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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- For the first time in program history, the Christopher Newport women's soccer team will head into conference play with an unblemished record, capping an unbeaten non-conference slate with a 4-1 victory over Roanoke College (3-3-1) on Wednesday night. The eighth-ranked Captains improved to 7-0-1 overall with the victory, as a pair of freshmen combined for seven points in a dominating offensive performance.
Rookies
Riley Cook and
Maxine Borris led the way for Christopher Newport in the non-conference finale, as Cook scored a pair, including the gamewinner, and Borris added a goal and an assist. CNU junior
Gabby Gillis also had a multi-point effort with a goal and an assist as well.
The victory improves CNU to 7-0-1, matching the record for longest unbeaten streak to open a season with the 8-0-0 mark established in the 2000 season.
The win was also a historical effort for CNU senior goalkeeper,
Carly Maglio, who picked up her 40th career victory. The senior netminder was already the program's all-time leader in victories, and reached the mark in just 50 games played. She joins Justin Wolfe (52-6-6 between 2008-11) as the only soccer goalkeepers in men's or women's history to reach the 40-win plateau.
Against Roanoke, the Captains got on the board quickly when Borris set up Gillis for the game's first goal in the 10th minute of action. Borris made a long run up the right side into the box and slipped a ball in front of the keeper and right to the foot of her junior teammate for the score. It was Gillis' fourth goal of the season and set the pace for what would prove to be a strong night offensivey.
In the 32nd minute, sophomore midfielder
Sydney Rife would play a picture-perfect through ball up the middle for Cook, who deposited her shot into the right side of the goal. It would hold up as the eventual game-winning strike, giving Cook her second winner of the season.
Cook would tack on her second of the day in the 56th minute of action when she made a brilliant play technically after a throw in. After trapping the ball to her feet, she turned on a defender, dribbled toward the inside of the field to find space and then ripped a hard shot from just outside the box over the goalkeepers' outstretched hands. Through the first eight games of her career, she is the team's leading scorer and one of the league's top threats offensively with seven goals and an assist for 15 total points.
The fourth and final CNU tally would come close to the net in the 63rd minute, when Gillis and Borris got tied up with eachother behind the Roanoke defense. Gillis flicked a short pass to the freshman on her left, who pounded home the shot into the top shelf. With the helper, Gillis moved into double-figure scoring on the year with 10 points (4g, 2a).
The CNU defense would give up one goal in the final five minutes when Jamie Obremski headed home a corner kick from Abigail Frazier. The final tally on the scoreboard was 4-1, but CNU held a distinct advantage in total shots. The Captains ripped 35 shots to Roanoke's six, and put 16 on-frame to the Maroons' five. CNU also had 13 corner kicks as compared to just one for RC.
With non-conference play in the rearview mirror, the Captains will now adjust their focus to the Capital Athletic Conference race, beginning Saturday. CNU will travel to York (Pa.) for the league opener at 4:00 pm.
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