NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team opened the scoring early in the first half, but the 13th-ranked Washington & Lee Generals quickly responded and overcame the deficit on the way to a 19-6 victory against CNU on a cold Tuesday afternoon at Captains Field.
 
Sarah Culver opened the scoring just over a minute into regulation, while Sam Wettengel erupted for her second straight hat-trick of the season. Cat Leighty and Olivia Aumais also found the back of the net for the Captains, but Washington & Lee capitalized on an eight-goal surge in the first half to grab an insurmountable lead.
 
The setback drops Christopher Newport to 0-2 on the season. Washington & Lee improves to 1-1.
 
Getting off on the right foot, Gracie Sanders controlled the opening draw and grabbed a loose ball after an initial shot by CNU was stoned by the visitors. Keeping possession, Culver eventually burst through the defense and snapped off a dagger on the run to snatch an early edge.
 
Later, the defense also had a nice early stand against the high-powered W&L attack. First, Christopher Newport orchestrated a tremendous ride, which forced the Generals to chew up most of their shot clock. Shortly thereafter, Wettengel forced a turnover and Kaitlyn Ready made a stop on a pointblank bullet to keep the visitors within reach.
 
Unfortunately, Washington & Lee would not be deterred. The squad ripped off eight consecutive goals to steal an 8-1 advantage midway through the opening period. Refusing to back down against their nationally-ranked competition, the Captains answered. First, Aumais snapped off a dart on the interior following a slip pass by Sasha Towne. Minutes later, Leighty joined the fun with some assistance from Sanders to cut into W&L's lead.
 
Sadly, the Generals never slowed down. The visitors pieced together seven straight goals to enter halftime with an 18-3 lead.
 
Showing heart, Christopher Newport came out firing in the second half. Ready made a pair of early saves to stymie the Generals, while Wettengel capitalized on the other end. In the span of four minutes, the junior standout deposited a pair of goals, including a free-position dagger, to whittle away at the deficit.
 
Although Washington & Lee responded with a goal of their own, Wettengel came back to complete her hat-trick and cap off the scoring with 13 minutes remaining in regulation.
 
Keeping up the pressure on the defensive end, CNU held Washington & Lee scoreless over the final 15 minutes, including a pair of saves by Ready. The junior goalkeeper also forced a turnover, while Golden caused two miscues during the waning moments to headline the defensive efforts.
 
Ovearll, Washington & Lee out-shot CNU, 30-11. The Generals also held a 14-11 edge in ground balls and an 18-10 lead in draw controls. Sanders and Madison Callan both secured three draws for the Captains, while Hannah Curry added a pair to go along with two ground balls.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action on February 23 when the Captains travel to Haverford for a noon battle.
 
---CNU---