VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- After it looked like the Captains had captured a late game goal in regulation before the goal was cleared by the officials, the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport women's soccer team needed extra time but still managed to capture a 1-0 win at Virginia Wesleyan University on Tuesday night when newcomer
Emily Talotta put away the double overtime winner.
The Captains improved to 3-0-0 on the season with their second win against a 2018 NCAA Tournament participant, downing their crosswater rivals on a humid night on Trinder Field in Virginia Beach. Virginia Wesleyan dropped to 2-1-0 after the hard-fought game ended in favor of the road team.
The teams battled for nearly 90 minutes with limited chances in the offensive end. In the waning moments of regulation, senior
Carson Pokorny appeared to convert a potential gamewinner with just over four minutes remaining when she crashed into the goalbox for a rebound after back-to-back shots from
Riley Cook and
Madison Cochran were turned away by the Marlins goalkeeper. Pokorny cleaned up the play and slammed home the shot, but the whistle blew after the tally to erase the Captains goal.
The Marlins put a late shot on frame, but Christopher Newport goalkeeper
Haley Eiser made the stop to force overtime.
In the first extra period, neither team took a shot as the battle in the midfield continued. Early in the second overtime, Marli Hayward tried a long attempt for the Marlins and got the shot on-net, but again Eiser made the stop for her fifth save of the night. Minutes later, the Captains converted the game-winning goal off a terrific individual play down the left side of the field.
After the Captains collected the ball in the midfield, it was passed out to Talotta on the left wing. She took some space before encountering a defender near the corner of the box; the two tangled for a moment, but a nifty spin move found the sophomore loose with the ball. She did not hesitate and smacked a hard shot past the keeper into the right side of the goal for her first score of the season. A transfer from VCU, Talotta was appearing in just her third game with the Captains and converted for the gamewinner on just her second career shot as a Christopher Newport player.
Tuesday night's contest was the fourth time in the last six seasons that the two teams have been tied after 90 minutes of action. Christopher Newport is 2-0-2 in those matchups and is unbeaten in six of the last seven bouts of the series.
After playing the first three games away from home, Christopher Newport is now set to host the 2019 Captains Invite this weekend for the team's home opener. The team will welcome Emory University Friday evening at 5:00 pm before entertaining Dickinson College at 8:00 pm on Saturday.
