FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- Continuing a record-setting offensive stretch for the Captains, Mauri Ware and Katie Abendschoen scored the game's first three goals while leading the Christopher Newport field hockey team to a 4-0 victory over Mary Washington during a Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference tilt on Tuesday afternoon at the Battleground Turf Field.
 
Against the Eagles, Ware deposited the game's first two strikes, while Abendschoen added three points, including her fifth goal of the year. Meanwhile, Marcella Sabbagh found the back of the cage for the third straight game to punctuate the scoring midway through the third quarter.
 
With their work on Tuesday, the Captains registered at least three goals in their eighth consecutive game dating back to September 11. That stands as a new program record, topping the seven-game scoring binge by the 2004 squad. Incredibly, Christopher Newport's eight-game stretch with at least three goals stands as the longest current streak by any team from any level of the NCAA.
 
Although the offense stole the show, the defense was equally electric. Between the pipes, Gabi Gray orchestrated the team's fourth shutout of the season while collecting five saves. She was aided on the back end by a host of standouts, including Sabbagh, who picked up her second defensive save of the season. Coupled with her offensive efforts, Sabbagh became just the 14th player in program history with a goal and defensive save in the same game, joining an illustrious collection of historic standouts, including All-Americans Courtnie Greene, Jacque Mayer, Brianna Milne, Kim Tomlin, and Katelyn Yandle.
 
With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 7-4 on the season. The setback drops Mary Washington to 8-5.
 
Setting the tone early, the Captains jumped out to a lead in the fifth minute of action. Surrounded by three defenders at the top of the arc, Abendschoen secured a bouncing ball and slammed it towards the cage. On the other end, Ware did the rest. Securing the roller on the doorstep, the senior punched a shot through the defense to grab a quick 1-0 lead.
 
Looking to retaliate, the Eagles ran headfirst into Brooke Billhimer. Putting on a clinic, she ripped the ball away from an Eagle deep on the defensive side of the field. Moments later, she won a footrace with an attacker to secure a long roller up the right sideline before intercepting another pass from a midfielder to stamp out a separate rally.
 
With time ticking down in the first quarter, Mary Washington continued to pressure the Captains but struggled to find an opening. In the waning moments of the period, a loose ball skipped across midfield and nearly jump-started a breakaway, but Sabbagh turned on the jets and caught up to the play to bottle up the surge. Then, in the 14th minute, UMW earned a corner, but Abby Asuncion applied immediate pressure at the top of the zone, while Izzy Diz cut off an angle on the left side of the circle to eliminate the threat.
 
Still searching for the equalizer in the second quarter, Mary Washington picked up another corner, but Christopher Newport was up to the challenge again. Continuing to serve as the flyer, Asuncion prevented an initial attempt before Nyla Lewis deflected a secondary shot. Although the ball found its way towards the cage, Sabbagh cleaned up on the inside and sent it spinning out of the zone to end the rally.
 
Looking to counter on the other end, Ware was nearly unstoppable during a highlight-reel run in the 22nd minute. Showcasing her talents on both sides of the ball, she had two interceptions to break up a pair of clears by Mary Washington. After gaining possession following the second tackle, she quickly cruised up the left side of the field. Cutting inside, she flipped possession to Abendschoen, who was stationed at the top of the circle. Capping off a nice give-and-go, Abendschoen sent it back to Ware, who pulled the ball around a pair of defenders before unloading a backhand for her second goal of the contest.
 
Staring at a 2-0 deficit, Mary Washington attempted to rally, but Christopher Newport brushed aside the ensuing threats. On an initial run, Sabbagh stood her ground on the left side of the circle and battled through contact to win possession. Later, the Eagles connected on a centering pass right in front of the cage, but Gray scooted out and made a sliding stop to block the on-target rip.
 
Although UMW eventually earned back-to-back corners late in the period, Lewis handled them with ease. On the first attempt, the senior dropped low and prevented a pointblank shot along the left post. On the second try, she came to the top of the zone and stuck to the hip of a shooter while breaking up the play before any damage could be done.
 
With time running out in the first half, Chloe Thompson put a punctuation mark on the second quarter after threading a ball up the left sideline before making a nice tackle near the 25 to keep possession on the offensive end while running out the final few seconds.
 
Following the break, Christopher Newport controlled the tempo early in the third quarter. Refusing to let the Eagles possess the ball for any substantial amount of time, Abendschoen and Lewis both picked the pockets of midfielders, while Lainey Pratzner won a lengthy one-on-one battle with an attacker along the sideline. Shortly thereafter, Billhimer intercepted the ball on the left side and kicked off a successful surge.
 
After taking possession from Billhimer near the top of the arc, Abendschoen cut to her right and had a clean look at the cage. With an alley developing along the right side of the zone, she unloaded a screamer that whistled between a defender, the goalie, and the post for the game's third strike.
 
Looking for more, the visitors struck again less than two minutes later. After securing a corner, Ware inserted the ball to Billhimer, who slipped it to Sabbagh. With a mass of humanity in front of her, the junior somehow found a sliver of daylight while rifling a pinpoint blast inside the left pipe, which gave Christopher Newport a commanding 4-0 lead in the 37th minute.
 
Trying to mount a comeback, Mary Washington picked up the pressure, but Diz was simply sensational during the latter portion of the third period. Following a long push by the Eagles, she made a textbook tackle at the top of the arc. Later, she plucked away a pass on the left side and weaved through three attackers before sending the ball across midfield. Although the hosts returned to the zone, Diz deflected a shot on the interior before Gray punted it out of the circle.
 
Still rallying, the Eagles earned a corner in the 42nd minute, but Diz and Lewis built a blockade along the left side of the zone, while Gray knocked away a pair of on-target attempts. Shortly thereafter, Christopher Newport was hit with a card but never backed down. Sabbagh bodied up an attacker to prevent a run on the left side before Pratzner fired a loose ball out of the circle. Later, Mary Washington garnered another corner, but Asuncion and Billhimer applied immediate pressure at the top of the zone while forcing a shot to sail over the crossbar.
 
Entering the final 15 minutes, Christopher Newport turned back to its defense. In the early going, Sabbagh and Emma Logue slowed down several runs along the left sideline, while Abendschoen stole possession in the center of the field. Later, the hosts tried to slip a ball to an attacker stationed in front of Gray, but Sabbagh gobbled up the pass before it could cause any damage.
 
Still pursuing their first goal of the game, the Eagles collected their final corner, but the Captains brushed it aside. Gray kicked out the initial shot before Lewis deflected the rebound.
 
After handling Mary Washington's advances on the offensive end, Christopher Newport closed out the contest. Once they worked the ball down the field, the Captains refused to let it slip out of their control. Constructing a net near midfield, the visitors never let the Eagles mount another serious threat. Billhimer stoned a rally along the left sideline, Sabbagh knocked one away on the right side, and Diz grabbed a roller in the center of the field. Moments later, Maddison Steele ripped possession away from a pair of UMW midfielders.
 
In the final minute, Mary Washington managed to work the ball down the field for one last rally. Fittingly, Morgan Arthur was there to cap off the game. In her hometown, the Fredericksburg native stymied an attempt at the top of the arc and played the ball off an attacker to flip possession and end the final threat.
 
Overall, Christopher Newport held a 15-10 advantage in shots and a 7-6 lead in corners.
 
The Captains will return to action on Sunday when the squad heads to Raleigh, North Carolina for a neutral-site tilt with Sewanee beginning at noon.
 
---ISH---