NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Powered by the sixth career hat trick from all-time leading scorer Riley Cook, the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport women's soccer team made program history on Sunday night with a 3-0 win over Virginia Wesleyan at Captains Field. Playing on a beautiful fall evening, the Captains leaned on their veteran leader to win a record ninth straight game to start the season, besting the previous mark set in the 2000 season with a 9-0-0 record. 

Christopher Newport is one of only eight teams remaining with a perfect record in Division III women's soccer at this point in the season. The Captains finest unbeaten start to a season came in 2017 when the team was 19-0-1 heading into the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The longest win streak in program history was a 17-match roll in the same season that started after a draw against the same Virginia Wesleyan squad. 

A part of it all has been Riley Cook. The ignition switch to the finest run in Christopher Newport history, Cook and the Captains have gone 55-6-4 over the last four seasons for a winning percentage of 87.7%. With her 28th career game-winning goal on Sunday night, Cook has now registered more than half of the winners for CNU in her tenure. 

The match was decided in the 41st minute when Cook stepped up to a free kick just outside the box on the left corner. Her right-footed missile was pinpoint accurate, over a five-player wall and the outstretched hands of a diving keeper to bang off the right post and in. With the defense managing a shutout, the first goal of the match would prove to be the historic winner. 

Still, Cook was far from finished. In the early stages of the second half, she picked up goal number two on another stunningly accurate rip from the left corner of the box. This time, Nyah Savage started the play with a throw-in to her senior leader. Cook took on a defender and beat her to the right before taking aim at the near post this time. Another deadly accurate attempt was true for the Mechanicsville, Va. native as her attempt glanced off the keepers fingertips and in for the insurance tally. 

Rounding out her first hat trick of the year and record-shattering sixth of her career, Cook scored again in the 84th minute after a gorgeous through ball from Emily Talotta up the middle of the field. Sending Cook onsides with a touch pass spltting defenders, Talotta set up a finesse goal as the Captains' forward chipped the goalkeeper to complete the three-goal outburst. 

Cook grabbed her second career hat trick against the Marlins after also scoring three versus the cross-water rivals on October 8, 2018 for her first career three-score showing. She added one more in 2018 and notched three four-goal efforts in the 2019 season. She is the first player in program history with more than three hat tricks in her career. 

While Cook provided the offensive fireworks, the Captains' defense put together another solid effort with the team's sixth shutout of the season. Haley Eiser played the full time in goal to pick up her eighth win and fifth shutout while the defense in front of her continued to limit chances overall. Jill McDonald and Sarah Rhiel each played all 90 minutes while Nyah Savage and Re Slater were on the field for 85 and 84, respectively. Hannah Karas helped lock down the Marlins attack while Abby Harrigan, Kenna McCarthy, and Ellie Cox also defended the midfield. 

CNU took 19 shots in the matchup, putting 12 on frame led by a 7-for-8 showing by Cook. Sarah Smith ripped five attempts while Emma Ricci and Molly Beegle each had near-goals of their own in the second half. Ricci on a rebound second chance from close range and Beegle a laser that looked destined for the top shelf but the VWU goalkeeper made excellent saves on both. 

With the setback, the Marlins fall to .500 on the year with a 4-4-1 mark. 

Christopher Newport is now on the road for two matches as they head to Salisbury University next. The Captains and Sea Gulls will face off on Wednesday, October 6 at 4:00 pm.