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SALISBURY, Md. -- Sam Wettengel established a new single-season program record for caused turnovers and was one of four Captains that registered a multi-goal effort, but the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team could not quite keep pace with No. 6 Salisbury as CNU dropped a hard-fought 22-11 decision during the semifinals of the Capital Athletic Conference Tournament on Tuesday afternoon at Sea Gull Stadium.

During the contest, Wettengel forced a team-high three turnovers, which bumped her season total to 42. That eclipsed the previous program record of 40 set by Emily Johnson in 2014. The junior midfielder also collected four ground balls, giving her 57 for the year. That marks the most by a Captain since the 2006 campaign.

Along with Wettengel's efforts on the defensive side, the Captains also showcased an effective attack while depositing 11 goals against the stout Salisbury defense. Tuesday's game marked the first time the Sea Gulls surrendered double-digit goals in a conference tournament game since 2007. Putting that into perspective, Zoe Dyer, who notched a hat-trick for CNU, was still five months shy of her eighth birthday the last time Salisbury gave up at least 10 goals in the CAC Tournament.

In addition to Dyer's three tallies, Sarah Culver chipped in with five points, including a hat-trick of her own. Wettengel and Cat Leighty also added two goals apiece, while Victoria Betterly handed out a pair of assists.

With the setback, Christopher Newport falls to 9-10 on the season. The win moves Salisbury to 16-2 and earns the Sea Gulls a spot in Saturday's CAC Championship.

Facing the 16-time defending CAC champions, the Captains stood tall against their decorated competition. Early on, CNU looked comfortable on both sides of the ball. First, on the defensive end, Kaitlyn Ready brushed aside Salisbury's first free-position attempt before Gracie Sanders swiped the ball away from a Sea Gull along the crease to gain possession.

After Christopher Newport flipped the field following the defensive stand, Culver ran up against a double-team on the right side of the zone. Facing a wall of Sea Gulls, the senior flipped a pass over the barricade to a streaking Wettengel, who caught and fired on the run to snatch an early lead.

Although Salisbury managed to string together three straight goals after that point, the CNU defense continued pushing back against the high-powered attack. Ready swallowed a pointblank bullet, stoned a wraparound shot along the left post, and rejected a low burner that scooted just inches off the turf. Wettengel also forced a pair of turnovers, including the record-setter that saw her strip an attacker with a stick check after the Sea Gull attempted to scurry towards the crease in the 14th minute of action.

Looking to capitalize on those efforts, Culver eventually came through with the squad's second goal. Weaving her way down the field, she dodged three Sea Gulls before burying her first dagger underneath the crossbar to cut Christopher Newport's deficit down to one at 3-2.

After the hosts went on another four-goal run to increase their lead to five, the Captains dug in and regrouped during a timeout.

Following the stoppage, Riley Rafterry-Lee ripped the ball away from a Sea Gull with an interception along the crease. After a quick clear, Culver spun past one defender before elevating and shooting over the top of a second player on the way to her next goal. Minutes later, after another defensive stand that saw Betterly snatch a loose ball and escape a scrum, Wettengel converted a free-position attempt from a right hash to chip SU's lead down to three at 7-4.

Continuing to star on both ends, the Captains slammed the door on Salisbury's next rally as Rafterry-Lee forced an errant pass before Kendall Krause scooped it off the turf. Nearly two minutes later, with pressuring mounting on SU's defense, Dyer came through with a beautiful goal. After gaining possession on the inside, the freshman found herself with a defender on her hip and the goalie sneaking out of the crease. With nowhere to go, Dyer simply turned and shoveled a behind-the-back shot into the net for the squad's fifth goal.

With their lead cut down to two, the Sea Gulls fired back. Over the next five minutes, Salisbury tossed four goals on the board to gain a healthy 11-5 edge.

Looking to stem the tide, Leighty came back with Christopher Newport's final goal of the first half. With three minutes remaining in the stanza, the sophomore split two defenders while cutting across the zone. Fighting through contact, she showed great stick skills to keep control of the ball before tattooing the left side of the cage with her first goal.

Unfortunately, Salisbury continued to answer CNU's efforts. The Sea Gulls eventually added two more goals at the end of the first half before posting another one early in the second. Although Betterly threaded a pass through a tight window, which set up Culver's third goal in the 33rd minute, Salisbury was undeterred. The hosts added two more tallies after that point to steal a 16-7 lead.

Continuing to fight, Leighty drew a one-on-one situation on the right side of the field. Liking those numbers, she cut back to her right, gained a step, and ripped a rocket that sailed past five players before nestling into the back of the net. Meanwhile, on the defensive side, Hannah Curry blocked a shot by the Sea Gulls before Sanders collected the loose ball.

Finding her footing, Dyer dipped low on a free-position attempt and spun a shot underneath the goalie for her second strike. Later, she completed her hat-trick after a frantic few seconds. Salisbury slipped free on a breakaway, but Ready made a smooth save to cut off that rally. Launching a counter-strike, the Captains bolted the other way. Taking advantage, Betterly eventually tossed a ball inside to Dyer, who wrapped a submarine shot around the goalie after the keeper came out to pressure her in the middle of the zone.

Following Dyer's efforts on the offensive end, Wettengel deflected a shot on the defensive side after catching up to a shooter who slipped inside. Ready also picked off a free-position shot and grabbed another wraparound attempt by Salisbury. Sadly, the Sea Gulls continued poking at the Captains and eventually collected five straight goals to gain a 22-10 lead with five minutes remaining.

With time ticking down, Julia Golden came through with a fitting punctuation mark. Looking for one final highlight to round out a sensational senior campaign, the fourth-year star found it with three minutes remaining. Alexis Kasuda drew a double-team near the arc and quickly flipped a pass inside to Golden. Cutting to her right, she escaped a flock of Sea Gulls before burying her 36th goal of the season.

Overall, Salisbury out-shot CNU, 38-25, and held a 22-11 lead in ground balls. The Sea Gulls also controlled 22 of the game's 34 draws. Meanwhile, Ready finished with a game-high 11 saves, including her 200th stop of the season. She is the only goalie in program history to eclipse 200 saves in a single campaign - a feat which she has now accomplished during each of the last two years.

---CNU---