YORK, Pa. -- The 16th-ranked Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team bowed out of the Capital Athletic Conference Tournament on Wednesday afternoon as the Captains dropped a 10-5 decision to 14th-ranked York (Pa.) during a first-round bout at Kinsley Field.
 
Facing the Spartans for the second time in five days, CNU suffered an identical five-goal setback against York. During the contest, Kylie Chaplin came through with her third hat-trick of the season, while Carly Wilson added a pair of assists. Meanwhile, Emma Walsh made 14 saves, which equaled her second-highest output of the year.
 
With the setback, Christopher Newport falls to 11-5 on the season. The victory bumps York (Pa.) to 12-5 and moves the Spartans into the CAC semifinals for a date with top-seeded Salisbury this weekend.
 
Similar to Saturday's game against YCP, the Captains got off to a strong start and secured an early lead. After Walsh clamped down on three quick shots, including a free-position attempt, the CNU attack went to work. First, Wilson connected with Chaplin, who laced the game's first goal to open the scoring in the ninth minute. Then, after Lindsay Weaver collected the ensuing draw, Sarah Culver lit up York with an eight-meter missile to push the lead to 2-0.
 
Although the Spartans managed to respond a few minutes later, Christopher Newport's defense kept up the intensity. Kirsten Mendelsohn rode an attacker around the zone before Walsh snared another shot. Corbyn Hale also battled the hosts on the back end during a suffocating eight-minute stretch to keep YCP from knotting the score.
 
Unfortunately, York eventually broke through. First, the Spartans evened the game at two after capitalizing on a man-up situation. Later, the squad strung together three more goals at the end of the first half to snatch a 5-2 edge entering the break.
 
Staring at a three-goal deficit, Christopher Newport kicked off the second half with a solid defensive stand. Mariah Ginebra pushed around an attacker and forced an off-balance shot before Mendelsohn cut off a free-position attempt. Walsh also swallowed back-to-back shots to eliminate a pair of sustained rallies before CNU flipped the field.
 
Following the defensive highlights, Tess D'Arcy added one on the other side of the turf. Seven minutes into the second half, the sophomore standout was fouled deep in the zone. Earning a free-position attempt, she eventually battled through contact and brushed off a tough hit to bury an eight-meter shot, which pulled the visitors back within two.
 
Although York managed to find the back of the net again, the Captains continued to fight and keep the hosts in check. Walsh plucked some high heat out of the air to prevent another YCP strike before Chaplin capitalized on the other end with a burner off a free-position attempt to inch back within two at 6-4.
 
Continuing to trade blows, the Spartans retaliated before Chaplin struck again. This time, Wilson settled on the near side of the field with some room to work. After Chaplin slipped free with a gorgeous run on the interior, Wilson found her with a pinpoint pass for the squad's fifth goal with just under 10 minutes remaining in regulation.
 
Unfortunately, the Spartans began to pull away after that point. York stung the visitors with back-to-back goals before CNU whistled for a timeout. Although D'Arcy pounced on a ground ball, Walsh made a pair of saves, and Weaver forced a turnover, the damage had already been done. Eventually, YCP tossed one final goal on the board in the final minute to seal the 10-5 triumph.
 
Overall, York held a commanding 41-12 lead in shots and a 13-10 edge in ground balls. The Spartans also controlled 10 of the game's 16 draws. Sam Puglisi led CNU with two draw controls, while D'Arcy and Ginebra combined for seven ground balls. Catie Chess also chipped in with a draw control and ground ball during the contest.
 
---CNU---