NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Behind a record-breaking strike by Riley Cook and another suffocating defensive effort, the ninth-ranked Christopher Newport women's soccer team took down St. Mary's (Md.), 2-0, during a Capital Athletic Conference battle on a wet and muggy Wednesday evening at Captains Field.
 
In the second half, Cook drove home her 12th goal of the year, which moved her to the top of the all-time freshman scoring lists at CNU. Her 12th strike vaulted her past Emma O'Reilly and Sam Ciaravino, who both registered 11 goals during their decorated freshman campaigns. It also gave her 28 points this season, which broke O'Reilly's freshman record of 26 set in 2010.
 
Along with Cook's historic outing, Logan Montel added a first-half strike, while the CNU defense blanketed the field and limited the Seahawks to just two shots.
 
With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 12-0-1 on the season, including 5-0 in league action. The setback drops St. Mary's (Md.) to 3-7-3 overall and 2-2-1 in conference play.
 
After a string of thunderstorms delayed the start of the game by over an hour, the Captains looked well rested and landed the first blow in less than four minutes. Gaining control of the ball near midfield, Alexi Manley flashed some power and drilled a missile towards the goal. In the middle of the defense, Montel elevated and headed the ball near the left post to give the hosts a quick 1-0 advantage.
 
Keeping the pressure on, Carson Pokorny served in three corner kicks and had a shot blocked during the middle of the first half, while Maxine Borris and Keiley McCarthy hammered darts that just whistled wide. Later, McCarthy ripped another blast from the far side of the field, but SMC's goalie swallowed it before any damage could be done.
 
Meanwhile, on the defensive end, the Captains kept the Seahawks at bay. Danielle Pratt deflected a lengthy free kick in the middle of the stanza, while St. Mary's lone shot of the period sailed high to keep the game at 1-0 entering halftime.
 
Following the break, Christopher Newport added another quick strike. Two minutes into the stanza, Shaye Doherty sailed the ball towards the goal. Although SMC's keeper was able to handle the initial attempt, Cook swooped in and hammered a pointblank rocket that tattooed the back of the net for her record-breaking 12th goal of the year.
 
Staring at a two-goal deficit, the Seahawks attempted to rally but ran headfirst into the CNU defense. After earning a corner kick in the 48th minute, the visitors were stymied by Carly Maglio, who punched the ball out of the zone. Minutes later, St. Mary's appeared to slip free on a breakaway opportunity, but McCarthy caught up to the play and kicked the ball away just before a shot could be attempted.
 
After the defensive dominance, the Captains nearly struck again with nine minutes remaining in regulation. Kayla Locklear burst free on the far side of the field. Streaking towards the goal, she found herself one-on-one with the goalie, but the SMC keeper came out to contest the run and managed to get enough of the ball to break up the surge.
 
With time winding down, the defense settled in and capped off the shutout. McCarthy and Sydney Rife choked off a pair of runs to flip possession before Montel pounced on a roller near midfield. Later, in the waning moments, McCarthy booted away another lengthy run by the Seahawks to help seal the 2-0 triumph.
 
Overall, Christopher Newport held a 19-2 advantage in shots and an 8-3 lead in corners. Maglio earned the victory with a flawless performance between the pipes, while Sydney Larkin took the loss despite making four saves for the Seahawks.
 
CNU will return to action on Saturday when the squad hosts Senior Day against Penn State Harrisburg at 5 p.m.
 
---CNU---