WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Staring at a one-goal deficit entering halftime, the 14th-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team erupted after the break and drove home three unanswered goals to storm past No. 19 Catholic, 3-1, during a crucial top-20 battle on Monday afternoon at Cardinal Stadium.
 
Leading the second-half surge, Kana Hashigami registered a goal and an assist, while Madison Doss and Rachael Allshouse also found the back of the cage. Meanwhile, the defense clamped down on the Cardinals and suffocated their attack while Bailey Lien contributed three saves to earn the victory.
 
With the win, Christopher Newport improves to 6-1 on the season, including 3-0 on the road. The setback drops Catholic to 4-2 overall.
 
After the hosts carried a 1-0 lead into halftime, Christopher Newport regrouped during the break and came out reenergized in the second stanza. Although the Cardinals were able to mount a few runs early in the half, CNU was up to the challenge. Lien made a quick save on a deep threat by the Cardinals, while Hannah Clark burst between two midfielders and stole the ball back for the visitors a few moments later.
 
Continuing to clamp down on the opposition, Alexa Weaver batted down a looping rainbow around midfield to thwart a clearing attempt before cutting off a deep surge to stymie another threat.
 
Following the defensive stand, the Captains went to work on the other end of the field as the pressure began to mount on the CUA back line. Calli Ioannou picked off a floater and frustrated a Cardinal defender who attempted to clear the zone. Although an ensuing shot whistled wide, Christopher Newport continued to attack.
 
In the 47th minute, Allshouse took control of the ball near midfield after a restart. With a sliver of daylight, she slammed a feed across the field to Carol Thompson, who stormed into the zone. Crashing down on the Cardinals, the Captains flooded the circle and began pounding away. Although Catholic's keeper managed to handle the initial wave, Hashigami corralled a rebound, pulled the ball out, and pushed it to Doss. In a flash, the junior spun and fired a scorcher into the far corner of the cage to even the score at one.
 
Looking to retaliate, the hosts earned a pair of corners, but CNU dug in. On the first attempt, Rachel Cooke batted down the shot. On the second try, the freshman pressured an attacker along the arc and forced an off-balance shot, which Brittan Muir swallowed up before it could pose a threat.
 
Following Catholic's surge, Christopher Newport controlled possession in the middle of the second half. After the Captains worked the ball into the CUA end, Allshouse and Cooke built a wall at midfield and refused to let anything past. Allshouse prevented three separate clearing attempts, while Cooke intercepted a pair, including an acrobatic play in which she dodged and spun around three different Cardinals to keep the ball from slipping into enemy hands.
 
Finally, with CNU continuing to threaten the Catholic defense, the visitors earned a corner attempt in the 55th minute. Showing off their stick skills, Muir took control at the top of the zone and fed a crisp pass to Sarah Miller. Without a clean look, the senior slipped the ball in to Allshouse, who turned and blasted a one-timer straight through the defense to give the squad its first lead of the game.
 
Staring at a one-goal deficit, Catholic attempted to rally but found very little space to work inside the CNU defense. Following her offensive exploits, Miller showed off her defensive skills and put pressure on a CUA attacker to force an errant pass, which Doss cleaned up. Moments later, the Cardinals attempted to insert the ball again, but Weaver shut that down and gave the defense a brief respite.
 
Minutes later, the hosts went back on the attack and earned two penalty corners, but Weaver came up huge again. On the first corner, she gobbled up a shot before it could get deep into the zone. On the second attempt, she got her stick on the ball again to disrupt the play before any damage could be done.
 
With time becoming a factor, the Captains went to work on the clock. In the 65th minute, Allshouse took control on the sideline and began methodically pushing the ball down the field. Later, after the hosts managed to regain possession, Mackenzie Neylon cut off a passing lane at midfield and sent a roller to Doss, who cruised down the sideline.
 
Looking to add the final nail in the 68th minute, Doss eventually sent the ball into the circle where Riley Keeter grabbed control. Blazing a path towards the cage, she eventually got Catholic's goalie to leave her feet and dive onto the turf to prevent a shot. With great instincts, she flipped the ball over to Hashigami, who had a clear look and put away the final dagger to grab the 3-1 edge.
 
Although Catholic called a timeout and attempted a last-ditch comeback, the Captains held on. After CUA's final shot sailed wide, Lien punted the ball to midfield where Thompson took control and worked it into the CUA end to run off the final few ticks and seal the victory.
 
Overall, Christopher Newport held a 14-7 advantage in shots and a 7-5 lead in penalty corners. Along with Lien's three saves for the Captains, Analisa Scott finished with five for the Cardinals.
 
CNU will return to action on Saturday when the squad kicks off Capital Athletic Conference play with a noon battle at York (Pa.).
 
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