colonel defense. Kelsey Clark roped two shots and Lichty put one on goal, but Lindsey held tough and posted a pair of saves to keep CNU off the board.

As the clock ticked down in the second half, Centre pieced together one last run with five minutes left. After taking a pass from Barbara Parks, Courtney Kuiper found a little room and tossed a shot past the Captains to cut the Colonels' deficit down to two at 5-3.

Despite the late Centre surge, CNU never wavered. Eventually, the squad moved the ball back into the Colonel zone and ran out the clock to secure the two-goal victory.

Dowling finished with a pair of saves for the Captains, while Lindsey had eight for Centre. Overall, CNU out-shot the Colonels, 30-12, and held a 15-10 advantage in penalty corners.

Christopher Newport will be back in action on September 6 when the Captains take on #4 Salisbury at 6 p.m. in Maryland.

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