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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- With a pair of first half goals, including a 30-yard blast from junior Joy Piirto in the 18th minute, the Christopher Newport women's soccer team ran their win streak to five with a 2-0 victory over Salisbury University (7-5-2, 2-2-0). The CNU defense withstood a strong attacking effort from the Sea Gulls, improving to 10-2-1 overall with a perfect 4-0-0 mark in league play.

The Captains would spoil the return to Christopher Newport for Salisbury's head coach Kwame Lloyd, who coached at CNU from 2001-07. The Sea Gulls did outshoot the home team, 17-9, including an 8-5 advantage in shots on-goal, but it was the Captains who cashed in twice for the shutout victory. Salisbury burst out of the gates, earning three early corner kicks and a pair of shots on-goal that rookie goalkeeper Haley Casanova turned away. Christine Clark directed a header off a corner kick on frame, but a nice save by Casanova kept SU off the board.

The first goal came in the 18th minute on a clean up play by Piirto. CNU's forwards built a combination play down the left side, but the try was turned away by the Salisbury defense. The clear, though, bounced right to the feet of Piirto about 30 yards out. She took one touch toward the middle and then blistered a hard shot into the right side of the goal. The shot was just beyond the outstretched arms of Salisbury's starting keeper, Michelle Conrad. It was the first goal allowed by the Sea Gulls in four games, over nine halves of action and more than 425 minutes of game time. 

CNU would tack on a second goal just under 15 minutes later, in the 33rd minute of play. A hustle play by senior forward Bupe Okeowo extended a play for CNU when she beat her defender to the corner on a tremendous long switch pass by Emma O'Reilly. She turned back up field and after a touch by her defender, played a perfect cross into the box where rookie Victoria Perry corraled the first touch, taking contact from a Salisbury player, and then shot the ball right, just beyond through the hands of Conrad. It was her second goal of the season, giving CNU an insurance tally in the first half. 

With a two-goal lead, the Captains defense was challenged heavily in the second half. Salisbury amped up the pressure offensively and got a number of chances in the box. Early in the second stanza, Kelsey Thomas saved a shot off the goal line on a header by Shelby Lyon on a corner kick. It was the second corner in the first five minutes of the half as the Sea Gulls pressed for a score. Casanova came up with several key stops, including a gorgeous save in the 59th minute. Salisbury's leading scorer, rookie Lindsey Andonian, found herself free for a shot from just outside of the box. She laced a hard shot high in the center of the goal, where Casanova leaped and played the ball off her hands into the crossbar for a terrific save. 

Casanova made seven saves to ensure her sixth clean sheet, facing 17 shots in the game. The Captains picked up their seventh shutout of the season, lowering the team's goals against average to 0.68 on the season. 

The Captains will return to action this Saturday in their final home regular season game of the year, hosting York College (Pa.) at 2:00 pm in another key CAC matchup. Live stats will be available at CNUsports.com.