NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Carol Thompson scored four goals, while five of her teammates also found the back of the cage as the 16th-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team rolled past Ferrum, 10-0, during a non-conference showdown at Captains Turf Field on a humid Sunday afternoon.

Against the Panthers, Thompson became just the fourth Captain in program history, and the team's first sophomore, to score at least four times in a game. She registered a first-half hat-trick before adding a second-half strike to cap off her impressive afternoon.

Helping pace the attack, Alexa Weaver scored twice and added an assist, while Mackenzie Neylon, Samantha Snider, Riley Keeter, and Hannah Clark all posted goals as well. Helping balance out the attack, Lisa Murphy also chipped in with a pair of assists.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 2-0 on the season. The setback drops Ferrum to 0-2.

Wasting little time finding their rhythm, the Captains lit up the scoreboard less than two minutes into regulation when Weaver sent a feed to Thompson, who settled on the doorstep and pounded one past the Panthers' goalkeeper. Five minutes later, Weaver returned to the scene and drove home her first goal of the year after Neylon slid a pinpoint pass to the far post.

After Thompson added her second strike off a feed from Murphy in the ninth minute, the CNU defense clamped down. Although the attack was the story of the day, the defense was nothing short of amazing. Frustrating the Panthers throughout the game, the Captains rarely let a ball slip past midfield. Kana Hashigami clamped down on one run before Brittan Muir intercepted a pair of passes during a minute-long stand, which silenced the FC attack.

Later, after Ferrum pieced together a sustained run, Murphy stood tall and stole the ball back deep in CNU's end. Following a feed that cleared the zone, Murphy raced down to the other end and regained control before ripping a rocket from the top of the circle. Camped out on the near side of the field, Thompson got her stick on the spinner and redirected it past Ferrum's goalie to snatch a 4-0 lead with 10 minutes left in the first half.

Four minutes later, Weaver and Lauren Cheatham followed the same script and teamed up on a goal of their own. Cheatham pushed the ball towards the cage and Weaver knocked it home to cap off the first-half scoring.

After the break, the Captains remained vigilant and continued to attack. Although the Panthers were able to break up an initial run by CNU, Keeter swooped in and cleaned up the garbage with a dart to the back of the cage. Three minutes later, Ferrum attempted to clear the zone again, but Clark intercepted the ball and whistled a rope past the goalie to give the hosts a 7-0 lead.

After Thompson drove home her fourth goal in the 53rd minute, Cori Black stepped up with a solid run. The freshman continued the team's two-way success as she chased down a Ferrum attacker near the sideline and stole the ball back, preventing a near breakaway. Now in control on the offensive end, she dished to Neylon, who drove home the squad's ninth goal of the game.

Easing into the victory, the defense stepped up for another suffocating stretch before the offense tacked on one final tally. First, Muir broke up another Ferrum surge before the Panthers could unleash a shot with nine minutes left in regulation. Later, Weaver ran time off the clock with an acrobatic performance near midfield as she spun around defenders, cutting back and forth, while keeping control of the ball.

Although the visitors were able to regain possession for a brief moment and earned a pair of penalty corners, the defense stepped up again. Madison Doss cleaned up the first attempt before Weaver cleared the second to keep the shutout in tact with just two minutes left in regulation.

Following the clear, Murphy took control near midfield and sailed the ball into Ferrum's end. Looking to add the final exclamation point, Marissa Trujillo hustled down the field and saved the roller from spinning out-of-bounds. Shortly thereafter, Sarah Miller pumped an initial shot before Snider cleaned up along the far post to cap off the 10-0 victory.

Overall, Christopher Newport out-shot Ferrum, 38-0, and held a 19-2 advantage in penalty corners. Benefitting from a great defensive presence, Bailey Lien earned the victory after a spotless first half, while Stephanie McKinney added a clean slate during the second stanza.

CNU will return to action on September 9 when the squad heads to Lynchburg for a 6 p.m. showdown.

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