NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Christopher Newport senior Gabby Gillis became just the sixth player in program history to register multiple hat tricks in her career when she scored three goals to lead the 25th-ranked women's soccer team to a 5-0 win over Southern Virginia University on Wednesday night. Gillis scored two goals in the first half, including the gamewinner, and one early in the second to lead CNU to their 10th win of the season. 

The 2018 season marks the third straight schedule the Captains have reached the 10-win mark in just 11 games as they improved to 10-1-0, 3-0-0 on the season with the victory. Southern Virginia fell to 4-8-0, 0-3-0 after their third straight shutout loss. 

After surrendering the league lead in scoring to her teammate Riley Cook after Monday night's hat trick, Gillis was quick to respond with a three-goal performance of her own. Cook added her sixth assist of the season and the two are knotted at 28 points apiece for the team and league-lead. 

Gillis has scored a league-high 12 goals after the impressive performance on Wednesday. The last player to notch two hat tricks in her career was Victoria Perry in 2014. Her first two goals came off picture-perfect passes from the right side of the field. Gillis was positioned well in the middle of the box when Riley Cook found her right foot for a volley in the 9th minute of action, and again in the 30th minute when Maxine Borris connected with Gillis for a header. 

Cook and Borris registered their team-leading sixth assists of the season on the finish. Five different players assisted on the five goals in Wednesday's game, led by the first two from the team leaders. 

CNU scored two more goals in the first half in a quick stretch with less than 15 minutes remaining. First, seniors Kayla Locklear and Taylor Hudgins hooked up for a score in the 32nd minute in front of the goal. Off a corner kick, Hudgins flicked a ball across the goalmouth to the head of Locklear, who passed the ball right back to Hudgins for the finish on the right side. The fourth goal of the match came when a cross from Maddie Kelsey glanced off a defender and into the chest of Emily Schoka. Schoka's chest-pass went right to the foot of Kristina Toms, who blasted a hard shot high into the right side of the goal for her second score of the week.

The scoring wrapped up early in the second half when Gillis completed her hat trick just under six minutes into the frame. Rookie Abby Harrigan played a sensational pass into the box where Gillis connected on a lofted shot into the far pocket of the goal.

With the six-point performance, Gillis moved into the top five all-time in scoring at CNU with 83 career points. She is also tied with Emily Renkin for fourth on the all-time goals scored list with 35. With her ninth game-winning goal on Wednesday, she moved into a tie for 8th all-time at CNU with Ashleigh Dota. 

The defense had another spectacular game, as CNU outshot the Knights, 38-3. The Captains managed to play 26 players in the game, with all but one of them playing at least 20 minutes. 

Christopher Newport will look to remain unbeaten in conference play when they return to action on Saturday, October 13 for Senior Night against the York College of Pennsylvania Spartans. Game time is set for 5:00 pm.