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ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. -- Julia Golden put together a terrific effort for the Captains, but the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team dropped a hard-fought 18-12 decision at St. Mary's (Md.) in the regular season finale on Wednesday at Seahawk Stadium.
During the contest, Golden registered a career-high 10 draw controls, which also equaled the fifth-highest single-game total in program history. Equally effective all over the field, the senior star also contributed six points, including five goals. With that performance, she joined CNU Hall of Famer Kaitlin Quigley as the only Captains with at least 10 draws and five goals in a single contest. Quigley accomplished the feat against Mary Washington on April 6, 2011.
Along with Golden's historic performance,
Zoe Dyer added five points, including three assists, while
Cat Leighty handed out four helpers as well.
With the setback, Christopher Newport falls to 8-9 on the season, including 2-4 in Capital Athletic Conference action. The win bumps St. Mary's (Md.) to 8-7 with a 2-2 mark in league play.
Getting off on the right foot, the Captains controlled five of the game's first six draws and rolled out to a quick 4-2 lead in the first 10 minutes of action. Dyer scored her first two goals during the early surge, while Golden and
Cat Leighty also punished the SMC defense to snatch the two-goal edge.
Although Golden's second tally of the game kept the lead at two midway through the opening stanza, the hosts eventually found their groove. St. Mary's scored five straight goals, including a pair of man-up strikes, to gain an 8-5 lead with seven minutes remaining in the first half.
Firing right back, CNU landed blows on both sides of the ball. On the defensive end,
Kaitlyn Ready made a pair of stops, including a huge save on a free-position attempt.
Victoria Betterly also forced a turnover after SMC gained possession off the draw with five minutes left. Meanwhile, on the other end, Golden completed her first-half hat-trick before
Kendall Krause capitalized on a feed from Leighty to pull the visitors within one at 8-7.
In the second half, the two squads traded goals, including a dagger by Betterly in the 33rd minute. Unfortunately, the tide began to turn after that point.
Despite another strike by Golden and two more saves from Ready, the Seahawks stretched their lead. During an eight-minute window in the middle of the second half, St. Mary's strung together six consecutive goals on the way to a commanding 17-9 lead.
Fighting until the final horn, Golden and Betterly converted eight-meter attempts at the tail end of the contest, while
Alexis Kasuda added a strike of her own. However, SMC never lost control as the squad closed out the 18-12 triumph.
During the game, CNU out-shot St. Mary's, 36-30, and held a 19-13 lead in draws. The Seahawks led the way in ground balls, 16-14. Golden and
Gracie Sanders both secured four rollers for the Captains, while Leighty had a pair. Between the pipes, Ready finished with eight saves for Christopher Newport, and
Lizzie Burgoyne added a pristine five minutes of work to close out the game.
CNU will return to action on April 27 with the first round of the CAC Tournament. Opponent and location have yet to be determined.
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