NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- After 90 minutes of thrilling, edge-of-your-seat, back-and-forth action, the 13th-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team came up just short against No. 7 Salisbury as CNU dropped a hard-fought 3-2 decision to the Sea Gulls in a double-overtime marathon on a rainy Wednesday evening at Captains Turf Field.
 
During the contest, Lisa Murphy and Lauren Cheatham drove home first-half goals, while Cori Black assisted on both strikes to knot the game at halftime. After that point, the two defenses stepped up and pieced together 55 minutes of spotless action before SU's Sam Johnson banged home a rebound in the 91st minute to seal the victory.
 
Headlining CNU's defense, Bailey Lien made 13 saves, while Brittan Muir, Moira Wright, and Kana Hashigami were electric on the back line to help keep Salisbury in check for most of the game.
 
With the setback, Christopher Newport falls to 13-3 with a 5-1 record in CAC action. Salisbury improves to 11-3 on the season and 4-1 in league play.
 
After the two teams forced overtime following a 2-2 draw in regulation, a track meet broke out during the 7-on-7 extra session. Sprinting around the field, Madison Doss pieced together a sensational surge to keep the ball in the SU zone before Courtnie Greene sailed a centering pass across the circle that just missed connecting with Cheatham.
 
Shortly thereafter, Salisbury put together a response and a Sea Gull momentarily slipped free on the near side of the field, but Muir tracked her down and deflected the ball before a shot whistled wide. Later, Black cut off a deep run by SU in the far corner before flipping the field and giving CNU's attack another chance.
 
In the 77th minute, Christopher Newport earned a pair of corners after Cheatham was tripped up by the SU goalie on a clean run into the circle. Looking to break through, Cheatham pounded away after the first corner, but SU's Tressie Windsor made the stop. One minute later, CNU's senior stalwart blistered another shot, but it spun just wide.
 
Continuing to put pressure on the Sea Gulls, the hosts had another tremendous look in the 79th minute. After taking possession on the near side of the field, Doss drilled a pinpoint feed across the turf to Murphy, who corralled the roller. With numbers, she tapped the ball to Cheatham, who rocketed a shot, but Windsor made another save to keep the game alive.
 
After withstanding CNU's assault, Salisbury went on the attack to close out the first overtime. The visitors controlled the tempo during the final five minutes and managed to snap off three shots while earning a pair of corners. Fortunately for the Captains, SU's first attempt was blocked before Lien made two huge saves to force a second overtime.
 
Once again, CNU proved to be the aggressor early as the squad quickly went on the attack. Josie Morgan tried to drive home a shot, but a Salisbury defender got in the way to end the threat. Later, Black made another solid tackle and disrupted a long run, which forced an errant SU pass and gave the ball back to the Captains in the 87th minute. With an opportunity, Rachael Allshouse took control and dished to Alexa Weaver, who whistled a pointblank laser that sailed wide after the Salisbury goalie came out to meet her.
 
Unfortunately, the tide turned after that point. In the 91st minute, Salisbury earned a corner. Although the Sea Gulls' initial shot was stopped by Lien, the rebound flew back to the visitors and Johnson was there to pop one over the defense to seal the 3-2 victory.
 
Overall, Salisbury held a 26-11 edge in shots and a 14-7 lead in corners. Despite the statistical advantages, the Captains kept the opposition close throughout the contest.
 
From the outset, the CNU defense flashed its skills. Early in the game, the back line broke up several deep runs by the Sea Gulls. After SU's first shot clanked off the side of the cage, Muir and Wright clamped down on a pair of deep surges before clearing the zone. After flipping the field, Morgan took control and stormed into the SU zone before earning a corner in the 11th minute.
 
Although Salisbury momentarily handled CNU's corner attempt, the Captains stuck with the play. After a hectic battle in the middle of the circle, Black grabbed possession and fed to Murphy, who settled on the near side of the field. With a clean look, the senior rifled a bullet through the SU defense to give the hosts a fast 1-0 edge.
 
Unfortunately, the Sea Gulls responded in the middle of the period. Although Wright was able to catch up to a streaking attacker and break up one run, Salisbury continued to attack. Eventually, in the 18th minute, the Sea Gulls evened the score at one. Less than 10 minutes later, despite a tremendous effort by Lien, Muir, and Wright to clean up several pointblank shots, the visitors earned a penalty stroke and immediately converted despite a diving attempt by Lien to grab a 2-1 edge.
 
Showing their mettle, the Captains remained vigilant and clawed back into the contest. As time wound down in the first half, Black and Weaver made a pair of tackles at midfield, while Greene used a great touch pass to spin around a defender and take possession in the SU zone.
 
Just before time expired, Christopher Newport earned a corner and had one final attempt to even the score before the break. After Doss inserted the ball, Black eventually gained control and threaded a pass through the SU defense to Cheatham, who quickly unleashed a shot that just cleared Salisbury's back line and rolled into the cage to pull even at two entering halftime.
 
Looking to strike quickly in the second stanza, Cheatham connected with Greene on a no-look pass before the freshman stormed into the circle. After Morgan took control, she snapped off a shot, but Windsor made the save. Minutes later, CNU's defense stepped up as well.
 
Lien made four straight stops during an eight-minute run, including a leaping save off a high floater in the 41st minute. Weaver also had a great defensive stand after blocking a shot off a corner before battling a Sea Gull and gaining possession. Later, Murphy cut off a pair of centering passes to clamp down on two more SU runs before Lien made a diving stop off another corner attempt to keep the game knotted at two in the 57th minute.
 
Following a CNU timeout with six minutes remaining, Muir chased down a long roller to regain control before Greene intercepted a pass and stormed into the Salisbury zone. Unfortunately, the Sea Gulls withstood the late push before attempting one final surge of their own.
 
In the final minutes, Salisbury had a shot blocked before Doss cleared the zone. Later, as the visitors battled to get back into the offensive end, Allshouse and Black double-teamed a midfielder and helped run off the last few seconds to send the game into overtime.
 
Unfortunately, the Captains fell just short in their bid for a third overtime victory of the season as the Sea Gulls had just enough left in the tank to drive home the clincher in the 91st minute.
 
Christopher Newport will now wait to find out its seeding and playoff fate for the CAC postseason. The Captains are assured of a first-round bye and at least a top-three seed. However, final positioning will not be determined until after Salisbury's game against Frostburg State on Saturday.
 
---CNU---