Box Score

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Shelby Judkins scored a pair of goals and anchored a stifling defensive effort as the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team claimed its first Capital Athletic Conference regular season championship with a 4-1 victory over No. 10 Mary Washington on Wednesday evening at the Battleground Athletic Complex.

The win not only caps off a perfect regular season for the Captains but also ensures that they will have home field advantage throughout the upcoming CAC Tournament. CNU now stands at 18-0 overall and wraps up its first-ever league slate with a pristine 6-0 mark. The victory also extends Christopher Newport's program-record winning streak to 18, which stands as the longest active roll at any level in the NCAA.

Mary Washington, who entered the game looking to claim a share of the regular season title, now sits at 15-2 overall with a 4-2 record in conference action. The Eagles will enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the CAC Tournament, while Salisbury earned the second spot.

Just hours after finding out that she was selected to participate in the NFHCA Senior All-Star game, Judkins showed why she earned her spot with a breathtaking performance against Mary Washington. Playing all 70 minutes, she came through with two of the team's four goals and anchored the back line, which limited the Eagles to only nine shots.

Along with Judkins, Jordan Snider drove home the first goal of the contest, while Allie Hackbarth added a gorgeous floater in the second half to give the Captains some extra breathing room. Bailey Lien picked up the victory after coming through with three saves.

In the early going, CNU controlled the tempo but Mary Washington pieced together a quick run. On the play, several Eagles scooted into open spaces, but Judkins stepped up and momentarily halted the surge with a nice stand at the top of the circle. Later, after UMW was able to keep the roller in the CNU zone, Chelsea Hines cleaned up on the far side and cleared the ball, which sent the Captains streaking down the field.

After settling in on the Mary Washington end, Christopher Newport ambushed the Eagle defense. Following a penalty corner, Lauren Cheatham and Marlene Lichty both ripped shots that were kicked aside. Unfazed, Snider kept the assault going and corralled a rebound before blasting a dart through the defense to give CNU a quick 1-0 lead just seven minutes into the stanza.

Still on the attack, the Captains continued to pressure the Mary Washington defense and unloaded three on-target shots during a 30-second spurt. Later, after Alexa Hendrickson cut off a pair of Eagle runs to keep the ball in the CNU zone, the visitors earned a penalty corner. Unfortunately, the ensuing pass went awry and set up another UMW surge.

After taking the long feed, Mary Washington broke into the Captain zone and uncorked a shot, but Lien clamped down and made her first save. Snider also provided some helpful back-up at the mouth of the cage to clean up the surge at 12:30.

After surviving Mary Washington's best scoring opportunity of the half, Christopher Newport's offense went back to work. Keeping the ball in the Eagle zone, the Captains extended their lead at 25:37 following another rebound. This time, Snider punched the initial bullet before Judkins knocked home the second chance from the far side of the cage to give the squad a little cushion entering halftime.

Following the break, the Eagles found a second wind and struck early in the period. After a pair of penalty corners, Kathleen Namey snuck a shot through the Captain defense to whittle the hosts' deficit back down to one at 2-1. Unimpressed, Christopher Newport responded and snatched back the momentum.

Regaining control of the tempo, CNU tested the Eagles with a slew of shots. Although UMW withstood the attack for a brief period, Judkins soon landed another blow. Following the same script that worked to perfection on the second goal, Snider slapped a shot before Judkins swooped in and crushed the rebound at 48:49 to retake a two-goal lead at 3-1.

With time winding down, Mary Washington amped up the pressure and orchestrated a pair of runs, but the CNU defense held it together. Lien kicked away a pair of shots, Hackbarth cut off a streak at the 50-minute mark, and Judkins continued to clear the zone while anchoring the back line defense to keep the Eagles from pulling any closer.

Finally, after withstanding the surge, Hackbarth added the final nail at 59:10. Following her nice work on the defensive end, she took control of the ball on the far side of the field. With a quick flick, she sent a sailing aerial that dropped in over the defense and landed perfectly in the corner of the cage for a 4-1 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining in regulation.

Although the Eagles pieced together a few scoring opportunities in the waning moments of the game, the hosts could never convert. Eventually, after excellent work by the back line, Lichty cleared the ball twice during the final minutes to keep Mary Washington at bay and seal the victory.

During the contest, CNU held a 17-9 lead in shots and a slim 12-11 edge in penalty corners. Emily Badis made nine saves for the Eagles, while Lien had three for the Captains.

With the regular season championship, Christopher Newport earned a bye in the playoffs and will return to action on Wednesday when the squad hosts the semifinals of the CAC Tournament.

---CNU---