NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Home for just the fourth time this season, the Christopher Newport men's soccer team took on a former conference rival on a crisp Saturday night at Captains Field. The Captains heated up in the second half to pull away from St. Mary's College of Maryland (9-4-0) for a 4-2 win, improving to 5-3-2 with the exciting victory led by Owen Burnett with an assist and the game-winning goal. 

In the hotly-contested matchup between two teams receiving votes in the national rankings, Christopher Newport put together an unrelenting attack with 19 shots and eight on-frame against the Seahawks. Four different goal scorers found the back of the net and five players had at least one point in the contest. 

Setting the tone early for a frenetic offensive pace, St. Mary's got on the board in just the second minute of action. Aidan Kelley played a nice through ball into the box for Isaac Ekobo, who touched back to the middle and powered in a shot off a CNU defender. 

After the early goal put the Captains in a hole, CNU took control offensively, outshooting the Seahawks, 8-2 in the rest of the first half. The game-tying goal would come in the 42nd minute on a nice play through the middle of the field. Tanner Dail saved a ball on the goal line and played it back out for another Captains' try after a corner kick. The defense managed to clear, but the ball was corraled by the CNU defense and played back to the last defender, Ryan Kiely. Kiely delivered a long ball from the CNU side of midfield and Burnett elevated with his 6-4 frame to flick a header pass to Ethan Larson in the box. Larson converted on a low shot to tie the game, 1-1.

Returning to the field after halftime with momentum, the Captains took the lead just 2:25 into the second stanza. A foul was whistled against St. Mary's just outside the box on the right side of the field where senior Cory Hogge would step in and deliver a beautiful blast into the left corner of the goal. His third goal of the year put the Captains ahead, 2-1, but only for a moment as the Seahawks responded with another goal in the 56th minute. Isaac Ekobo scored his second of the game on a near identical foul on the other end of the field, delivering the free kick into the left side of the netting. 

As tension began to build late in the second half, the Captains attack continued to threaten the St. Mary's defense. CNU took 11 shots to just three for the St. Mary's offense after halftime including six on frame. 

Heading the Captains back into the lead was Burnett in the 72nd minute. For the second time, Burnett's noggin was key to the CNU score as this time, his perfectly-placed shot would find the back of the net for the game-winning goal. Colin McMunn kept the play alive in the corner against a defender before getting loose long enough to launch a head-high cross into the box for Burnett, who slammed home the header by the Seahawks goalkeeper. 

Stacking an insurance goal onto the scoreboard just three minutes later, Will Collins made a heads up play to connect for his second goal of the season. With Collins' still high, the goalkeeper tried to roll out a pass to his defender and the Captains' savvy senior sprinted to the ball at the top of the box. He cut off the pass and blistered home the fourth goal of the match. 

Making sure the lead held up, the veteran Captains' defense held St. Mary's to just three shots in the second half and only five in the game. Senior Cole Irvin made a save late to keep the lead at two while Davis Pillow, Daniel Hulett, Jacob Dudley, Jonathon Leiding, and Clark Chapman each made pivotal plays in the defense to lock down the win. 

Owen Burnett notched the second three-point performance of the year for CNU to lead the Captains to the home victory. Christopher Newport is now 3-0-1 this season in home games and runs their unbeaten streak at Captains Field to 18 games dating back to the final home game of the 2018 campaign. 

Moving back onto the road for the next three games, Christopher Newport will take on No. 6 Johns Hopkins University this Wednesday, October 13 at 4:00 pm. The game will be played at the Howison Homestead Soccer Complex in Manassas, Va.