DANVILLE, Ky. -- For the second time in three days, the 14th-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team capitalized on late-game heroics to pull out a thrilling one-goal victory as Abby Cryts punched home the game-winner in the 67th minute to lift the Captains past DePauw, 2-1, during a neutral-site showdown on Sunday morning at Centre's South Campus Field.
 
After CNU earned a penalty corner with less than four minutes left in regulation, Brittan Muir and Mackenzie Neylon set up Cryts, who deflected a shot along the pipe for her team-leading fourth goal of the season. Kana Hashigami also found the back of the cage in the first half, while Bailey Lien earned the victory after making five saves.
 
With the win, Christopher Newport improves to 4-0, marking only the second time in program history that the Captains have won each of their first four outings. Meanwhile, DePauw, who was coming off of an NCAA Tournament appearance last year, falls to 3-2 on the season.
 
After the Tigers knotted the score at one early in the second half, the two teams settled in for a back-and-forth battle over the final 30 minutes of action. First, the CNU defense dug in. Lien made three huge saves, including a spectacular stop off a high rope following a DePauw penalty corner. Later, after withstanding the surge, the Captains went back to work on the other end.
 
Kicking off a late push, Josie Morgan picked off a clearing feed and generated a two-on-one break, but Cryts' ensuing shot was cut off after the DePauw goalie came storming out of the cage and eliminated her angle on the far side of the field. Later, Riley Keeter had a shot swallowed up by a defender off a corner before Christopher Newport earned another opportunity in the 67th minute.
 
After securing their fourth corner of the contest, the attack settled in for one final push. Muir took possession at the top of the arc and unleashed a screamer, but the ball caught a DePauw player. Showing great instincts, the sophomore quickly pounced on the ricochet and regained control before pushing the roller out to Neylon.
 
With a good look, Neylon ripped the ball towards the cage. Cryts, who settled in along the near pipe, deflected the scorcher just enough to send it spinning past the goalie for the go-ahead strike.
                                                                     
Although the Tigers attempted to retaliate in the final few minutes, Lien made one last save to close out the victory. Overall, Christopher Newport held a 13-6 advantage in shots and a 4-3 edge in corners during the contest.
 
Despite the seesaw action in the second half, CNU set the tone early on and controlled the tempo in the opening stanza. Out of the gate, the Captains showed off their unrelenting hustle on both sides of the ball. Just minutes into the contest, Rachael Allshouse burned over to the near sideline and saved a roller from going out of bounds before Alexa Weaver intercepted a clearing attempt, which kept the pressure on the DePauw defense. Muir also made a nice tackle and sent a long feed into the circle, which eventually led to CNU's first corner.
 
Although Christopher Newport's ensuing shot was blocked, the team kept up the intensity. Madison Doss lined a dart that was brushed back by DePauw's goalie, while Lien cleaned up the Tigers' deepest run after cruising out of the cage and kicking aside a roller in the 10th minute.
 
Still staring at a scoreless deadlock, the Captains quickly found an opening in the 14th minute. Flooding the offensive zone, Calli Ioannou punched the ball off a defender. Looking to clean up, Hashigami swooped in and smacked home a shot that squirted into the back of the cage for a 1-0 edge.
 
Hoping to extend the advantage, Allshouse continued to frustrate DePauw. The sophomore standout stole the ball from a defender on the near side of the field, cut around the Tiger, and flew towards the goal. Unfortunately, the DePauw keeper broke up the play after diving onto the turf to keep their deficit at one.
 
Moments later, Hannah Clark torched a shot off a corner attempt that sailed wide before Doss had another on-target rip stoned by DePauw.
 
Still clutching a 1-0 edge in the waning moments of the first half, the defense continued to do its job as well. Sarah Miller had a solid tackle on the sideline to break up an odd-man rush, while Weaver deflected a corner attempt to help thwart a Tiger surge and sustain the one-goal advantage entering the break.
 
Although DePauw came out of halftime with renewed purpose and eventually managed to even the score, Christopher Newport never backed down. Playing hard for all 70 minutes, the team capitalized on Crtys' late strike to end the road trip on a high note.
 
CNU will be back in action on Wednesday when the team hosts Randolph-Macon in a 6 p.m. contest at Captains Turf Field.
 
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