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SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Like many heavyweight matchups before it, the battle between the sixth-ranked Christopher Newport University Captains (4-1) and the fourth-ranked Trinity University Tigers (4-1-0) featured stellar moments from both corners. Unfortunately for the Captains, it was the home team that came out on top, as the Tigers escaped with a 5-3 win over CNU in the nationally-ranked showdown. 

The two teams traded punches all night, but it was the opening blow of three unanswered goals in the first half for Trinity that would be too much to overcome for the Captains. CNU outscored the Tigers, 3-2, in the second, but could not claw back even and suffered its first loss of the season. 

Sophomore midfielder Goncalo Santana and senior forward Johnny Lawson did most of the damage for Trinity, as the two each posted 5-point performances. The two players set each other up for a scoring strike in the first 22 minutes of action, getting out to an early lead. In the 35th minute, Zacharias Edholm put away a goal off an assist by Roberto Camargo to take a 3-0 lead headed into halftime. 

CNU was not without chances in the first half, as junior Ryan Balfour blistered a hard shot on frame in the 14th minute, and rookie Henry Gotay also tested the Trinity keeper in the 33rd minute, but Matt Cardone saved both chances for the Tigers. CNU held a 5-1 advantage in corner kicks in the opening stanza, but trailed Trinity in shot margin, 7-5. 

It would not take long into the second half for the potent Captains offense to get charged up. Just 1:58 into the second stanza sophomore Preston Key set up a scoring strike for classmate Harry Nodwell. It was the first of three CNU tallies in the second half, giving the Captains 12 second-half scores in the first five games this season. 

Trinity answered the first CNU goal, however, just minutes later as Santana assisted on a Tom Carwile goal to re-take a three-goal advantage. Just over four minutes of game clock later, the Captains converted on a penalty kick after a foul was called in the box against Trinity. Senior scoring leader Jalon Brown stepped up for the PK and drilled a dart past Cardone to make the score 4-2. 

With less than 20 minutes remaining, the teams traded goals with Santana again setting up Lawson in the 72nd minute and CNU senior Stephen Landry converting off a Sebastian Abrigo pass in the 75th minute. The offense continued to pressure the Trinity defense, taking 10 shots in the second half, including seven on-goal, but Cardone and the rest of the Trinity defense stood up for the 5-3 victory. 

Brown scored his fifth goal of the season with the penalty kick conversion, and continues to close in on 100 career points. The two-time All-American has now scored 37 career goals, good for fifth all-time at CNU, and has 98 career points, also fifth and just two shy of joining the top four as the only 100-point scorers in program history. He currently ranks third all-time in points per game (1.51) and fourth in goals per game (0.57). 

CNU will wrap up its trip to the Lone Star State this weekend, as they take on Southwestern University on Sunday, September 14. The game is scheduled for 12:00 pm (EST).