NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Ariana Samuel drilled the game-winning goal in the 52nd minute after capitalizing on a feed from Lily Bryngelson, while the defense pieced together another gritty performance to lead the sixth-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team to a 2-1 victory over Vassar on a boiling Friday afternoon at Captains Turf Field.

Earning her first start since her collegiate debut last year, Samuel rewarded the Captains with her third career strike to close out the scoring. Meanwhile, Courtney Fiest laced her third goal of the season after roping a dart in the 21st minute to kick off the festivities.

On the defensive side, Olivia Davis starred between the pipes. The junior came through with a career-high eight saves, including seven in the first half. Although she saw her shutout streak come to an end with Vassar's tally in the 50th minute, she had not been scored upon in the previous 224 minutes dating back to her debut in 2016. That now stands as the ninth-longest shutout streak in program history.

Along with Davis, Nyla Lewis added her first career defensive save after stoning a tough deflection in the 17th minute. Fellow freshman Izzy Diz also teamed up with veterans Courtnie Greene and Kennedy Johnson to help quiet a Vassar attack that entered the contest averaging seven goals per game.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 2-0 on the season. The setback drops Vassar to 2-1.

Facing a potent attack, the Captains were tested early by the Brewers. Just over 10 minutes into the contest, Davis stood up against a tough assault along the right pipe as she clamped down on a pair of attackers before Greene scurried out of the scrum with the ball to end the threat. Moments later, Johnson picked the pocket of another Brewer close to the borderline on the far side of the field to stamp out a separate threat.

With Vassar continuing to poke at the CNU back line, Davis brushed aside another dagger off a corner attempt, while Lewis chipped in with her defensive save to wipe away another rally in the middle of the half.

Looking to step up on the other side, Fiest took care of business. In the 21st minute, she took a feed from Greene at midfield. From there, she did the rest herself. Rolling past one Brewer, she eventually picked up a head of steam and split two more players while motoring down the field. Leaving a trail of defenders in her wake, she eventually used a nice touch pass to herself to clear a fourth Brewer before pulling up and blasting a missile from just inside the arc to give the hosts a 1-0 edge.

Staring at a deficit, Vassar attempted to respond, but the Captains were up to the task. Jackie Kotoriy got her stick on a pass near midfield to thwart a run before Natalie Corson came charging onto the field and broke up a clearing attempt by the VC defense. Minutes later, Diz cleared out a bouncer that found its way into the center of the circle before Fiest made a textbook tackle along the arc to cut off another threat.

With just moments remaining in the first half, the visitors earned a corner, but Greene nearly single-handedly slammed the door on the attempt. On the initial shot, she bolted out of the cage and deflected the ball before any damage could be done. Although Vassar kept control after the deflection, Greene dropped back down towards the goal, secured a loose ball, and sent it sailing out of the circle to keep the one-goal edge entering halftime.

Following a well-earned break, the CNU defense returned to the field in the second half and continued to silence the marauding Vassar attack. Greene squared off with a Brewer in a one-on-one situation along the back line before forcing a turnover and clearing the defensive zone with a teardrop aerial. Minutes later, she stole a second roller and used another floater to flip the field again.

Although Vassar managed to find some daylight in the 50th minute off a corner to even the score at one, Christopher Newport had an immediate response. Less than two minutes later, Johnson fired a laser into the circle. After the ball was batted around for a brief moment, Bryngelson secured the bouncer along the left post. Standing toe-to-toe with the goalie and a defender, she used tremendous instincts to spin the ball behind her back after falling to a knee. Crashing down on the back side, Samuel collected the feed along the goal line before punching home the go-ahead strike, which gave CNU a 2-1 advantage.

Looking to stretch the lead, Rachel Cooke fought through a pair of defenders to earn a corner with 13 minutes left, but the Captains were unable to find an opening. Later, Rachael Allshouse intercepted a pass off a restart on the VC side of the field before Lewis forced a turnover along the sideline to continue thwarting Vassar's charges.

Still searching for the equalizer, the Brewers earned a corner with less than four minutes remaining. Following a timeout to set up the play, the visitors laced a screamer towards the cage, but Davis brushed it aside before Cooke swallowed the rebound and shoveled it out of the circle. With time ticking down, Kotoriy cleared the zone, Sarah Coon ripped a roller from a Vassar midfielder, and Kirsten Zeigler prevented a Brewer from slipping free along the arc.

With just a minute left, Johnson took possession and cleared a midfielder with a gorgeous cutback. Shortly thereafter, she tipped the ball around another defender and sent it sailing into the offensive zone to cut crucial time off the clock. Although the Brewers managed to work the ball back into their offensive zone with seconds left on the clock, Greene was playing deep and jabbed it away to lock up the victory.

Overall, Vassar held a 15-7 edge in shots and a 6-2 lead in corners, but the Christopher Newport defense held up and overcame the statistical discrepancies to seal the win.

CNU will return to action on Sunday when the squad faces its first road test of the year with a 1 p.m. battle at Virginia Wesleyan.

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