Box Score

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The seventh-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team used a late surge to take down Randolph-Macon as Sarah Miller and Josie Morgan both posted second-half goals, while Belle Tunstall registered her record-breaking 31st career assist to lead CNU to a 3-1 victory over the Yellow Jackets on a warm Wednesday evening at Captains Turf Field.

Following an early goal by Lauren Cheatham, which gave the Captains a 1-0 lead at halftime, Randolph-Macon was able to even the game at one before late strikes by Miller and Morgan put the game out-of-reach. Bailey Lien also contributed five saves for CNU, while Alexa Hendrickson notched a crucial defensive save to limit the R-MC attack.

During the game, Tunstall continued to rewrite the record books after recording an assist on the final goal of the game. With that helper, she moved past Haylie Black for the top spot on the program's career assists list with 31. It marked her second record-breaking effort of the week after eclipsing the career points mark on Sunday against Wittenberg.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 4-1 on the season. The setback drops Randolph-Macon to 0-3.

After finding themselves deadlocked at one following a goal by R-MC's Olivia Newman early in the second half, the Captain attack found its footing. Blasting the Yellow Jackets with several on-target shots, Randolph-Macon's Shannon McMurray stopped two before a bullet by Tunstall was illegally handled inside the arc, which resulted in a penalty stroke.

With a free shot, Miller stepped up to take the stroke and quickly converted after tucking a dart just inside the far corner of the cage to give CNU a 2-1 edge with just over 16 minutes remaining in regulation.

Looking for a little breathing room, the Captains continued their assault. The hosts bombarded the Randolph-Macon zone with four on-target shots, including three by Tunstall. Although the surge was stifled by the Yellow Jackets, crucial time ran off the clock before the visitors could mount a response.

With time on their side, the Captain defense settled in to stymie Randolph-Macon. Although the visitors were able to snap off four shots during a three-minute run, Christopher Newport never let any attempt see daylight. The back line of Miller, Hendrickson, and Mackenzie Neylon held tough, while Miranda Hept made a nice interception before clearing the ball to clamp down on another R-MC run.

Entering the waning moments of regulation, the Captains stung the Yellow Jackets with one final goal to seal the victory. With just under three minutes left on the clock, Lisa Murphy and Moira Wright made nice maneuvers to keep the ball in the Randolph-Macon zone before Tunstall took control just inside the arc. With some room to work, the senior blistered a centering pass through the zone to Morgan, who settled in on the near side of the cage. After collecting the pass, the freshman fired a one-timer for her first career goal to cap off the 3-1 triumph.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 19-12 advantage in shots and a 15-10 lead in corners.

The first half was also an action-packed period as both teams had multiple opportunities to light up the scoreboard. Lien was tested early but made two quick stops for the Captains before Randolph-Macon's Shannon McMurray tallied three saves during an eight-minute window. Later, the CNU defense withstood another swarm to keep the game scoreless.

In the middle of the period, the Yellow Jackets broke loose and unloaded a pair of on-target shots following a penalty corner. Fortunately, Christopher Newport held up against the attack. Lien stoned the first attempt before Hendrickson curled in along the far side of the cage and batted away the second shot with a gorgeous defensive save.

After the defense did its job, the CNU offense took over. With 14 minutes remaining in the opening stanza, Carol Thompson made a great move at the top of the arc before drilling the ball towards the cage. Cheatham, who settled in alongside the near post, made a quick adjustment and deflected the pass just enough to send it screaming into the back of the cage for a 1-0 lead.

Although the Captains continued to spray shots during the final minutes of the first period, Randolph-Macon was able to keep its deficit at one. Fortunately, despite an early second-half goal by the Yellow Jackets, CNU answered with a pair of bullets to cap off the non-conference victory.

Christopher Newport will return to action next Wednesday when the team heads to Harrisonburg, Virginia for a 4:30 showdown with Eastern Mennonite.

---CNU---