NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Mauri Ware opened the scoring with a highlight-reel strike less than five minutes into regulation, while the defense did the rest with a 60-minute showcase as the 13th-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team toppled Washington & Lee, 1-0, during a non-conference battle on a sweltering Saturday afternoon at Jennings Family Stadium.

With her strike, Ware found the back of the cage for the third straight game. The sophomore now has a team-high five goals and 11 points this season.

Along with Ware's efforts on the offensive end, the defense was tremendous. Between the pipes, Olivia Davis walled off the cage with six saves while registering her sixth career shutout. With that performance, she moved into sixth in program history with 106 career saves and fourth with six shutouts. The victory also marked her 18th career win, tying Samantha Pelstring for fourth on the all-time list.

In addition to Davis' work in the cage, Marcella Sabbagh added her third defensive save of the season with a key stop late in the fourth quarter, which helped preserve the shutout. With that save, she tied current teammate Izzy Diz for the second-most by a freshman in program history. She is now halfway to Brittan Muir's freshman record of six defensive saves, which the All-American compiled during her debut campaign in 2015.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 5-2 on the season, including 3-0 at home. The Captains have now won 11 straight home games dating back to 2017, which stands as the sixth-longest active streak in the nation and the fourth-longest run in program history. Meanwhile, the setback dropped Washington & Lee to 2-5 overall.

After the two squads tested each other early, Ware landed the only blow of the game in the fifth minute. Following a lengthy battle along the far sideline, Sarah Mueller cut a roller up to Ware, who secured possession nearly 40 yards from the cage. With two defenders to her right, the sophomore speedster burned up the field. Needing to create some space, she cut hard to her right and split the two Generals. With room, she ran to the arc, took a step in, and blasted a high-rising rope into the back of the cage.

Holding an early advantage, the Captains nearly struck again less than two minutes later. Continuing to flash the team's elite speed, Abby Asuncion caught up to a ball that hugged the sideline before centering a pass to Nyla Lewis. Looking to stretch the lead, the second-year star pumped a bullet, but a defender was able to block it just before it could find space.

Meanwhile, on the defensive end, Christopher Newport stamped out late runs by the Generals in the first quarter. First, Sabbagh picked off a ball near midfield before Mueller made a gorgeous tackle along the arc to stymie a deep rally. Moments later, after Washington & Lee found some space inside the zone, Davis brushed aside the squad's first on-target attempt to keep the 1-0 lead.

In the second quarter, the two teams continued to trade runs. Early on, Ware and Jackie Kotoriy tested the opposition with darts, but the W&L defense held firm. Later, Emma Logue wiggled free and centered a pass into the circle, but it just missed connecting with a stick. Sabbagh also ripped a long-range screamer from outside the circle, but once again, the Generals prevented any deflections on the interior.

On the other side of the field, Christopher Newport continued to withstand the Washington & Lee responses. In the 20th minute, a General was able to uncork a shot from inside the circle, but Bailey Miller swallowed it before any damage could be done. Shortly thereafter, Lewis cracked a roller out of the zone to flip possession before Davis made her second stop of the contest in the 28th minute to help cap off the first-half action.

Following the break, the Captains were tested early as the visitors earned a penalty corner just three minutes into the third quarter. Unfazed by the situation, Rachel Cooke came bounding out of the cage, pressured a shooter, and ripped the ball away at the last second before jump-starting a jailbreak going the other way.

After flipping the field, Christopher Newport picked up the pressure. Sabbagh sailed a ball into the circle, which deflected off the stick of a defender and settled at the feet of Ware. Nearly capitalizing, the second-year star got the goalie to hit the turf, but the keeper eventually made a nice stop from her back to thwart the initial surge. Keeping possession, Kennedy Johnson prevented a clear with incredible on-ball defense along the near sideline to stop a counterattack.

Still rolling, Christopher Newport earned a corner in the 40th minute. After Miller inserted the ball, she regained control on a return feed from Sabbagh. With a little opening, the senior nearly took advantage, but a General came sprinting over and made a huge defensive save at the last moment to kill the opportunity.

After withstanding Christopher Newport's advances, Washington & Lee went to work on the offensive side. On a dangerous breakaway, an attacker was able to catch up to a roller before it slipped across the end line with five minutes left in the stanza. Flashing her own speed, Miller raced down the field, caught up to the play, and picked off a centering feed before it found its way into the circle.

Moments later, after the Captains were hit with a card, the hosts continued to shine while playing shorthanded. Diz and Johnson blanketed an attacker on the near side of the field to regain possession and kill off crucial time before the squad returned to even strength. Later, with time winding down in the third, Washington & Lee earned a slew of corners, but Christopher Newport held up. Miller blocked a shot on the first attempt before Davis made a kick save on the second.

Entering the final period, the Captains controlled the clock in the early going. Cooke was outstanding on the far sideline as she clamped down on a pair of clear attempts by the Generals. Meanwhile, Mueller fired a laser into the circle. On the receiving end, Asuncion deflected it, but the ball just cleared the crossbar.

With their backs against the wall, the visitors picked up the pressure in the middle of the fourth quarter. Trying to keep the opposition at bay, Mueller and Logue picked the pockets of a pair of midfielders near the sideline. In the 65th minute, the Generals slipped free on a run up the center of the field, but Miller was up to the challenge again. In a one-on-one situation, she served as the last line of defense. Sticking to the side of the attacker, she eventually forced her to cut back, which disrupted the rally long enough for the rest of the defense to catch up.

Still working, Washington & Lee earned three straight corners. Standing tall against the onslaught, Davis made a sprawling save to stone the first attempt before Cooke cut the ball through two attackers to prevent a follow-up shot. Later, the Captains blocked an on-target blast during the second corner before Sabbagh played deep and stopped a bouncer from finding paydirt on the third try.

With time winding down, Christopher Newport went to work on the clock. Sabbagh bullied her way up the near sideline to get the ball out of the defensive zone. Later, Asuncion pushed a roller into the circle and danced along the end line to run off some more time. In the final minute, Cooke did the rest as she intercepted a pass off a restart before working her way to the sideline to whittle off crucial seconds and help seal the win. 

Overall, Christopher Newport out-shot Washington & Lee, 22-11. The hosts also held a slim 9-8 advantage in penalty corners. Along with Davis' six saves for the Captains, W&L's Sara Amil made nine stops for the visitors to keep the game within reach.

Christopher Newport will return to action on Wednesday when the squad hits the road for a 6 p.m. test at Bridgewater.

---ISH---