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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The 86th career goal for star midfielder Riley Cook came in the 86th minute on Saturday afternoon as the fifth-ranked Christopher Newport women's soccer team eighty-sixed the Trinity University Tigers (15-3-2) from the 2021 NCAA Division III Sectional Round held at Case Western Reserve University by a final score of 1-0. The Captains improved to 19-0-1 and advanced to Sunday's national quarterfinal, which will be played at 1:00 p.m. against either the No. 10 host Spartans or No. 16 University of Chicago. 

Records continue to fall for the nationally-ranked Captains, as a team and individually. The win marks the 20th straight game without a loss, tying the program record for longest unbeaten streak set during the 2017 campaign. CNU is now just two wins shy of the 2018 program record and tied the 2017 season with the second most wins in a season. It was also the defensive units 14th shutout, ranking second best in program lore, while starting goalkeeper Haley Eiser tied the individual record for wins (18) and shutouts (12) in a season. 

Speaking of Eiser, the clean sheet was the 51st win of Haley Eiser's career in goal, matching the program record for total wins and adding to her record shutout total. She improved to 51-4-4 while lowering her record-breaking goals-against average to 0.22 for the season and 0.49 in her career. 

While the defense put in another standout performance, it was a late tally for Cook that highlighted the match. The senior team captain converted her 32nd career winner, just one shy of the NCAA record since the stat started being recorded in 2010. 

Facing blustery conditions at DiSanto Field on the campus of Case Western Reserve University, the fifth-ranked Captains downed 24th-ranked Trinity to advance to the team's third sectional final. Christopher Newport came out firing in the first five minutes, applying pressure to the Trinity back line, but the Tigers held off the potent Captains attack.
 
With just over 23 minutes left in the first half, the Captains built a solid opportunity around the box with Cook passing around through Sarah Smith and Emily Talotta. The ball ended up at the foot of Nyah Savage with an open look from the top of the box and the sophomore defender smoked a hard shot that whistled just inches wide of the goal to the right.
 
The best chance of the half came with about six minutes left when the Captains caught Trinity slow to set up for a corner kick. Cook received a short pass from Talotta and blistered a beautiful shot on frame toward the back post. The goalkeeper had no chance, but a Trinity defender managed to get her head on the ball to clear it off the line.
 
At the end of the half, Molly Beegle served a nice ball on a corner kick into the center of the box for Ryanne Davidson, who headed a shot on goal, but the Trinity keeper snared the shot to keep Christopher Newport off the scoreboard headed into intermission. 

The CNU attack outshot Trinity, 13-2, in the opening half with the wind at their backs. The Captains earned six corner kicks and forced four saves from the Tigers, but were unable to convert. In the second half, Trinity took advantage of the wind and pressured the CNU defense throughout the period. 
 
The Captains faced a strong Trinity chance just minutes into the second half when Alex Walsh was mere yards away from the goalmouth after a corner kick when she turned and fired. A defensive horde on the line turned away the chance as Eiser picked up the stop. On an ensuing corner kick, Eiser needed to make another save, but Kaity Ward's mid-range attempt was collected to end the threat.
 
With about 22 minutes left, Cook found Ellie Cox streaking down the middle of the field. The rookie dialed up a beautiful through ball between the middle of the defense, trying to lead Beegle into the box, but the touch was just too long as the Trinity keeper came out sliding to smother the ball. With 19 left, Trinity found itself on a man advantage run, three on two, but Savage made a stellar defensive play to track back and steal the ball away before the Tigers could get the play to develop.
 
In the late stages, it was Christopher Newport that regained control. With just under 14 minutes left, Smith chipped a ball over the back line and Cook sprinted past the last defender to get to the ball first. With a one-on-one attempt, Cook lined up a shot, but her attempt trickled wide left. Moments later, Smith had an open look from the left side, but couldn't quite square up the shot and her attempt was stopped by the Tigers keeper, Lauren Bolish.

As the minutes ticked away, the Captains attack continued to build chances for the winner. It finally came when another senior leader started the play around midfield. Abby Harrigan had the ball first about 60 yards from the goal mouth and looked to switch fields to the left. Cook let the ball slip through her legs for Smith, who then spun it over to Talotta on the near sideline.

From there, the senior midfielder went to work, touching toward the center of the field by one defender, and then another. She looked up and split two more Trinity players with a perfect pass to Cook's feet at the top of the box. The Captains' all-time leading scorer tipped it to herself for a right-footed swing and the ball ricocheted off the thigh of a Trinity defender and wobbled toward the left post, out of the reach of the goalkeeper and into the netting.

With just under five minutes remaining, the Captains defense did not allow another chance for Trinity as the defense locked down the 1-0 win. 

Christopher Newport advances to the final eight for the second time in the last three tournaments and the third time in program history. Kickoff on Sunday is scheduled for 1:00 pm.