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FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- After holding a 17-4 advantage in total shots in the game, but unable to capitalize, the 5th-seeded Christopher Newport men's soccer team came out on the wrong side of an epic penalty kick shootout, 9-8, as the host and 4th-seeded Mary Washington Eagles advanced in the CAC Tournament. The Captains finished the 2015 campaign with the most draws in program history as their overall record fell to 11-2-6, while Mary Washington advances with a record of 12-5-2. 

Nolan Mann, the Captains' senior goalkeeper, wrapped up the year with statistically one of the finest seasons in program history. He needed to make just one save in Saturday's CAC Tournament first round game, but locked down his eighth solo shutout of the year and dropped his goals-against average to a program-record 0.50 for a single season. He also stopped 81% of the shots he faced, ranking seventh best in program history. 

His defense excelled in front of him on Saturday, as they had all season. The Captains back line allowed a mere four shots with just one on-goal. It was the eighth game this season the Captains finished with five or fewer shots allowed. Anchoring the back line was senior Sean Christein, while rookie Bobby Seifert helped man the center of the field. On the outside, rookie Daniel Zeitoun combined with Sammy Blosser and Cameron Vaughn to hold down the Mary Washington offense. 

On the other end of the field, however, the Captains were unable to cash in with a goal despite taking 17 total shots. Matt Spencer made three saves in goal for the Eagles as CNU pressed for the go-ahead tally all game. Ryan Balfour smashed a shot off the crossbar in the first half and Patrick Burns and Garrett Van Nutt each had nice attempts blocked by defenders early in the second half. 

With the game still scoreless after 110 minutes of action, it would come down to a penalty kick shootout. CNU took a 3-2 lead with goals from senior Ryan Balfour, Blosser and Andrew Gogolin, but the Eagles knotted it back up when Gary Foley cashed in during the fourth round of shots. After the first five, the action tensed as both goalkeepers made sensational saves and both teams answered each others challenge for 13 rounds of penalty kicks. 

After the Eagles tooka  7-6 lead with elimination on the line, the Captains sent Zeitoun, a freshman defender, to the line to extend the game. Spencer guessed wrong and Zeitoun hammered home the tying strike into the right side of the goal. With the shootout tied at 7-7, it was the goalkeepers that stepped up next. 

Six straight shooters would miss over the next three rounds. First, Mann picked up a huge save as he dove to the right to turn away Lino Gallo's attempt, but unfortunately, Spencer matched his production and turned away the Captains in each ensuing drive. Jack Nelson finally converted for the Eagles in the 12th round, giving the Eagles an 8-7 lead, followed by a hard drive from Blosser into the left side for his second made shot of the PK shootout. That would set up the 13th and final round of shots, as Colin Travis converted the game-winning attempt for the home team into the left side of the goal. Gogolin's last chance for the Captains glanced off the crossbar to seal the win for Mary Washington. 

The Eagles will advance to play top-seeded Salisbury University on Wednesday, November 4. The Captains closed out the season with another strong defensive effort, but falling short in defense of their conference title.