While Christopher Newport looks forward to the return of intercollegiate competitions, our friends at TowneBank are partnering with CNUsports.com to spend some time throughout the fall semester looking back at a few of the more memorable moments in the storied history of the athletic department. Over the course of the next three months, the Captains will honor the anniversary of three dozen record-setting accomplishments, championship-clinching victories, and other historic events in order to celebrate the past while preparing for even more great moments in the future.

AT A GLANCE
Capping off the finest regular season in program history, the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team upended No. 10 Mary Washington, 4-1, during a Capital Athletic Conference clash in Fredericksburg on October 30, 2013. The victory handed the Captains their first regular season league championship and served as the precursor to an epic postseason run, which saw the team advance to the Final Four for the first time in program history.
 
BACKSTORY
17 and 0. For all intents and purposes, those are the only two numbers that are necessary to understand the backstory of the 2013 Christopher Newport field hockey team. Entering the regular season finale, 17 teams had challenged the Captains. 0 had succeeded. End of story.
 
Standing tall as the last undefeated team in the nation, Christopher Newport had already battled its way through a gauntlet of top-flight competition. Entering the showdown with Mary Washington, the Captains had defeated four programs ranked in the top-20, including a 3-0 triumph over No. 11 DePauw. A few weeks after that showcase, No. 7 Salisbury came to town boasting the nation's top-ranked defense which had not allowed more than one goal in any game since 2012. Christopher Newport slapped three on the board.
 
Finding a flaw in the 2013 Captains was nearly an impossible endeavor. Two months into the season, Christopher Newport ranked in the top-10 nationally in scoring average, scoring defense, scoring margin, shutouts, winning percentage, assists, points, and save percentage. If there was a national leaderboard, the Captains were on it.
 
Of course, the squad's success was a fitting byproduct of a roster overflowing with talent. If Christopher Newport needed a goal, Belle Tunstall was the leading scorer in the conference. But she wasn't alone. The team was flush with firepower. In fact, Tunstall was one of five Captains who had already posted a hat-trick, joining Lauren Cheatham, Kelsey Clark, Marlene Lichty, and Meghan Sullivan.
 
On the defensive side, Chelsea Hines shattered the program's career record for defensive saves. On her own, she would have been a one-person wrecking crew. But she didn't need to be. The team was stocked with suffocating standouts. Fellow seniors Shelby Judkins and Jordan Snider also ranked among the league leaders in defensive saves while serving as the veteran foundation on the team's back line.
 
And, for those rare opponents who slipped through the squad's impenetrable blockade of defensive juggernauts, they were quickly met by freshman sensation Bailey Lien. The first-year goalie was in the midst of penning one of the greatest opening chapters in Christopher Newport athletics history while ranking in the top-10 nationally in goals-against-average, save percentage, wins, and shutouts.
 
OPPOSITION RESEARCH
While Christopher Newport was a well-balanced machine, Mary Washington was an offensive powerhouse. Entering their battle with the Captains, the Eagles led the nation in scoring with a 5.10 goals-per-game average. The reigning CAC champions were coming off an 11-2 thrashing of Frostburg State and had registered at least three goals in 13 of their 16 outings.
 
Slotted 10th in the latest NFHCA National Coaches Poll, Mary Washington came into the contest sitting at 15-1. Reigning All-American Caitlin Baker ranked third in the league in scoring, while Jenna Steele and Haley Kane also stood in the top-five. Meanwhile, freshman star and future Christopher Newport assistant coach Christine Loehr was seventh in the conference with seven assists.
 
Simply put, when Christopher Newport and Mary Washington squared off in Fredericksburg on October 30, two of the best teams in the nation were fighting for conference supremacy.
 
GAME RECAP
Scoring first for the seventh straight game, Christopher Newport landed the opening tally less than eight minutes into regulation. Following a penalty corner that resulted in on-target rips by Lichty and Cheatham, Snider swooped in and corralled the rebound before dotting the back of the cage with her third goal of the season.
 
With an early advantage, the Captains flashed their defense while blanketing the field. Keeping the high-powered UMW attack in check, Christopher Newport allowed just two shots during the first 35 minutes. The first was swallowed up by Lien, while the second dribbled wide. Meanwhile, Hines and Alexa Hendrickson brushed aside deep runs by the Eagles, and Snider cleaned up a surge along the back line to keep the opposition off the scoreboard.
 
Looking to extend the lead, the Captains stretched their advantage just before halftime. Once again, Snider was at the center of the action as she laced a rocket off a penalty corner. Although the initial blast was punched aside, Judkins was on the scene and capitalized on a second-chance opportunity to push the lead to 2-0.
 
Following the break, Mary Washington managed its first goal of the contest to slice its deficit in half, but Snider and Judkins responded again. Capitalizing on another corner, Christopher Newport followed the same script. Snider cracked an initial shot before Judkins cleaned up from close range to regain a two-goal edge in the 49th minute.
 
With time running down, the Eagles picked up the pressure but struggled to mount a response. Lichty helped anchor a barricade near midfield, while Judkins added a clutch defensive save on the back end to stymie a lengthy rally. Meanwhile, Lien remained steady between the pipes and added two more saves to quiet Mary Washington's resurgence.
 
After the defensive stand, the offense hammered home the final nail as Allie Hackbarth provided the game's last goal in the 60th minute. Taking possession on the far side of the field, she used a quick flick to sail a beautiful aerial over the defense, which dropped into the corner of the cage and handed Christopher Newport a 4-1 victory.
 
POSTSCRIPT
With the win, the Captains snatched the program's first regular season league championship in their very first year in the vaunted Capital Athletic Conference. Their title wrested the power away from Mary Washington and Salisbury, who had won or shared every regular season crown since the CAC began sponsoring field hockey in 1991.
 
Making more history following the regular season championship, the 2013 Captains eventually made the team's first appearance in the NCAA Final Four while climbing as high as third in the NFHCA National Coaches Poll. That marked the top position ever achieved by the program.
 
By the end of the year, the Captains boasted a 21-2 record. Their only two setbacks came against the two teams who eventually competed in the national championship game.
 
On an individual level, nine players earned All-State honors, eight secured All-Conference plaudits, and Tunstall was celebrated as the Region Player of the Year. She and Lichty also picked up All-American accolades, while Judkins joined Lichty in the NFHCA Senior All-Star Game.
 
Fittingly, members of the 2013 squad are still making an impact on the program. After graduating, Lichty became an assistant coach and has served in that role since 2014, while Hackbarth returned to the program as a leadership coach last year.

For a full listing of the fall 2020 features published to date, click here.
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