Box Score

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Behind a pair of goals by Lauren Cheatham and another outstanding defensive effort, the sixth-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team rolled to its eighth straight victory with a 3-0 win over Eastern Mennonite on a steamy Saturday afternoon at Captains Turf Field.

During the game, Cheatham and Belle Tunstall continued to pace the CNU attack as the two standouts combined for all three goals. Shelby Judkins also added an assist during the contest, while Jordan Snider was the star on defense as the senior made two crucial stops to help seal the squad's fourth shutout of the year.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 8-0 on the season, which stands as the team's finest start in program history. Eastern Mennonite slips to 0-7 with Saturday's setback.

From the outset, the Captains controlled the game and made their presence felt in the EMU zone. During the first 10 minutes of action, the hosts unfurled six shots, but the visitors stopped every attempt, including five saves by Mary Beth Danaher. Later, after CNU clamped down on Eastern Mennonite's first penalty corner of the game, Christopher Newport finally broke through.

At the 15-minute mark, Cheatham took control of the ball and ripped a dart from the top of the circle. With a cluttered zone, Judkins zipped in and deflected the screamer before Tunstall added the final tip to send the rocket hurdling into the back of the cage for a quick 1-0 lead.

Staring at a one-goal deficit, the Royals mounted their best scoring opportunity of the first half. The visitors broke loose on the far side of the field with just over 17 minutes remaining in the period. On a bit of a jailbreak, Eastern Mennonite forced Bailey Lien to come out of the cage and pressure the ball. Still in control, the Royals momentarily got the ball behind Lien, but Alexa Hendrickson came sprinting in and cleared the roller just before any damage could be done.

After surviving the EMU surge, Christopher Newport turned to Cheatham, who quickly gave the hosts a little breathing room. In the 23rd minute of action, the sophomore secured the ball close to the end line on the near side of the field. With just a sliver of daylight and a tight angle, the Newport News native found enough space and punched home a bullet for CNU's second score of the game.

With a two-goal lead, the Captains refused to rest and continued to jab at the EMU defense. Although the visitors held up for a brief moment, including three more saves by Danaher, Cheatham made the play of the game. Once again, she went storming into the Eastern Mennonite zone with Royals in front of her. In a flash, she cut hard and sent the defenders spinning in nearly every direction. With some newfound wiggle room, she loaded up and blasted another rocket to the back of the cage for a 3-0 advantage just before halftime.

In the second period, Christopher Newport remained on the attack and continued to push the tempo. During the first 15 minutes of the half, the Captains kept the ball on Eastern Mennonite's side of the field, but the squad's six shots were all pushed aside by the Royals. Later, EMU orchestrated a bit of a run and unleashed its first on-target attempt of the game, but Lien was fresh and easily swatted the ball away.

With time running out, Eastern Mennonite refused to go down quietly and peppered the Captains with a slew of shots at the 60-minute mark. Unfazed, Snider was simply marvelous during the onslaught. Although the Royals found a few small openings, the senior slammed the door shut and used incredible stick work to make back-to-back defensive saves on a pair of tracers. Later, when Julie Collins regained her footing, the senior goalie batted away two more shots to keep the shutout intact.

After withstanding the EMU surge, Christopher Newport eased into the victory. The hosts eventually controlled the final eight minutes of play and refused to let the Royals have another shot at a comeback bid.

In the end, the Captains held a 34-6 edge in shots and a 14-7 lead in penalty corners. Danaher came through with 21 saves for the Royals, while Lien, Collins, and Savanah Cummings combined for three for CNU. Overall, the shutout marks the fourth of the season for the squad, which matches the total from all of last season.

Christopher Newport will return to action tomorrow when the squad heads to Randolph-Macon for a 2 p.m. showdown with the Yellow Jackets.

---CNU---