ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. -- Playing in a true road contest for just the third time this season, the third-ranked Christopher Newport women's soccer team handled the trip with ease in a 3-1 conference victory over St. Mary's College of Maryland (2-10-0, 0-4-0). Three different goal scorers tickled the twine in Wednesday's Capital Athletic Conference win as the Captains improved to 11-0-2 overall and 4-0-0 in conference play. 

With the win, the Captains established a new program record for consecutive conference victories, hauling in their 22nd straight win against CAC competition. It also extended a streak of unbeaten games dating back to the start of the 2015 season that has now reached 37 consecutive games without a loss (36-0-1). 

The potent Christopher Newport attack scored back-to-back goals in the span of 35 seconds during the first half to take a commanding lead over the home team. Both were unassisted tallies from the starting forwards as junior Riley Cook notched her 16th goal of the season and sophomore Abby Harrigan logged her third. 

First, with just under 19 minutes played in the first half, Cook stepped in on a free kick just outside the box to the right. From about 20 yards, the junior placed a perfect shot over the outstretched hands of the St. Mary's keeper to get the Captains on the board. 

Then, moments later as the Captains regained possession after the ensuing kickoff, a scrum around the same spot would result in Harrigan free with the ball. From the middle of the field just outside the box, Harrigan blistered a hard shot into the back of the netting for what would hold up as the eventual game-winning strike. 

In the first half, the visiting Captains outshot the Seahawks by a count of 13-0 with six shots on-frame. Audra Haines, the St. Mary's goalkeeper picked up four saves as the Captains took a 2-0 lead into the break. 

The high-pressure offense continued to attack throughout the second half, ripping 19 more shots after the intermission. In the 64th minute, it was Madison Cochran who found pay dirt with one of those 19 attempts. The play was set up after Karina Vasquez worked the ball nearly the width of the field in the Captains attacking end. After the ball reached Keiley McCarthy in the back, she played a perfect through ball into the corner for Emily Talotta, the Captains' leader in assists. Talotta slotted a pass into the middle for Cochran, who spun and fired past Haines for the third goal of the game. 

The assist was the fifth of the season for McCarthy and the 10th helper of the year for the newcomer Talotta. In her first year at Christopher Newport, she has moved up to a tie for sixth all-time in single season assists with 10 and is tied for third on the sophomore chart. She now has at least one assist in each of the last five games and has eight in that stretch. She joins teammate Maxine Borris as the only players in program history to log at least one assist in at least five straight games. 

St. Mary's (Md.) avoided the shutout with a goal in the 64th minute as Lauren Baker found Nefret Perunko for her first goal of the year. Perunko lofted a high shot from deep that bounced off the left post and into the goal for the Seahawks. It was one of only two shots on-frame in the game for the home team as the Christopher Newport defense held St. Mary's to just four total shots. 

Christopher Newport will stay on the road for their next game, traveling to Salisbury University for a 2:00 pm kickoff against the Sea Gulls this Saturday, October 12.