Box Score

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Belle Tunstall recorded her second three-point effort of the season, while Bailey Lien anchored an outstanding defensive effort as the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team stormed past No. 19 Lynchburg, 3-0, on a sweltering Wednesday evening at Captains Turf Field.

With her three points, Tunstall bumped her career total to 101, which matches the all-time program record set by Wendy Wilson, who was in the stadium pre-game on the historic evening. Tunstall also moved within one assist of matching Haylie Black's all-time mark of 30.

In addition to Tunstall's efforts, Lauren Cheatham opened the scoring with an impressive goal early in the first half, while Taylor Williams added the squad's second goal. Allie Hackbarth also chimed in with an assist to help round out the offense.

On the defensive end, Lien came through with five saves to stifle the Hornet attack. That performance headlined the Captains' second consecutive shutout. Never before has Christopher Newport posted back-to-back blankings to open a season.

With the victory, CNU improves to 2-0, while Lynchburg falls to 1-2.

In the early going on Wednesday, the two teams traded runs before Cheatham finally broke through. On the play, she corralled a roller and darted up the middle of the field. With a pair of defenders in front of her, the junior speedster split the two Hornets, battled for some open space, and rocketed a shot to the back of the cage to give the hosts a 1-0 lead less than eight minutes into regulation.

Shortly thereafter, CNU looked primed to open up the game after Cheatham broke loose again on the near side of the field. However, her centering pass just missed Williams' stick on the far post to keep the game at 1-0.

Following the early flurry by the Captains, Lynchburg pieced together its finest offensive effort. During a minute-long surge in the middle of the frame, the Hornets pumped four shots, but CNU was up to the task. The first attempt squirted wide before Lien stoned back-to-back shots during a rapid-fire assault. Later, the final shot was batted aside before it reached the cage to keep LC off the board entering halftime.

After the break, CNU looked refreshed on the offensive end. Tunstall came running out of halftime and took control of the ball near midfield. With a clean look, she sent a long feed to Cheatham, who burst into the Hornet zone. Unfortunately, Lynchburg was able to just get enough of the ball to clamp down on the breakaway.

Still holding a slim one-goal advantage, the CNU defense had to withstand another surge by Lynchburg. During a three-minute window, the visitors grabbed control of the tempo and tested the Captains. The squad launched three shots on goal, including back-to-back bullets, but Lien was a wall in front of the cage and withstood the attack. Alexa Weaver also made a solid play to break up a penalty corner, and Mackenzie Neylon helped clear the zone to keep the shutout intact.

After the defense did its job, the offense took control to close out the victory. With just over 13 minutes remaining in regulation, Tunstall had her way with the Hornets. She fired one shot that just missed the mark before rocketing another blast that drilled the Lynchburg goalie. Following the rebound, she sent a feed to Williams, who unloaded a one-timer to the back of the cage to give the squad a 2-0 edge.

Looking for more, the team quickly found it. Hackbarth sent a gorgeous feed through a cluttered zone, which found Tunstall. Looking to tie the program's all-time scoring record, she wound up and cranked a laser through the defense to give the hosts a three-goal cushion.

With more than enough wiggle room, the Captains eased into the victory. The CNU attack never slowed down, but Lynchburg's defense eventually made three late stops, including a pair of defensive saves, to close out the contest.

Overall, Christopher Newport out-shot Lynchburg, 16-9, and held a slim 6-4 edge in penalty corners.

CNU will return to action on Saturday when the squad heads to DePauw for a noon battle with the Tigers.

---CNU---