OBERLIN, Ohio -- Madison Doss registered her first career hat-trick and the defense posted its third straight shutout as the Christopher Newport field hockey team remained unbeaten with a 6-0 victory over Oberlin during a non-conference battle on Friday evening at the Austin E. Knowlton Athletics Complex.
 
Against the Yeowomen, Doss deposited the first two goals of the game before adding a dart late in the second half to polish off her hat-trick. With her performance, the senior became the 15th Captain to notch three goals in a game. She also added an assist to finish with seven points, equaling the fifth-highest single-game total in CNU history.
 
Along with Doss, Rachel Cooke snapped off a pair of goals for the Captains, while Jackie Kotoriy chipped in with a strike as well. Meanwhile, on the defensive end, the Captains limited Oberlin to just one shot during the contest. Benefiting from the defensive dominance, Stephanie McKinney earned her third win of the season with 35 minutes of pristine work between the pipes. The senior goalie has now gone 395 consecutive minutes without allowing a goal dating back to her first collegiate appearance. That run ranks as the second-longest streak in program history and stands just 28 minutes shy of matching the all-time program record established by Elexa Nosonchuk in 2007.
 
With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 3-0 on the season, while the setback drops Oberlin to 1-3.
 
From the very beginning, the Captains controlled possession and set the tone early. Feeling out the Oberlin defense, the CNU attack was methodical in the early going as it poked at the back line. Although the hosts managed to keep a tight lid on the goal during the first few minutes, Doss eventually found some daylight and kicked off the scoring.
 
In the seventh minute, Courtnie Greene weaved through several Yeowomen on the near side of the field before sending a feed to the top of the zone. Eventually, Courtney Fiest gained control and connected with Doss, who pounded home her first strike. Later, the senior came through with her second tally after Brittan Muir slammed the door on a run up the near sideline.
 
After taking possession, Doss found herself on the end line. Bullying the defense, she marched towards the cage until she found herself staring down the goalie. After finding her angle, she lofted a shot through the keeper to push the lead to 2-0 in the 19th minute.
 
Refusing to let Doss have all the fun, Cooke added the squad's third strike just three minutes later. Face-to-face with a defender at the top of the circle, she whipped around and backhanded a dart through the defense for her first goal of the season. Moments later, a pair of freshmen joined forces on the fourth tally. Lily Bryngelson carved up the defense with a perfectly-placed pass straight through a cluttered zone. On the other side, Kotoriy gathered the feed along the left post and punched it home from the doorstep to snatch a 4-0 edge.
 
Facing a daunting deficit, Oberlin called for a timeout and attempted to regroup. Following the stoppage, the Yeowomen pushed the ball into the offensive zone for their first sustained rally of the game. Refusing to break, Bailey Miller was relentless along the near side of the field and badgered a host of attackers to prevent a clean look at the cage. Later, after the hosts managed to earn a corner, Cooke came bolting out to the top of the circle, pressured the shooter, and disrupted the ensuing attempt before it posed any real threat.
 
After clamping down on Oberlin's surge, the Captains retook control and kept things quiet entering halftime.
 
Following the break, Christopher Newport grabbed possession and remained aggressive. Preventing the ball from getting anywhere near midfield, Mackenzie Neylon intercepted a rainbow up the right sideline before Alexa Weaver picked off a clearing attempt and muscled her way through three midfielders to keep control. Moments later, after the Yeowomen tried to cross midfield again with another aerial assault, Kennedy Johnson found herself on the other end of the floater before pounding the roller back to her attack.
 
After CNU controlled possession for nearly 15 minutes, Oberlin finally managed to dribble the ball across midfield, but Fiest jabbed it away again before the attack went back to work.
 
In the 52nd minute, following a corner, Doss found Cooke, who settled at the top of the zone. After a little hesitation to throw off the defense, the sophomore star unleashed a screaming one-timer from long-range for her second goal of the contest.
 
With a 5-0 lead, the Captains closed out the game in style. Carol Thompson thwarted a surge up the left sideline with a textbook tackle before Doss disrupted a run up the other side. After taking control, the senior burst back into the circle to earn a corner with six minutes left in regulation. After the insertion, Miller laced a shot that loosened up the defense before Weaver hammered away down low. Although the Yeowomen held up momentarily, Doss swooped in and quickly knocked home her third strike to cap off the scoring and wrap up her historic outing.
 
Overall, Christopher Newport out-shot Oberlin, 44-1, and held a 12-1 edge in penalty corners. Along with McKinney, Olivia Davis and Mary Grace Humes combined on the shutout, while Kennedy Kline came through with 19 saves for the Yeowomen.
 
CNU will return to action on Sunday when the team heads to Gambier, Ohio for an 11 a.m. showdown with Kenyon.
 
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