YORK, Pa. -- Kaitlyn Ready established a new single-season program record for saves, and the Captains flashed a well-balanced attack with nine different players registering at least one point, but the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team could not keep up with the high-powered Spartans as No. 7 York (Pa.) picked up a 21-12 victory on Saturday at Kinsley Field.
                                                                                 
Against the Spartans, Ready collected 20 saves, which marked the third-highest single-game total in program history. It also stands as the most stops by a Captain in 13 years. Guided by that performance, the sophomore set a new single-season record for saves with 180. That tops the previous standard of 171, which was established by Hanna Slough in 2014.
 
Along with Ready's work on the defensive side, three different players posted multi-goal efforts for CNU. Sarah Culver led the way with three strikes, while Catherine Leighty and Colleen Bourgal contributed two apiece. Julia Golden also added a pair of points for the Captains.
 
With the setback, Christopher Newport falls to 7-8 on the season, including 3-3 in league action. The victory bumps York (Pa.) to 9-3 with a 4-1 mark in CAC play.
 
Looking sharp at the beginning of the contest, the Captains took an early lead after scoring two of the game's first three goals. Just over a minute into regulation, Bourgal kicked off the scoring after spinning around a defender on the interior before depositing the game's opening strike. Four minutes later, Carly Wilson drew three defenders on the far side of the field before hitting Golden, who slipped into space with a perfect cut on the way to a 2-1 edge.
 
Unfortunately, things turned quickly after that point. The hosts strung together six straight goals, including four during a two-minute window, to snatch a 7-2 lead midway into the first half.
 
Battling back, Ready stoned three straight shots after that point, including a pair of free-position attempts, to keep the Spartans within reach. Meanwhile, on the other side, Culver added the squad's third goal. After earning an eight-meter attempt, her ensuing shot was stopped, but she stayed with the play. The ball eventually popped loose, and the junior star grabbed her own rebound and pounded a dart into the back of the net to cut the deficit to 7-3.
 
Sadly, the Spartans never relented. YCP lit up the scoreboard three more times after that goal to grab a 10-3 advantage. Although Culver retaliated with two late goals at the tail end of the first half, York never lost its rhythm and eventually took a 13-5 edge into the break.
 
Needing to work fast early in the second half, the Captains started chipping away at their deficit. Caroline Kurtz went low on a free-position attempt to open the scoring in the final stanza. Just over a minute later, Tess D'Arcy took advantage of a one-on-one situation. With a defender on her hip, she curled around the zone before slipping free and sniping a laser inside the right pipe.
 
Trading blows, the Spartans answered with back-to-back goals of their own before Christopher Newport caught fire again. With 20 minutes remaining, Leighty used a nice stutter-step to create a little space before barreling inside on the way to the squad's eighth goal. One minute later, the freshman flashed her hands with a pinpoint pass while falling to the turf. Capitalizing on the feed, Jordan Hayes snapped off another low liner to inch within six at 15-9.
 
Unfortunately, that was as close as the Captains would come. Picking up the pressure, York punched in five straight goals to gain a double-digit advantage at 20-9 with 10 minutes remaining in regulation.
 
Battling until the very end, Leighty converted a free-position attempt and Caitlin King added the squad's final strike after rolling around a defender along the right pipe, but the Spartans eventually closed out the 21-12 triumph.
 
York held a 48-29 advantage in shots and an 18-16 lead in ground balls. D'Arcy led CNU with three rollers, while Culver and Corbyn Hale collected two apiece. Meanwhile, the Spartans also controlled 23 of the game's 35 draws.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action on Wednesday when the squad comes back home for a 4 p.m. tilt against Southern Virginia.
 
---CNU---