SALISBURY, Md. -- Salisbury University tied the game at 1-1 with less than four minutes remaining in regulation, but Christopher Newport senior
Derek Cook ensured the Captains would go home happy with the game-winning goal in the final two minutes. The 21st-ranked men's soccer team pulled out a 2-1 win on the road to remain undefeated in conference play through the first trip through the double round robin CAC schedule.
With the win, Christopher Newport improved to 8-1-3 overall and 5-0-0 in league action while Salisbury fell to 6-6-1, 1-4-0.
Derek Cook scored the game-winning goal in the 89th minute with just 1:25 left on the clock, marking the latest winner in regulation in over two decades for the Captains. It would come on a penalty kick as Cook has now converted a perfect 4-for-4 from the penalty spot this season.
The hotly contested matchup saw both teams finish the first half scoreless with three shots taken apiece in the opening stanza. Christopher Newport put a pair on frame in the first 45 minutes but Salisbury keeper Gabe Dunn stopped both.
Justin Piercy, in goal for the Captains, was untested in the first half.
As the matchup intensified throughout the second half, it was the nationally-ranked Captains that got on the board first in the 69th minute of play. A ball that was headed back toward Dunn by a defender was cut off by
Lincoln Kickbush before he could get his hands on it. Kickbush put one touch on the ball and chipped the keeper into the right side of the goal for his sixth score of the season.
After the frenzied celebration, the Captains defense held onto the 1-0 lead for nearly 20 minutes before Cullen Myers evened the score with just under four minutes remaining in the game. The unassisted score by Myers made it 1-1 with 3:46 left on the clock and came after Piercy made back-to-back saves on attempts from Kevin Eriksen and Ryan Spadin in the final ten minutes.
That would set up the dramatic PK goal for Cook with less than 90 seconds remaining as the Captains would hold on for their fifth consecutive win.
Christopher Newport will stay on the road to face St. Mary's (Md.) in their next game after just having faced the Seahawks on Wednesday night. The Captains earned a 3-1 win over St. Mary's at home and will now travel to Maryland to face the Seahawks on the road this Wednesday, October 16 at 7:00 pm.
