LEXINGTON, Va. -- Charged with taking on the nation's top-ranked team in the NCAA Round of 16, the Christopher Newport men's soccer team played even with the host Generals of Washington and Lee but suffered a 3-2 loss on Saturday afternoon, concluding the Captains season with a record of 12-5-2. 

Senior Cory Hogge scored a game-tying goal and added an assist on the Captains' second goal of the contest to lead the Christopher Newport effort with three points. Will Collins added a goal as the two seniors led the attack, which managed 10 shots against the Generals' defense. 

While taking on the No. 1 team in the country, the Captains did not look intimidated in the team's first Sectional Round appearance since 2014. The total shot count was even, with W&L edging out the Captains in an 11-10 matchup, but both teams put five shots on frame in the contest. CNU took three corner kicks to the W&L's four and the foul count was off by just one as well. 

From start to finish, the matchup was close as Christopher Newport did not shy away from the favorites. Adrian Zimmerman scored a first-half goal, the first of three for the Generals forward, to take a 1-0 lead against the Captains. In the second half, both teams scored twice, and Christopher Newport thought it managed a late-game equalizer that was called off, in a high-paced, exciting postseason matchup. 

Early in the second half, the Captains drew even on Hogge's left-footed goal. On the back end of a corner kick, Hogge gathered a loose ball and made a play for himself as he touched into the middle of the box before lofting a dart into the upper left corner of the goal to tie the game up at one goal apiece.
 
After the Captains failed to clear a 50-50 ball on the back line, Washington and Lee combined several passes into the box for a short range shot to re-take the lead, 2-1, with just over 27 minutes left on the clock. Minutes later, the Generals would take a 3-1 lead later when a soft touch pass sprung Zimmerman onsides in the box. He scored his and the team's third goal from short range.

Still, facing a two-goal deficit was not enough to put away the Captains. They continued to claw and fight back into the match. Jonathon Leiding ripped a shot on frame in the 64th minute and then, in the 73rd, Hogge stepped up again. After the Generals defense failed to clear the ball, Harry Whittleton intercepted the clearance and slid a pass forward to Hogge. Surveying the situation from the top of the box, he played a beautiful chip pass over the defense in the box and Collins read the ball perfectly, slipping behind the last defender and putting away the second goal for Christopher Newport from inside the six-yard box.

With the match back within reach, the Captains threw everything forward in an effort to save the season. In the final five minutes, a number of chances fell just short as Hogge tried to find a teammate in the box on a free kick but had it cleared away. Then, with just one minute remaining, Ryan Kiely took a pair of throw-ins that offered dangerous chances for the Captains -- one of which looked to even the match with just 40 seconds remaining. Kiely's throw bounced around the box before senior team captain Davis Pillow connected on a shot and the Captains' bench celebrated; unfortunately, the officials ruled the ball was saved off the line by the Generals defender for a team save, clinching the 3-2 victory for the home team. 

Time expired in the match and Christopher Newport was saddled with the team's first NCAA Tournament loss since the 2012 season. It was also the first match under head coach Justin Chezem that the Captains' surrendered even a single goal. The first four NCAA Tournament matchups ended in shutouts as Chezem's defense has thwarted some of the nation's best teams since taking over prior to the 2019 campaign. 

Leading that defense is Pillow, who wrapped up his career just shy of 6,000 minutes played in his career, ranking fifth best in program history. The Captains' leader on the back line started 72 of his 74 career games played and finished with 22 career points on eight goals and six assists. 

The Captains were only the third team to score multiple goals against Washington and Lee this season. The Generals improved to 17-1-2 overall and will advance to play in Sunday's national quarterfinals.