NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- With just over two seconds remaining in regulation, Sarah Culver laced a free-position goal to cap off an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride as the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team took down St. Mary's (Md.) in an epic Capital Athletic Conference bout on a sun-splashed Saturday afternoon at Captains Turf Field.
 
Culver's game-winning goal was her fifth strike of the contest, while Carly Wilson contributed seven points, including five assists. Gracie Sanders also came through with her first collegiate hat-trick, which featured two crucial strikes late in the contest.
 
Along with the leading scorers, Julia Golden blanketed the field from end to end. The junior posted four caused turnovers, including one with seconds remaining to set up Culver's goal. She also chipped in with five ground balls, five draw controls, and a pair of points during a well-rounded performance.
 
With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 6-5 on the season, including 2-0 in league action. St. Mary's (Md.) now sits at 4-6 overall and 0-2 in CAC play.
 
After the Seahawks managed to knot the score at 11 with 12 minutes remaining in regulation, the Captains settled in. Fittingly, Culver kicked off the late push. After controlling the ensuing draw, the slippery star wiggled through three defenders in close quarters before jamming home a dart on the run to regain a small advantage.
 
On the other side of the field, Kaitlyn Ready stoned St. Mary's next shot before Mackenzie Regen put together a highlight-reel stretch to regain possession. First, the sophomore defender used a great box out to keep an SMC attacker from grabbing the ball near the far sideline. After scooping up the roller herself, she was pinned deep in the defensive zone. Needing to clear some space, she broke a Seahawk's ankles with a devastating move to jumpstart a clear.
 
After the Captains worked the ball down the field, the CNU attack quickly capitalized as Sanders converted a feed from Wilson to stretch the lead to 13-11.
 
Retaliating, St. Mary's shot back with two straight goals to even the score at 13 with less than three minutes left on the clock. After that point, both squads dug in for a frantic rally with time winding down.
 
Christopher Newport had the first opportunity to break the deadlock after Golden secured the draw, but Catherine Leighty's laser was brushed aside by the SMC keeper. Less than a minute later, the Seahawks earned a free-position attempt from the near side of the arc. Needing a big-time play, Golden rode the hip of the Seahawk before Ready came through with a game-saving stop to keep the score knotted at 13.
 
After a back-and-forth battle for possession in the final minute, Golden finally took control with eight ticks left on the clock. Burning up the field, Samantha Wettengel grabbed possession before Culver took over. Lowering her shoulder near the top of the zone, she drew contact and earned a free-position attempt after barreling through a Seahawk.
 
With a clean look at the cage, the junior capitalized and buried an eight-meter missile in the back of the net to cap off the 14-13 triumph.
 
Overall, Christopher Newport held a 38-32 advantage in shots and a 29-21 edge in ground balls. The Captains also controlled 16 of the game's 29 draws, including five apiece by Golden, Culver, and Leighty.
 
Almost 60 minutes before capping off the contest, Culver drew first blood. After Leighty controlled the opening draw, Culver made a fast statement. Just 12 seconds into the contest, the third-year star bolted through the defense and landed the game's first blow. That marked the third-fastest opening strike in program history.
 
Unfortunately, St. Mary's had an answer. Although Wilson scored CNU's second goal in the 10th minute of action, the visitors lit up the scoreboard five times to steal a 5-2 advantage midway through the opening period.
 
Needing to buckle down on the defensive end, the Captains settled in. Alexa Hladick bullied an attacker completely around the crease before Regen followed suit. Moments later, Tess D'Arcy prevented a cutter from slipping free to end another threat in the middle of the stanza.
 
Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, the CNU attack found its groove. Leighty spun a free-position dart from long range. Following an SMC goal, the Captains struck three times in less than two minutes. Caitlin King found Wilson cutting along the crease for the squad's fourth strike. Later, Sanders landed a bounce shot from the doorstep before Golden fed over the top of the defense to Wettengel, who evened the score at six.
 
Despite back-to-back goals by the Seahawks, Christopher Newport never lost its rhythm. On the defensive end, Ready walled off two more free-position attempts. Meanwhile, Golden chipped the deficit back down to one with a screamer off a feed from Wilson just before the break.
 
After halftime, the defense continued to blanket St. Mary's. Ready made back-to-back saves to open the second period. Later, Hladick punched the ball out of the stick of an attacker before Sanders stripped another Seahawk. Madison Callan also grabbed her third ground ball of the contest to help silence a rally. Although SMC was finally able to break free in the 37th minute, Christopher Newport responded.
 
Taking advantage of another outstanding defensive play, the Captains stormed down the field after Colleen Bourgal snatched the ball away from the Seahawks. On a dead sprint towards the cage, Culver laced a dart on the run to pull within one at 9-8.
 
Trading punches, St. Mary's regained a two-goal edge before CNU found its stride. With 20 minutes left, Culver rolled back around a defender, switched hands, and shrugged off another bruising hit on the interior for her third goal. Two minutes later, following an SMC card, Bourgal drove home a man-up tally to knot the score at 10.
 
Still fighting, the Captains quickly came back for more. King showed off her hands by grabbing a high hopper deep in the offensive zone to prevent a clear attempt by the Seahawks. Seconds later, Sanders capitalized after securing a feed from Wilson to earn a one-goal edge at 11-10.
 
Following the offensive assault, the defense was equally impressive. Ready flashed her versatility, plucking a high bullet before smothering a low liner on back-to-back shots. D'Arcy also cleared the zone momentarily with a scorching run up the field before Hladick brought the hammer down on another SMC attacker to force a turnover.
 
Although the Seahawks were eventually able to overcome the defensive work of the Captains and steal a late lead, CNU had enough left in the tank to cap off the thrilling victory with some last-second heroics.
 
Ready eventually finished the game with 12 saves, marking her ninth consecutive double-digit effort. She already has 132 stops this year, which leads the CAC and ranks as the ninth-highest single-season total in program history.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action on Wednesday at 5 p.m. when the Captains travel to No. 3 Salisbury for another league showdown.
 
---CNU---