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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- In the latest chapter in the rich history of thrilling contests between Christopher Newport and Virginia Wesleyan men's soccer, the Captains escaped victorious on Wednesday night with a 4-2 decision over their cross-water rivals. Leaning on leading scorers Jimmy Grace and Stephen Durbin, Christopher Newport improved to 4-2-0 on the season while the Marlins suffered just their second loss of the season, falling to 5-2-0. 

Playing in front of a season-high crowd of nearly 900 on a steamy night at Captains Field, Christopher Newport was tested early and challenged late in the contest, but the home team managed to pull out a 4-2 win. Grace and Durbin each scored twice, with three of the four goals coming after halftime. 

At the outset of the game, Virginia Wesleyan took control immediately and made two strong runs at the goal within the first three minutes. Leading scorer Ricky Perrault blitzed by the defense and took a hard shot on-frame just 17 seconds in, and Tyriq Wellman made a nice play for a shot on-goal with 2:12 expired. CNU junior goalkeeper Zach Pedini made both stops, and picked up a third save in the 25th minute to keep the aggressive Marlins attack off the board. 

CNU would cash in first, when awarded a penalty kick in the 26th minute after Grace was taken down in the box. The senior stepped up to the mark and smashed a hard shot into the right for the game's first goal. It was his first PK goal of the season and fifth of his career. 

After carrying a 1-0 lead into halftime, the Captains offense revved into gear after the break. Just under ten minutes into the second stanza, Durbin scored his first of the night off a beautiful feed from sophomore Noah Peizer. Tracking down the right side, Peizer slipped a low pass through a pair of defenders for Durbin, who took one step and smashed a hard shot into the left side of the goal. 

The junior forward would add his fifth goal of the season in the 73rd minute of action when he took advantage of a misplay by the Virginia Wesleyan defense. Sophomore midfielder Samsu Sallah played a long pass into the box from the right side and the ball trickled between a Marlins defender and goalkeeper Nick Peterson, leaving the streaking Durbin all alone on the back end for an easy conversion. 

With a 3-0 lead in hand, the Captains were far from able to coast to an easy victory against the tough Marlins opponent. Just two minutes after Durbin pushed the lead to three, a similar misplay by the Captains defense allowed Ryan Kraus to score off a long assist from Peterson on a free kick. As the Marlins pushed everything forward, they would pull back within one goal when Ikechukwu Etonyeaku scored on a hard pass from Miciah Brown. Brown found Etonyeaku open in the box, where he turned and bounced a shot into the right side. 

Despite short time, the Marlins refused to disappear. After physical play led to a free kick with the clock winding down, Virginia Wesleyan put all 11 player on the CNU side of midfield. Peterson tried to deliver a strong serve with 23 seconds remaining, but the Captains defensed it perfectly and turned the last play into a rush of white jerseys across midfield with the ball and no one in front of them. As the final countdown waged, Grace placed a perfect shot from just inside of midfield into the open net for the final score. 

Grace now has seven goals and two assists for 16 points on the season, ranking second in the Capital Athletic Conference.

In the 43rd all-time meeting between the two programs, separated by just over 25 miles of real estate, the Captains notched their fourth straight win and improved to 8-1-1 since 2008.

CNU will next play on Saturday, September 23 as the Captains travel to York (Pa.) for a 7:00 pm kickoff against the Spartans. The game will be played as part of a doubleheader with the women's programs. 

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