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

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- After waiting 12 years as an independent program, the Christopher Newport field hockey team finally got to play their first league game on Saturday, as a member of the Capital Athletic Conference. On an overcast afternoon at Captains Turf Field, the ninth-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team was poised and determined to notch a win in their first ever conference game, and used five second-half goals to race past Frostburg State for a shutout win, 5-0.

CNU improved to 10-0, adding to their historic run to start a season, while the Bobcats fall to 4-6 overall. Leading the way in the historic win was senior Kelsey Clark, putting away three of the five goals for her first career hat trick. CNU scored all five goals in the span of just over 12 minutes in the second half, blowing by their new conference foes after a scoreless first frame.

Clark got the eventual gamewinner in the 40th minute of play, off an assist by Allie Hackbarth. The junior midfielder played a long pass from the right side of the field, directly across the goal mouth. Clark was open on the back post and slammed home the score for her first goal of the game. 

Just 1:18 of game time later, CNU tacked on another score. This time, Jordan Snider found Lauren Cheatham for a deflection in front of the keeper. Megan Grimm, who had nine saves in the first half, was unable to reach the deflection as Cheatham scored her team-high 11th goal of the season. 

Goal number three came just over two minutes later, as Hackbarth notched her second assist of the contest. After beating her defender on the goal line, she slipped a pass into the middle of the circle, where Belle Tunstall was ready for the shot. 

Clark completed her hat trick with two more goals in a six and a half minute span between the 46th and 52nd minute. Both tallies were unassisted, as she rebounded her own shot for the first goal, and then smashed a rocket rom the top of the circle into the right side of the goal for the fifth and final CNU score. 

Grimm finished the game with 15 saves, while the Bobcats added three defensive saves. Tiffany Weschler had two defensive saves to lead the way, while FSU managed just two shots on-goal in the game. Eleanor Vials and Jackie Best took one apiece, as they held up as the only two shots in the game for Frostburg. 

The CNU defense kept the Bobcats out of the circle for the majority of the game, as Shelby Judkins, Chelsea Hines and Snider led the defensive effort in front of goalkeeper Bailey Lien. The rookie netminder led the way in CNU's fifth shutout of the season, as Savanah Cummings came in to finish out the clean sheet. 

The 5-0 win on Saturday was the 12th time the two teams have faced off all-time, but the first as conference opponents. CNU improves to 11-1 all-time against the Bobcats, and 1-0 all-time in CAC play. 

The Captains return to action this Wednesday, October 2 with a big non-conference battle set against No. 13 Catholic University (5-2) at 6:00 pm.