VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- Making a play for one of the finest opening weekend's in the nation, Christopher Newport University senior midfielder Gabby Gillis capped a dominating performance at the Atlantic Orthopedics Soccer Tournament with her second career hat trick and an assist, leading CNU to a 6-0 win over the College of Saint Benedict (0-2-0). The 17th-ranked CNU women's soccer team scored five goals in the first half, cruising to a 2-0-0 start to the season with the shutout victory.

In the two-day event, Gillis finished the weekend with five goals and an assist for an 11-point start to the season. She scored the game-winning goal in both contests, including the winner against a top-ten team on Friday night in #9 Wisconsin-La Crosse. The senior was the programs' first-ever first-team All-American last season and finished the year with 34 points; this season, she has gotten off to a torrid start in her final campaign. 

She kicked off the scoring in the 11th minute of action when defender Keiley McCarthy set up the eventual game-winning goal on a feed to sophomore Riley Cook. The second-year forward then found Gillis for a low shot into the bottom corner of the goal. 

Less than a minute later, sophomore Maddie Cochran kept the play alive with a tough play against her defender. She was able to find Cook open on the back post to slam home the score for a quick 2-0 lead. The offensive flurry continued when Gillis captured her second goal of the match in the 15th minute of play. Sophomore Maxine Borris crossed the ball into the box for Gillis, knocking it in for the score. 

The offensive efficiency was impressive in the first half, as CNU scored five goals on nine shots. The fourth goal came in the 23rd minute when Maddie Cochran connected on an unassisted tally for her first goal of the season, and the final goal of the first frame featured Hailey Shaw and Gillis combining to set up Hailey Price in the 26th minute.

Saint Benedict managed just two shots in the contest, with both coming in the first 45 minutes of action. Megan Thompson took both shots and challenged CNU goalkeeper Maddy Belanger with both, but the junior netminder stoned both attempts. 

Gillis wrapped up her second career hat trick early into the second half when she scored just 6:24 into the stanza. Borris again set up Gillis for the tally, rounding out her impressive opening weekend. Her first career three-goal game came last season against Wesley College and tonight's hat trick is the 22nd in program history. She is the 14th player in program history with at least one and only the 6th to register more than one in her career. 

With the 11-point weekend, Gillis has moved into the top ten all-time in career scoring at CNU with 66 points. She also now ranks 8th in career goals (28) and tied for 8th in career game-winning goals (8). 

CNU will stay on the road for their next contest, traveling to Dickinson College on Wednesday, September 5 for a 4:00 pm game in Carlisle, Pa. Following that match, the Captains will return to Newport News for their home opener next weekend in the Captains Classic against nationally-ranked Johns Hopkins on September 9.