YORK, Pa. -- Making a little history while anchoring an electric attack, Abby Asuncion and Courtney Fiest both scored a pair of goals, while the defense stood tall throughout the contest as the 13th-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team toppled York (Pa.), 5-1, during a Capital Athletic Conference clash on Saturday afternoon at Kinsley Field.

Placing her name in the history books, Asuncion's outburst on Saturday gave her 16 points in conference action this year. With one game left to play, that already stands as the highest single-season total by a Captain in program history. The freshman phenom entered Saturday tied with former All-Americans Courtnie Greene and Belle Tunstall, who both had 12 points in league action during their decorated junior campaigns.

Meanwhile, Fiest also joined exclusive company with her five-point eruption against the Spartans. Buoyed by her two goals, she became just the 12th player in program history to eclipse 25 career strikes and only the seventh to reach that milestone in fewer than 50 games. Fittingly, while Fiest became the latest Captain to score 25 goals in fewer than 50 contests, the very first to accomplish that feat was her former high school coach, Wendy Wilson, who reached the mark in a program-best 20 games during the first two seasons in program history.

Along with the history-makers, Mauri Ware also connected on her 11th goal of the season, while Jackie Kotoriy and Rachel Cooke added assists.

With the victory, Christopher Newport moved to 12-4 on the season and handed the Spartans' their most lopsided home loss since a 6-0 setback against No. 1 Salisbury on October 18, 2014. Overall this season, York (Pa.) now sits at 9-8.

Continuing to flash the squad's quick-strike capabilities, the Captains scored in the first four minutes of regulation for the third straight game. With pressure mounting on the York back line, Ware slammed a cross into the circle. On the other end, battling for position in the middle of a scrum, Asuncion settled the pass and whipped a low liner through the defense for the game's opening strike.

Attempting a counterattack, the Spartans tried to respond, but the Captains were up to the challenge. Kennedy Johnson momentarily disrupted a surge with a deflection before Izzy Diz ran stride-for-stride with a streaker down the near sideline. Although the hosts were able to uncork a shot in the seventh minute, Cooke knocked it down before it could find its way deep into the zone.

Moments later, after Christopher Newport was hit with a card, the visitors continued to swarm the field while playing 10-on-11. On an initial YCP rush, Bailey Miller controlled a deep bouncer before working it out of the circle. Shortly thereafter, York earned back-to-back corners, but Olivia Davis punted the first attempt before Fiest pounced on a misguided insert on the second try.

After clearing the defensive end, the Captains ran out the card on the other side of the field. Ware marched inside the circle and garnered a corner. Later, Asuncion stole a pass along the sideline and showed off some fancy footwork to keep possession before Sarah Mueller intercepted an aerial to kill off the final few seconds of the penalty.

With time running down in the first quarter, Diz ended the period with more solid work on the defensive side. First, during an odd-man rush, the sophomore grabbed control of the ball, and with three defenders blanketing her back, she kept possession before clearing it. A minute later, during York's final rally of the opening stanza, Diz came back to snatch a long hit along the near sideline to help close out the quarter.

In the second period, the Captains had a pair of quick scoring opportunities courtesy of Fiest and Ware. On the first run, Fiest squeezed a pass through several York defenders. Benefiting from the precision, Ware grabbed the ball and broke free on a sprint towards the circle. Unfortunately, without anyone back to help, the YCP keeper scampered out of the cage, hit the turf, and got her body on the ball to disrupt the threat.

Moments later, after Diz stoned a run with a tackle along the arc, Fiest and Ware came back for another attempt. Once again, Fiest flipped the roller to Ware along the left side of the zone. Dancing around a defender, the sophomore sooted in and had a look on the doorstep, but YCP managed to deflect the ball just enough to keep it out of the cage.

After Davis made a save to stymie a York corner, the Captains quickly responded on the other end. In the 21st minute, Fiest intercepted an aerial to jumpstart a successful offensive stand. After regaining possession inside the circle, the junior All-American drew the defense with her towards the right side of the zone. With a passing lane, Fiest quickly flipped back to Ware, who cracked a one-timer into the back of the cage for the game's second strike.

With a 2-0 lead, Christopher Newport kept the pressure on the York defense. Marcella Sabbagh grabbed a rainbow clear near midfield, Mueller picked off a pass at the offensive 25, and Diz snatched an errant bouncer near the 50. After the hosts finally worked the ball down the field and secured a corner, Cooke put an end to the threat after bolting around a screener before forcing an off-target attempt that scooted wide, which helped punctuate the first half.

After halftime, Fiest took control of the action. Serving as a one-person wrecking crew in the 33rd minute, she grabbed possession near midfield, blew past her on-ball defender, and never lost stride. Taking a step inside the arc on the right side, she had the slimmest of alleys after the keeper came out of the cage. Showcasing her power and precision, she uncorked a blast across the zone and inside the left post for her first strike.

Two minutes later, after Mueller dribbled into the zone and earned a corner, Fiest took advantage. After securing the insert, Fiest faced some pressure along the arc. Unfazed, she cut hard to her right, created a little wiggle room, and tucked another bullet inside the left pipe to snatch a 4-0 lead.

After the offense stole the show in the early part of the third quarter, the defense took over from there. First, the Captains were forced to play down two players for two minutes after being cracked with a pair of cards. Stepping up in a tough situation, Diz poked away a deep run before Madison McGowan made a great play to steal possession at the defensive 25. Later, after the visitors earned a corner, Sabbagh knocked down an attempt before slicing a lengthy rope up the turf to help cut off the first of the two cards.

Continuing to crack down on the attack, the Captains faced four straight corners over the final four minutes of the third. Brushing aside the onslaught, Cooke deflected the first three attempts before Fiest made a tackle on the final try to help close out the period.

Keeping the pressure on in the fourth quarter, the Spartans finally broke through in the 46th minute, but Christopher Newport never let the opposition get any closer. After the first goal, York earned two more corners, but Fiest deflected the initial attempt, while Davis swallowed the second blast to shut down the surge.

With time running down, the hosts earned another corner in the 57th minute, but Cooke chased the ball around the top of the arc to disrupt the play before any shot could be taken. Following the defensive stand, the Captains quickly put the finishing touches on the game.

Less than 30 seconds after shutting down York's final corner, Christopher Newport converted on the other side. Snatching possession near midfield, Kotoriy scooted around one defender before launching a screamer into the circle. On the receiving end, Asuncion took control and smashed a dart past the keeper for the squad's fifth and final goal, which capped off the festivities.

Overall, Christopher Newport out-shot York, 18-14, while the Spartans held a 12-8 edge in corners. Davis earned the victory after collecting four saves for the Captains, while Sam Keating and Kaitlyn Wallace combined for seven stops on the other end.

Christopher Newport will wrap up the regular season on Wednesday when the squad travels to St. Mary's (Md.) for a 5 p.m. showdown.

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