LEXINGTON, Va. -- For the second straight game, the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team fought hard against a nationally-ranked opponent but came up short on the scoreboard as No. 10 Washington & Lee came away with an 11-4 victory during a non-conference showdown on Wednesday at Watt Field.

During the game, Colleen Bourgal contributed two points, including the 50th goal of her career. Julia Golden also scored and added a game-high four ground balls. Meanwhile, Kaitlyn Ready came through with her third straight double-digit save effort after notching 12 stops against the Generals.

With the setback, Christopher Newport falls to 2-3 on the season. The victory lifts Washington & Lee to an identical 2-3 record.

In the early going, the Captains struck quickly to snatch a fast 1-0 lead. After Catherine Leighty secured the opening draw, the offense went to work. Grabbing control, Bourgal weaved around three defenders at the top of the arc before dishing over to Tess D'Arcy. With the defense on its heels, D'Arcy blew past a General, stormed in, and blistered the back of the net to snatch an early advantage.

Following the opening strike, Ready did a solid job between the pipes to quiet W&L's counterattack. The sophomore made three saves, including a pair of stops on low liners off free-position attempts to keep the one-goal edge. Unfortunately, the Generals continued to pressure the CNU defense.

On their third eight-meter shot of the game, the hosts capitalized to pull even at one. Although Ready came back with two more stops on free-position attempts, Washington & Lee camped out in the offensive zone. The squad eventually strung together six straight goals to steal a 6-1 lead midway through the first half.

Looking to bounce back, the defense stepped up. Putting together an outstanding defensive stand, Mackenzie Regen pushed a shooter off her mark to force an errant attempt before Golden grabbed the roller. Moments later, after a yellow card gave Washington & Lee a man-up situation, Jordan Hayes and Hannah Curry double-teamed an attacker to force a turnover along the crease to regain possession.

Following her defensive work, Hayes capitalized on the other end. Still shorthanded, the junior cruised past a wall of Generals, slipped free for a moment, and jammed home a man-down strike to pull back within four at 6-2.

Although the hosts controlled the next draw, Ready made a pointblank save to thwart their ensuing possession before her offense took over again. Looking to crack the W&L defense, CNU flashed a methodical approach. After the squad worked the ball around the arc, Katie Orrison burst through and unloaded a shot that was turned away. Later, after another sustained possession, D'Arcy also fired a dart that was blocked before a pass intended for Hayes was intercepted.

With time running down, Christopher Newport came through with a great series to end the half on a positive note. First, on the defensive end, Corbyn Hale ran stride-for-stride with an attacker, who attempted to slip free on a breakaway. After the Generals eased up, they attempted one final shot that was batted down by Ready.

Looking to retaliate with seconds remaining on the clock, Sarah Culver engaged in a foot race with the W&L defense. Although the hosts managed to disrupt Culver's sprint near the top of the arc, Golden caught up to the play. Blowing right through three defenders, Golden secured a pass and sunk a shot as time expired to cut the deficit to three at 6-3.

With some momentum, the Captains looked re-energized in the second half. Following the same script that worked in the first period, Leighty secured the opening draw and remained vigilant on the offensive end during a man-up situation. The freshman attempted two pump fakes to loosen up the W&L defense before grabbing a loose ball after a shot deflected wide. Later, D'Arcy jumped on a roller after another Washington & Lee save to retain possession.

Still poking at the Generals, Carly Wilson took control behind the crease. Looking for an opening, she lofted a pass to Bourgal. With one defender to beat, the senior broke out a spin move, twirled around the General, and punched one home to inch within two at 6-4.

Unfortunately, Washington & Lee retaliated and scored back-to-back goals during a two-minute surge to regain a comfortable advantage.

Once again, the CNU defense stepped up and limited the damage to keep the hosts within striking distance. Regen rode a General across the eight-meter arc to force an errant pass. Moments later, Golden pressured a clear attempt to force a turnover. Although W&L regained possession, Hale and Caroline Kurtz badgered a pair of attackers to force off-kilter shots that were stoned by Ready.

Hoping to break free on the other side, the Captains attacked but could not find an opening. Wilson fed inside to Leighty, who unleashed a shot that was saved. Minutes later, Golden broke free on the interior, but W&L's Hannah Wiltshire made another tough stop to keep the lead at 8-4.

Digging in on both sides, Kurtz made a terrific play to break up an odd-man rush. Shortly thereafter, Bourgal swarmed a Washington & Lee clear attempt to force another turnover, while pressure by Regen and Curry helped cause a crease violation. Ready also plucked a shot out of the air for her 12th save after a strong ride by Golden, but the hosts never wavered.

Despite the relentless defensive effort by CNU, the Generals slowly pulled away. Eventually, the squad tacked on three late goals to lock up the 11-4 victory.

Overall, Washington & Lee held a slim 27-22 lead in shots and an 11-5 edge on the draw. Christopher Newport had a 14-13 advantage in ground balls, including four by Golden and three by Bourgal.

Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday when the squad hosts Meredith at 4 p.m.

---CNU---