NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Abby Cryts got her sophomore campaign off to a solid start with a pair of second-half strikes as she helped carry the 14th-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team to a 4-0 triumph over Goucher on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon at Captains Turf Field.
 
After the season opener was delayed following the threat of a hurricane on Saturday, it was the Captains who brought the thunder on Sunday as the squad stormed out to a quick lead and never looked back. Carol Thompson and Rachael Allshouse opened things with a pair of first-half goals before Cryts erupted in the second stanza to close out the victory.
 
Thompson and Allshouse also contributed a pair of assists during the battle, while Brittan Muir added a helper following a penalty corner.
 
Meanwhile, the defense was equally impressive as the squad clamped down on Goucher and held the visitors without a single shot. Swarming the opposing attack, the Captains blanketed the field and controlled possession throughout the contest. Eventually, Bailey Lien earned the win for her time between the pipes, marking her 41st career victory.
 
With the win, the Captains start the year with a 1-0 record, while Goucher now sits at 0-2.
 
After a back-and-forth battle early in the contest, Christopher Newport struck first with a huge run in the ninth minute. The CNU attack crashed down on the cage and forced the Goucher goalie to leave her feet, preventing an initial shot. Remaining vigilant, Allshouse shuffled the ball over to Thompson, who fired a laser into open spaces to put the squad on the board.
 
Continuing to pressure the Goucher defense, the Captains unleashed a rapid-fire assault with 11 minutes left in the half as Cryts and Bailey Miller flooded the zone with a pair of shots, but the Gopher goalie clamped down. Moments later, the hosts returned to the circle and earned a corner in the 27th minute.
 
After anchoring the team's corner unit throughout her freshman campaign, Muir picked up right where she left off last season. Following a solid feed from Madison Doss, Muir cut to her right and pulled the defense with her. After opening up a seam, she slipped a pinpoint pass through the zone to Allshouse, who unleashed a screamer to the back of the cage for a 2-0 edge.
 
Although the offense gave CNU the lead, the defense was equally efficient and frustrated the opposition all day. At the tail end of the first half, Josie Morgan tracked down an attacker who wiggled free on a deep run into the Captains' end before Rachel Cooke went low to prevent a shot attempt on the near side of the field.
 
Following a flawless first half, Christopher Newport continued to shine on both sides of the ball in the second stanza. Doss cut off another deep run in front of the cage to help quiet a Goucher surge before the hosts earned a string of corners on the offensive end, which kept the Gophers on their heels.
 
In the 43rd minute, the Captains earned three straight corners while continuing to poke at the Goucher defense. Allshouse pumped a shot off the first attempt, while Morgan's try on the second was cut off by a GC defender. Later, Muir unleashed an absolute tracer from the top of the arc on the third corner, but once again, the Goucher goalie stood tall.
 
Refusing to come away empty-handed, Christopher Newport never relented. Battling through a scrum in front of the cage, Cryts eventually cleaned up with a dart through the defense to snatch a 3-0 edge with 26 minutes left in the contest.
 
Continuing to control possession, Hannah Clark eventually stole the ball back at midfield, spun a defender into the ground, and booked it towards the cage before the hosts earned another corner. Although the team was unable to capitalize on the highlight-reel run, Cryts eventually came back to close out the contest in style.
 
In the 57th minute, the second-year star took possession on the far side of the field, turned, and unleashed another rocket that sliced through the Gophers and capped off the scoring.
 
Overall, the Captains out-shot Goucher, 29-0, and held a 14-0 edge in corners. Allshouse led the squad with eight shots and also played a key role down the stretch to run off crucial time in the waning moments by battling hard with the ball along the near sideline. Cryts also had six shots in the game, including her two goals.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action on Monday morning when the squad hosts Oberlin in a 10 a.m. showdown at Captains Turf Field.
 
---CNU---