LYNCHBURG, Va. -- The nationally-ranked Christopher Newport women's soccer team scored first at Shellenberger Field Wednesday night, but suffered a 2-1 setback for their first loss of the season at the University of Lynchburg. The Hornets, ranked No. 12 in the D3soccer.com Top 25, answered CNU's goal quickly with two of their own and the defense held on despite several narrow misses by the Captains' dangerous attack. 

The Captains fall to 5-1-0 on the season with the loss, in a game that was delayed 45 minutes due to thunderstorms in the Lynchburg area. CNU has now seen eight of their ten scheduled games impacted by weather in one way or another, including four postponements. 

In the first three minutes, Lynchburg's Taylor Smith managed to get loose for a shot on-goal, but CNU sophomore goalkeeper Haley Eiser made the stop. After that initial burst by the home team, the Captains took control of the action and flooded the Lynchburg box with attempts. Maddie Cochran, Riley Cook, and Gabby Gillis all had looks turned away by the Hornets defense, and Gillis put the first shot on-frame for the Captains in the 26th minute. 

Neither team managed to convert on the offensive side in the first half as the Captains were held scoreless for just the second time this season in the opening stanza. CNU out-shot the Hornets, 8-5, including three shots on-goal. 

The Hornets looked more comfortable early in the second half, earning three corner kicks in the first 10 minutes of action. Dana Seavey also nearly put Lynchburg on top in the 61st minute with a shot from the top of the box, but Eiser made a sensational diving save with one arm fully outstretched to poke the ball away. A second attempt by Caitlin Mertens was blocked out of bounds as the CNU defense held. 

Just minutes later, the Captains offense earned a corner kick of their own, taken by junior Carson Pokorny. The ball came in low, but right to the body of leading scorer Gabby Gillis, who knocked in the game's first goal for her seventh score of the season. The assist was Pokorny's second of the year. 

Gillis' goal opened a quick scoring burst in the game, as all three goals were scored in the span of under six minutes of game action. The Lynchburg attack wasted no time getting the equalizer as the Hornets scored just over a minute after Gillis' tally to knot the score at 1-1. Then, the go-ahead score came in the 74th minute when Kennedy Jakubek found Mertens for a header and her second goal of the day. 

With less than 20 minutes to play, the Captains got three more looks at game-tying goals that missed by merely inches. The first came when Maxine Borris slipped her defender and slammed a hard shot just high of the goal in the 75th minute; then, Gillis worked her way through the box and got a beautiful look toward the left side of the goal. Lynchburg goalkeeper Delia LoSapio just got the tips of her fingers on the ball, directing the shot off the left post. Finally, Sabrina Gillis powered a shot from 30 yards toward the goal, but LoSapio again made the save. 

CNU outshot the home team, 17-13, and both teams put seven shots on-goal. Eiser notched five saves in the game for the Captains, while LoSapio stopped six. Gillis put four of her six attempts on frame for the Captains while Mertens notched two SOG in her five attempts. 

All three goals were scored by players recognized as United Soccer Coaches National Players of the Week, as Gabby Gillis was recognized for the Captains and Caitlin Mertens was named this week for the Hornets. 

The Captains turn to conference play this weekend as they host Penn State Harrisburg (5-4-1) on Saturday, September 29 at 4:00 pm. It will be the home opener for CNU, who have played all six finished games on their schedule away from Captains Field. Live stats and a live video webcast will be available at CNUsports.com.