Box Score
Box Score in HTML Format
Box Score in PDF Format

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Christopher Newport collected its fourth straight win tonight, dropping Lynchburg College (3-3-1) in a 3-1 final. CNU improves to 5-2-1 overall this season, led by Caleb Lewis. The senior midfielder scored the gamewinner in the 66th minute, and added two assists in the game, factoring into all three scores for CNU. 

Lewis wasted no time getting CNU on the board against the Hornets, setting up the first scoring strike just 1:41 into the game. The Captains offense rushed the Lynchburg back line from the opening whistle, earning a corner kick after just over a minute of play. Lewis stepped up and sent a nice cross into the box, where sophomore Ryan Balfour got the first touch on-goal, pounding a shot off the bottom of the crossbar and into the goal. 

With a 1-0 lead early into the match, CNU continued to pressure Lynchburg's starting keeper Jonathan Sheffield. The Captains took seven shots in the first half, putting four on-goal. It was the Hornets, though, that broke through next in the 39th minute on just their third shot of the game. The goal also came off a corner kick, as the ball bounced once in the box before the CNU defense could get to it, allowing Ben Grossfuss to send a low line drive under the outstretched hands of CNU senior goalkeeper Sean Killion. Tim Clancy earned an assist on the goal after taking the corner. 

CNU would withstand more late pressure from the Hornets to head into halftime with a 1-1 tie, goals bookending the opening stanza from each team. Sheffield made three saves in the opening stanza, while Killion stopped the only other chance on-goal for Lynchburg. 

In the second half, CNU again burst out with energy at the whistle, forcing Sheffield to make a couple more stops. In the 66th minute, though, Lewis would not be denied the eventual gamewinner. After winning a 50-50 ball in the top of the box on the left side, he had just one defender to beat for an open look at goal. The Mechanicsville native made one move and then blistered a hard, wobbling line drive into the upper ninety for his first goal of the season. 

Though that score would hold up as the gamewinner, CNU tacked on a late insurance goal in the 85th minute of play. With precision passing in the box, CNU put together a beautiful play started by Jalon Brown. The Captains' leading scorer slipped a through ball to Lewis, who split a pair of defenders and shuffled a pass to the right side where rookie Preston Key was open for the look on-goal. He smoked a hard shot into the left side for his first goal of the year. 

Sheffield had seven saves in goal for Lynchburg, with four stops in the second half. Killion was relatively untested aside from the one corner kick goal, forced to make just one save in the game as the CNU defense had another stellar performance. Zack Hopkins, Tommy O'Neal, Charlie Dodge and Sean Christein led an effort that held Lynchburg to just two shots on-goal. CNU outshot the Hornets, 15-6, in the game. 

Offensively, Lewis' four-point performance led the way, coming on a four-shot effort with two on-frame. Brown added three shots, all on target. 

CNU will remain at home for their next two contests, including their first ever game as a member of the Capital Athletic Conference set for this Saturday, September 28; CNU will host Wesley College at 7:00 pm.