NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- With a three-goal outburst and the fourth consecutive shutout by the defense, the top-seeded and 23rd-ranked Christopher Newport men's soccer team sailed into the 2019 Capital Athletic Conference Championship with a 3-0 win over York (Pa.) on Wednesday night. 

With the win, Christopher Newport improved to 13-2-3 overall while the Spartans fell to 9-9-2. The semifinal loss came in just the second ever matchup between the two teams in the CAC Tournament. 

The shutout streak matches the longest consecutive roll since 2011 when the top-ranked Captains logged a run of six straight clean sheets. The Captains held the Spartans empty despite 15 total shots and eight on-goal. Senior goalkeeper Justin Piercy proved why he is one of the top keepers in the conference by making seven saves in the game to preserve his sixth shutout of the season. 

On the other end of the field, the Captains scored an early goal on a free kick and then managed to extend with two in the final 21 minutes of play for added cushion. Three different players scored in the game for Christopher Newport, who picked up the team's 11th multi-goal performance of the season. 

Sophomore midfielder Cory Hogge earned the game-winning strike in the 14th minute of action when the Captains were awarded a free kick after a handball just outside the top of the box. With a wall assembled in the box, Hogge stepped up and hooked a beautiful bender around the wall and into the left side of the goal for the score from about 20 yards out. The unassisted tally was his third goal of the year and would hold up as his first gamewinner. 

In the 70th minute, a pair of freshman hooked up for a gorgeous give-and-go for the first of two insurance goals. Sam Dickinson started the play near the top of the box when he directed a pass toward Brendan Todd. Todd then chipped the back line of the defense into the box and Dickinson raced onsides to get a touch under the keeper for his first career goal. 

Finally, with York sending everything forward looking to preserve their season with offensive chances, the Captains were able to clear the ball to Lincoln Kickbush on their own side of the field. With under three minutes to play, Kickbush blazed past his defender and journeyed from his own half all the way down into the York goalbox before unleashing a laser into the upper pocket of the goal. The coast-to-coast run and rip was his team-leading eighth goal of the season for Kickbush and sealed the match for the Captains. 

Christopher Newport will now host #2-seed Mary Washington at 6:00 pm on Saturday, November 9 for the 2019 CAC Men's Soccer Championship. Live stats and video will be available and tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for children. It will be the fourth CAC Championship appearance in seven seasons as members of the league for the Captains and the third time Christopher Newport will take on Mary Washington for the title. The team's split the first two matchups with CNU taking the 2016 title and the Eagles winning in 2017. 

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