NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The nationally-ranked Christopher Newport women's soccer team earned the 14th shutout of the season but was unable to light up the scoreboard for the first time this season and forced to settle for a scoreless draw against Salisbury University on Wednesday night.

The Sea Gulls (13-2-3, 9-0-1) secured the top seed in next week's CAC Championship and ended Christopher Newport's six-year run as regular season title holders. The Captains (15-1-3, 8-1-1) are locked in as the No. 2 seed and will host the winner of the #3/6-seed matchup in the CAC Semifinal round on Wednesday, November 6 at 5:00 pm. 

Playing through an intermittent rainstorm, the Captains and Sea Gulls each put eight shots on frame in the contest but both goalkeepers managed to hold onto the clean sheet. In securing her ninth shutout of the season, Christopher Newport junior netminder Haley Eiser made eight saves, the second most of in a game this season. She faced 16 shots in the double-overtime contest, but snared each attempt on frame. Her biggest save of the night came in the second half with a diving stop to her left as she got her finger tips on a hard shot to direct it out off the goal line. 

In just the ninth minute of action, the Captains found one of their best chances of the night on a shot by rookie Molly Beegle. Shaye Doherty started the play with a ball to Riley Cook, who spun and split a pair of defenders for the freshman forward, but her right-footed shot was just wide left. Then, later in the first half, Cook had a shot on frame against the Salisbury defense after the Sea Gulls goalkeeper was beat, but the visiting back line blocked a pair of the juniors attempts. 

The finest opportunity of the night, however, would come in the first overtime when Cook was denied the game-winning goal by her own home goal post. Again it was Doherty with a beautiful feed up field that got through the Salisbury defense and Cook sprinted onsides with nothing but the ball and the keeper in front of her. After drawing the Sea Gulls keeper out, Cook put a pin-pointed shot toward the right side of the goal, but it fell inches shy of paydirt by glancing off the right post. 

In total, the Captains outshot the Sea Gulls by a final count of 25-16 with each team managing eight shots on net. The Christopher Newport defense, led by Doherty, Keiley McCarthy, and Montana Coward, secured the team's record 14th shutout of the year with the fifth consecutive clean sheet. That run is tied for the longest streak in program history. All three starting defenders played the full 110 minutes along with their starting goalkeeper. 

Christopher Newport will not play again for another week after earning a first-round bye in the conference tournament. Kickoff against either #3 Mary Washington or #6 Southern Virginia will be played at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, November 6. Live stats and a live video webcast will be available -- admission for entrance is $5 for adults, $3 for children. 

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