NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team opened up Capital Athletic Conference action with an impressive statement as four players registered hat-tricks and 12 posted at least one point on the way to a 21-1 victory over Wesley during a CAC bout on a saturated Saturday afternoon at Captains Turf Field.

Even a wet field and constant rain could not slow down the CNU attack as the squad showed off a well-rounded arsenal. Carly Wilson posted a team-high four goals, while Meaghan Galvin and Catie Chess both contributed five points. Kylie Chaplin also tacked on her fourth straight multi-point effort with three goals and an assist.

While the offense put on a spectacular display, the defense also clamped down on the Wolverines. Dominating possession throughout the game, the Captains forced nine turnovers, including two by Lindsay Weaver and Tess D'Arcy. The hosts also controlled 18 of the game's 24 draws with Galvin securing five by herself.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 4-3 on the season and 1-0 in conference action. The setback drops Wesley to 4-2 and snaps the Wolverines' four-game winning streak.

Right from the start, the Captains found their rhythm. Showing off her great instincts and lightning-quick hands, Galvin opened the scoring in the fifth minute of action. The sophomore burst into the offensive zone looking to secure a pass. After the ensuing feed was jostled around and fell in front of the crease, she stormed in and made an underhanded scoop to shovel the ball into the back of the net, which put CNU on the board.

Just over a minute later, after Caitlin Osbourne broke up a Wesley run, Chaplin went streaking through the WC defense and fired a shot on the move following a pass by Chess to snatch a two-goal lead. Although the visitors responded to cut their deficit in half, the Captains settled in and pieced together one of their finest defensive stands of the season.

During a five-minute stretch, the hosts forced four turnovers, including a pair by Weaver. Her final stop featured a leaping stab to break up a pass, which kept the ball in CNU's offensive zone. Shortly thereafter, Wilson capitalized on the defensive dominance and snapped off her first goal of the year. Less than a minute later, after Kirsten Mendelsohn secured the ensuing draw, Jen Doering rifled home her second goal of the season off a well-placed pass by Erin Callahan to grab a 4-1 lead heading into a WC timeout.

Following the stoppage, Chess completed one of the fastest hat-tricks in program history. Over the course of 80 seconds, the freshman pieced together a rapid-fire assault and racked up three straight goals, including a free-position tally and a pair of scores off of assists by Galvin. Fittingly, after serving as the facilitator, Galvin got into the act herself with back-to-back goals, including a sensational fast-break transition strike off a pass from Chess to push the lead to 9-1.

With over 10 minutes still remaining in the first half, Christopher Newport controlled possession almost the entire time. Besides a brief moment after a failed draw, the Captains never lost control. During that span, Chaplin, Doering, and Caitlin King all converted free-position attempts, while Wilson struck for a pair of goals. Kedron Walsh also found the back of the net after wrapping around the far post and hammering home a dagger from the doorstep to help seal a 15-1 lead entering halftime.

After the break, CNU continued its lethal assault. Chaplin and Wilson scored during the first three minutes of the stanza to nail down a 16-goal lead. Later, after the defense withstood a minor resurgence by the Wolverines, Christopher Newport capitalized on outstanding ball movement. First, the squad sailed the ball around the zone before Samantha Hotchkiss found King, who drilled home a man-up tally. Four minutes later, Colleen Bourgal floated a long feed to Hotchkiss from the top of the zone. Fittingly, after collecting her first career assist, the freshman tacked on her first career goal after bulling her way through the defense.

Holding an 18-goal lead, the Captains continued to do solid work on the defensive end as well. During a sustained rally by the Wolverines, Savanah Cummings made a save and Mariah Ginebra forced a turnover. Osbourne and D'Arcy also cleaned up with a pair of ground balls to stymie the WC attack.

With time winding down and more than enough cushion, the hosts added two final goals. First, Hotchkiss continued showing off her offensive arsenal with another goal off a pinpoint pass by Halle Kennon. Two minutes later, following a WC foul, Meghan O'Reilly whipped in a free-position strike for her first career goal to cap off the scoring.

Later, O'Reilly also forced a turnover and Cummings made three more saves, including a great stop off an eight-meter shot, to seal the 21-1 victory.

Overall, CNU held a 36-8 edge in shots and a 20-12 lead in ground balls. The hosts also converted six of their eight free-position shots against Wesley. Hanna Slough earned the victory for the Captains, while Cummings finished with four saves during her time between the pipes.

Christopher Newport will return to action on Thursday for a 3 p.m. match-up with McDaniel at Captains Turf Field.

---CNU---