NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Guided by an incredibly balanced attack, which saw 16 different players score at least one goal, the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team ran past Southern Virginia, 19-1, during a Capital Athletic Conference battle on a sunny Wednesday afternoon at Captains Turf Field.
Headlining an impressive assault,
Meaghan Galvin led CNU with five points, including three assists.
Catie Chess and
Maria Gianelle also scored a pair of goals for the Captains, while
Lindsay Weaver and
Colleen Bourgal both chipped in with three points as well.
On the defensive end, Christopher Newport forced eight turnovers, including two by
Kirsten Mendelsohn. Gianelle also grabbed a game-high four ground balls, while
Emma Walsh and
Hanna Slough combined for three saves to quiet the SVU offense.
With the victory, CNU improves to 9-1 on the season, including 4-0 in the CAC. The setback drops Southern Virginia to 6-6 overall with an 0-4 mark in league action.
From the outset, the Captains set the tone with a relentless attack. Less than a minute into regulation, Chess opened the scoring with a bullet before Galvin took charge. The junior burned a strike under the crossbar off a feed from Weaver before breaking down a defender with a devastating cut on the way to her second goal. She also assisted on tallies by Gianelle and
Anna Bowers, while
Sarah Culver and
Sam Puglisi also found the back of the net to snatch a 7-0 edge in the first 15 minutes of action.
Continuing the surge,
Caitlin King laced a free-position goal before Bourgal joined the fun with her first strike. Moments later, the Knights had their first sustained offensive run, but Walsh came through with a tremendous stick save on an eight-meter shot to keep the visitors off the board.
After brushing aside SVU's attempt, the CNU attack quickly went back to work.
Meghan O'Reilly pushed the lead to double-digits off a feed from Gianelle before Chess showed off her lightning-fast stick skills with a blistering quick hitter off a fast pass from Galvin. With time running down in the first half, Weaver and
Sasha Towne capped off the period with back-to-back bolts before Southern Virginia came through with a last-minute goal to enter halftime down by a dozen, 13-1.
In the second half, the onslaught continued. After anchoring CNU's defense over the past three years,
Mariah Ginebra moved up to the front line and showed off her offensive skills with her first career goal after lacing a screamer off a feed from Chess. Moments later, Chess battled through a scrum and grabbed a loose ball before flipping a pass to
Corbyn Hale, who ran through the defense for Christopher Newport's 15th goal of the contest.
Once again, the Captains continued to shine on the defensive end as well. After sprinting to the other side of the field, Chess bodied up an attacker and forced a pass from the top of the zone. Shortly thereafter,
Claire Chadwick used a devastating stick check to dislodge a ball and flip the field before Gianelle intercepted a pass to cause another turnover and regain possession.
Meanwhile, the attack kept rolling along. Gianelle and
Carly Wilson both tossed goals on the board before Chadwick used a knee-buckling cut to spin a defender on the way to her first career strike. Leading by 17 midway through the second half, the Captains eased to the victory. Eventually,
Katie Gaskin added the final dagger after bolting towards the crease to nail down the 19-1 victory.
During the game, Christopher Newport held a 28-8 edge in shots and a 22-7 lead in ground balls. The Captains also controlled 16 of the game's 22 draws, including five by Galvin.
Hunter Van Reenan also collected three, while Ginebra posted a pair.
Christopher Newport will be back in action on Friday when the squad travels to Salem, Virginia for a 4 p.m. battle with Roanoke.
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