FERRUM, Va. -- Senior Belle Tunstall posted two goals and a pair of assists, while the CNU defense allowed just three shots all day as the 12th-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team rolled past Ferrum, 6-0, during a non-conference tilt on Friday afternoon at Penn-Roediger Field.

During the contest, Tunstall paced the Captains with six points, including a pair of goals. With the two scores, she moved into sole possession of third-place on the program's all-time goals list. The fourth-year standout is now just two away from matching Wendy Wilson's career mark of 41.

Along with Tunstall, four other players also found the back of the cage for CNU. Allie Hackbarth opened the scoring with a strike late in the first half. Following the break, Carol Thompson, Samantha Snider, and Madison Doss all added goals for the Captains.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 6-2 on the season. The setback drops Ferrum to 1-7.

From the outset, the Captains controlled the tempo and set the tone. CNU rarely let the ball slip past midfield as the defense smothered the Panthers. Hackbarth and Alexa Weaver were tremendous in the early part of the game as the two sealed off the far side of the field and kept the ball in the FC zone with several interceptions.

Although the defense clamped down, the offensive attack could not quite find its rhythm in the early going. Despite seven shots during the opening part of the period, the visitors came away empty-handed as Ferrum's Alexis Atkinson looked steady between the pipes. Still on the attack, Tunstall showed off unbelievable stick skills during an exciting stretch in the middle of the period.

The senior drove into the circle and controlled the ball with an acrobatic display. She dodged the defense and spun around a host of Panthers in front of the cage before snapping off a shot that sailed just wide with 20 minutes left in the half. Later, she returned to the scene during a corner attempt and sent another defender spiraling out of her way after a hard cut in the center of the zone. Unfortunately, the hosts were able to escape unscathed once again.

Near misses continued to dot the first half as Hackbarth floated a teardrop from the top of the arc that was batted away by Atkinson. Shortly thereafter, Riley Keeter tried to deflect a solid feed from Tunstall during a two-on-one situation, but the ball just caught the side of the cage to keep the game scoreless in the waning moments of the opening period.

Finally, following a corner attempt with two minutes left, the Captains found some daylight. After Alexa Hendrickson inserted the ball from the end line, Tunstall took control at the top of the arc. With some room on the near side of the field, she curled and cleared some space before dishing back to Hackbarth. In a flash, Hackbarth took the roller and blistered a one-timer through the Ferrum defense to give CNU a 1-0 lead entering halftime.

After coming close on a slew of attempts in the first half, Christopher Newport was able to break the game open early in the second period. Five minutes into the frame, Tunstall rolled to the near side of the field and drilled a perfectly-angled shot that caught the far corner of the cage and rattled home for a 2-0 edge. Less than 30 seconds later, the senior served as a facilitator as she sent a pass to Thompson, who settled in on the doorstep and punched a one-timer to snatch a 3-0 advantage.

With the floodgates starting to open, Tunstall continued her assault nine minutes later. Hackbarth floated another rainbow towards the goal, but the ball was swatted away. With a second chance, she took control of the rebound and laced a shot back towards the cage. Although Ferrum was able to withstand that blast as well, Hendrickson quickly corralled the roller and sent a gorgeous feed across the zone to Tunstall, who deflected the ball into the back of the cage for her second score of the game.

Leading 4-0, Christopher Newport stretched its advantage to five with another quick strike at the 55-minute mark. This time, Snider and Miranda Hept teamed up on the goal. Shortly after a corner, Hept tossed a rope through the zone to Snider, who smacked home her first career goal.

With the game out-of-reach, the Captains added the final nail with just over a minute left on the clock as Doss deposited a pass from Josie Morgan to ice the 6-0 victory.

While the offense did its job, the defense also looked strong. CNU limited Ferrum to just one shot on goal and Savanah Cummings made the save to seal the shutout. Overall, the Captains dominated in nearly every category as the squad held a 44-3 edge in total shots and a 20-0 lead in corners.

Christopher Newport will be back in action on Wednesday when the team heads north for a 6 p.m. battle with No. 14 Catholic.

---CNU---