NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Cori Black and
Madison Doss drove home first-half goals before the defense took over with a suffocating second-half effort as the 14th-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team extended its winning streak to seven straight games with a 2-1 victory over York (Pa.) during a Capital Athletic Conference showdown on a cloud-covered Saturday afternoon at Captains Turf Field.
Three weeks removed from their last home game, the Captains returned to Newport News and pieced together a well-balanced effort to topple the Spartans. Along with the offensive highlights provided by Black and Doss, the defense was at its finest throughout the day.
Brittan Muir contributed a pair of defensive saves to go along with an assist, while
Kana Hashigami also added a stop on the back line.
Equally impressive between the pipes,
Bailey Lien picked up the victory after contributing a season-high eight saves.
With the win, Christopher Newport improves to 9-1 on the season, including 3-0 in CAC action. The setback drops York to 6-6 overall and 0-2 in league play.
At the start of the game, the two squads traded runs before the Spartans settled in on the attack. The visitors drove through the CNU zone and tested the Captains with a barrage of shots. Standing up to the first wave, Lien made three straight stops, including a pair from her knees. Unfortunately, York continued to fire away and eventually found a sliver of daylight in the seventh minute of action to light up the scoreboard.
Later, after Christopher Newport's response on the offensive end was turned away, the defense faced another relentless assault. During a 30-second surge, Lien made a great stop on a dart by the Spartans before Hashigami batted away another shot along the far post to keep the deficit at one.
After surviving York's second surge, the Captains flipped the script and went on the attack. Barreling through the Spartan defense, Black took control of the ball near the top of the circle. The freshman star bulled right past a defender before blistering a rocket to the back of the cage, which evened the score at one in the 13th minute.
Back on even ground, the two teams engaged in another back-and-forth affair late in the period. On a CNU breakaway,
Lauren Cheatham slipped a gorgeous ball to
Rachael Allshouse, but the YCP goalie scurried out of the cage and broke up the play after meeting her at the top of the circle. Later, Muir made a nice tackle on a deep run by the Spartans with 10 minutes remaining in the period.
Continuing the seesaw battle, Cheatham and
Lisa Murphy both ripped on-target shots that were pushed away by the York defense before Lien and Muir made back-to-back stops on rips by the Spartans. Later, Lien came out of the cage to pressure another YCP run, which forced an errant shot, in the final minutes of the first half.
With time winding down in the opening period, the Captains pieced together one last run. After Muir made a great stop on the defensive end, Black and Allshouse cleared the zone and broke into the offensive end before a York miscue gave CNU a penalty corner as time expired. With one final opportunity to take the lead, Doss inserted the ball to Muir, who settled at the top of the circle. As the defense closed in, the first-year standout dished back to Doss, who slammed home a deflection along the far post to grab a 2-1 edge entering the break.
Staring at a one-goal deficit, the Spartans attempted to battle back early in the second half. The visitors earned two straight corners, but both were sent back, including a gorgeous stop by Lien and Hashigami. After York flicked a shot from the edge of the circle, the two standouts elevated in the cage and swatted down the looping rainbow before it found its way to the back of the cage.
Later, after
Courtnie Greene and
Samantha Snider had shots turned away by York's goalie, the CNU defense clamped down again.
Alexa Weaver made a textbook tackle on the near sideline before floating a teardrop over the defense, which helped turn the tide. Later, when the Spartans regained control,
Moira Wright intercepted a pass near midfield to clamp down on another YCP run.
Entering the final 10 minutes of regulation, Muir pieced together a game-saving stop. After Lien came out of the cage to challenge a play in the middle of the circle, Muir stayed home between the pipes. With a clean look, the Spartans laced a shot, but the freshman swatted it back for her second defensive save of the contest.
After the defense took care of York's attack, Christopher Newport went to work on the clock. Murphy killed some time in the corner after flashing amazing stick skills to fend off several Spartan defenders. Later, the visitors were able to regain control of the ball, but Black cruised down the near sideline and stole it back following a tremendous ride with three minutes left.
Still killing time, Murphy flicked a ball over the defense before Weaver and Snider cut more seconds off the clock in the corner. Although York managed to regain possession, Black picked off a floater along the sideline before Doss intercepted a long roller near midfield to end the Spartans' last-ditch effort.
Overall, CNU held an 18-16 edge in shots, while both teams earned seven penalty corners. Along with Lien's eight saves, Eve Hauptle made seven for York. Meanwhile, Muir's two defensive saves marked the most by a freshman in a single game in CNU history.
Christopher Newport will return to action on Monday at 2 p.m. with a battle against No. 16 Tufts in Medford, Massachusetts.
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