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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- On the second day of the 11th Annual Joe Pombriant/CNU Classic, the cross-water rivals from Virginia Wesleyan College nipped the Captains, 3-2, for their first loss of the season. Christopher Newport falls to 1-1 while the Marlins improve to 2-0 to start the year. 



Virginia Wesleyan never trailed, scoring the first goal of the game in the 28th minute of action. Chris Luce sent a perfect corner kick into the box, flicked across the goal mouth by Josh Richardson, where Brian Cornell put it away for the goal. Then, in the 55th minute, a hustle play by Travis Walke gave the Marlins a two-goal edge. After CNU played the ball back to goalkeeper Nolan Mann, the sophomore couldn't let loose the clearance fast enough, as Walke sprinted to intercept the attempt. The ball glanced off his chest and into the back of the goal for the score. 



CNU got on the board just moments later, cutting the lead in half and breathing life into the CNU faithful. Sophomore Ryan Balfour found himself loose on the right side, streaking up the middle of the field before unleashing a hard low shot into the right side of the goal. The tally came just 51 seconds after the Va. Wesleyan score, and cut the lead to one with 30 minutes remaining in the game. 



The Captains offense continued to apply pressure to the VWC defense, but it was the Marlins that extended the lead back to two in the 75th minute. Jonathan Burke split CNU's defense and Kyle Fisher collected a deflection, firing a shot past Mann on his first touch for the 3-1 lead. 



Again it was just a minute later when CNU responded with another goal. Jalon Brown took a corner kick from the right side in the 76th minute, finding the head of Tommy O'Neal for his first goal of the season. It was Brown's fifth point of the young season after scoring two goals in the opener Friday night. O'Neal notched his third career goal with the header. 



CNU outshot the Marlins, 19-15, including a 9-7 advantage on-goal, but Marlins keeper Connor Kirkham saved seven shots to hold on for the win. Mann made four saves for the Captains, allowing three goals. 



The Captains hit the road for a long stretch now, with their next five games away from Captains Field over the next three weeks. CNU takes on Ohio Wesleyan and Capital in the Adidas Invitational next weekend, hosted by OWU.