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
Piecing together arguably the greatest performance in an NCAA Tournament game in Christopher Newport athletics history, Lindsay Hendricks and Belle Tunstall added their names to the record books during an 8-2 victory against Gwynedd-Mercy at Captains Turf Field on November 7, 2012. Dismantling the Griffins in the first round of the national playoffs, Hendricks tied the NCAA record with five goals in a postseason contest, while Tunstall established a new mark with five assists. Those efforts propelled the Captains into the Sweet 16 and gave the program its most lopsided victory in postseason history.
 
BACKSTORY
No one could beat the 2012 Captains at home. No one. Seven teams tried. Seven teams failed. Christopher Newport's wins included a 1-0 shutout against No. 19 Lynchburg and a 3-2 double-overtime thriller against No. 5 Mary Washington.
 
Headlining the roster, senior Caitlin Cahill and junior Marlene Lichty were in the midst of All-American seasons, which eventually propelled both of them into the Christopher Newport Athletics Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, Shelby Judkins and Jamie Dowling were reigning All-Region recipients and served as key pieces on the defensive side of the ball.
 
In addition to the decorated veterans, two Captains were especially effective at home. Providing the firepower, sophomore Belle Tunstall and senior Lindsay Hendricks were nearly unstoppable at Captains Turf Field. During the course of the regular season, the Captains posted 21 goals in Newport News. Tunstall and Hendricks either scored or assisted on 13 of them.
 
By the time the postseason rolled around, Tunstall had a team-high 17 points at home, while Hendricks had five goals, including two game-winners. Fittingly, after the team locked up its seventh straight NCAA Tournament berth, the Captains were rewarded with another home game in the opening round of the playoffs.
 
After an electric regular season, Tunstall, Hendricks, and the rest of the Captains had 70 more minutes to entertain the hometown faithful.
 
GAME RECAP
With another opportunity to put on a show at home, Christopher Newport did not disappoint. Playing in arctic weather on a frigid Wednesday evening, the Captains pieced together a midweek masterpiece against Gwynedd-Mercy in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Heating up quickly, Tunstall and Hendricks came storming out of the gate on the way to their historic showcase.
 
Just 40 seconds into regulation, Hendricks pushed forward, burst around the Griffins' goalkeeper, and tattooed the back of the cage for a quick 1-0 lead. Her goal marked the second-fastest strike to start a game in school history.
 
And she certainly wasn't done.
 
Continuing the rapid-fire assault, Hendricks struck again. This time, Tunstall cruised into the circle and drew the goalie out of the cage. Flanked on the left side of the zone, Hendricks settled into an opening, corralled a pass, and blistered another rocket just 21 seconds after her first strike.
 
The 21-second span between her goals marked the smallest in program history.
 
Although Gwynedd-Mercy cut its lead in half in the 12th minute, the Captains fired right back. Punctuating the first half in style, Marcy Hoath handled a ricochet off a laser by Lichty before banging a one-timer into the cage. Moments later, Tunstall broke loose on another sprint before finding Kelsey Clark with her second assist of the game on the way to a 4-1 halftime lead.
 
After the break, Hendricks and Tunstall joined forces again during a relentless assault in the middle of the second half. In the 58th minute, Hendricks completed a hat-trick after capitalizing on the doorstep following a lengthy feed from Tunstall. Four minutes later, they followed the same script with a nearly identical play to push the lead to 6-1.
 
Looking to land another blow, the two legends teamed up again in the 64th minute. This time, Tunstall slipped free on a sprint near midfield. The second-year speedster cruised into the zone with Hendricks mirroring her during a 2-on-1 breakaway. With room to work, Tunstall threaded a pass through the circle. Reacting quickly, Hendricks made a diving, highlight-reel play to snatch the ball and flip it into the back of the cage for her fifth strike of the game.
 
After setting up five of the team's first seven goals, Tunstall added a fitting punctuation mark with a dagger of her own. In the 66th minute, she stormed right through the Gwynedd-Mercy defense before finding a home on the right side of the circle. Pulling up, she drove home the final dagger with a screaming dart to polish off the 8-2 victory.
 
With her performance, Tunstall established a new school and NCAA postseason record with five assists, while Hendricks' five goals marked the second-highest total in program history and equaled the most in a playoff game.
 
POSTSCRIPT
Since the NCAA hosted its first postseason field hockey battle, there have been a total of 1,351 playoff games contested across all three divisions. On the biggest stage in the sport, over 15,000 different field hockey players have suited up and showcased their skills in the NCAA Tournament.
 
None of them have scored more goals than Lindsay Hendricks.
 
To this day, Hendricks' five goals against Gwynedd-Mercy are tied for the most in a postseason game in NCAA field hockey history.
 
Joining Hendricks in the record books, Tunstall's five assists remain the most by a Division III player in postseason history. In fact, across all levels, former Olympian Cheryl Van Kuren is the only player who has ever eclipsed that total in an NCAA Tournament game.
 
Overall, Hendricks finished her senior campaign with 13 total goals, placing her fifth on the program's all-time single-season charts. Meanwhile, Tunstall ended with 11 assists and 35 points. Both of those totals still rank among the top-six in school history.
 
For their efforts during the year, Hendricks and Tunstall both earned first-team All-State nods. The following season, Tunstall returned to the field and collected first-team All-American accolades while becoming the first and only player in program history to be named the NFHCA South Region Player of the Year.
 
In addition to the record-setters, six other Captains also earned All-State plaudits in 2012. Cahill and Lichty added the Virginia honor to their All-American accolades, while Dowling, Judkins, Chelsea Hines, and Breanne Lowe were celebrated as well.
 
In the end, Christopher Newport finished the 2012 season with an appearance in the NCAA Sweet 16 while polishing off a 17-2 record. The Captains eventually wrapped up the year ranked seventh in the NFHCA National Coaches Poll.
 
For a full listing of the fall 2020 features published to date, click here.
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