Box Score in HTML Format

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- A pair of freshmen combined to score all three goals and the Captains outshot their opponent 32-8 on Sunday afternoon as Christopher Newport cruised by Methodist (0-4-0) in the 2017 CNU Captains Invite, 3-1. CNU got two goals from rookie Maddie Cochran and an insurance tally off the foot of freshman Riley Cook while improving to 4-0-1 on the season. 

It is just the third time in program history that CNU has remained unbeaten through the first five games of the season, and the second time in the last three years. The Captains, playing in the day's first game due to a schedule adjustment forced by Hurricane Irma, dominated the action against the Monarchs on Sunday with 11 shots on-goal and an 11-1 disparity in corner kicks. 

The edge on the offensive side of the ball would show on the scoreboard in the 25th minute when CNU got on the board first. Junior midfielder Gabby Gillis played a picture-perfect through ball to the left side for Cochran, who was alone in the box for a shot on the keeper. The freshman drilled the attempt for her second goal of the season to get CNU out to the first-half lead. 

After carrying a 1-0 edge into the break, the Captains, and Cochran, would tack on an important second goal just minutes into the second half. CNU burst out of the gates in the second stanza, with Alex Miller delivering a header on frame, followed by another shot by Cochran that was stopped by Methodist goalkeeper Emily Benton. Just under four minutes into the second half, though, CNU defender Keiley McCarthy made an exceptional run up the left side of the field before serving a pass by Benton in the box. With no one in front of her, Cochran collected and deposited the eventual game-winning goal from inside the six-yard box. 

Methodist would get on the board in the middle of scrum just a few minutes later, cutting the lead back to just one. After Alexa Smith found herself one-on-one with CNU senior goalkeeper Carly Maglio, she tried to slip a shot under for the goal, but Maglio came up with the stop. As players from both teams crashed into the box, Maglio was helpless to stop the second attempt from Camryn Amaker, who finally slipped the ball through a pair of CNU defenders for the score. 

Rounding out the scoring was Riley Cook, who cleaned up a beautiful shot from Gillis in the 64th minute of action. Gillis got loose down the right side and pounded a hard shot off of Benton's gloves that rebounded right to Cook's feet. The freshman then tickled the twine for the third and final goal for CNU, marking her fourth already in her young career. 

In total, the Captains outshot their opponent, 32-8, with an 11-5 advantage in shots on-goal. CNU collected 11 corner kicks and maintained possession in their attacking zone for the bulk of the contest. 

CNU will now hit the road south for a pair of games in Atlanta, Ga. next weekend as the Captains take on Emory University on September 15 and Berry College, on Emory's campus, on September 17.