FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- In the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Semifinals, the Captains and Banana Slugs traded goals at the end of the first and start of the second half and the match would go to overtime, 1-1. With just under three minutes remaining in the first overtime period, Christopher Newport won the match and advanced to their third conference final in the last four seasons. 

The top-seeded Christopher Newport men's soccer team improved to 9-4-2 with the victory and dropped UC Santa Cruz to 7-10-2 in their first ever matchup. The Captains outshot their foes from California, 16-9, including a 6-3 edge in shots on goal. CNU also collected seven corner kicks to just one for the Banana Slugs, commanding most of the action moving forward. 

It was UC Santa Cruz that took a first-half lead when Christian Locatelli cashed in from long range with just 31 seconds remaining in the first half. Luca Bravo set up the shot with a pass across the middle for Locatelli, who then launched a hard shot into the far corner to take the lead, 1-0. 

While the halftime intermission was included in the wait, the Captains did not waste much game time finding the equalizer as they scored just a minute and 15 seconds into the second half. The two goals separated by less than three minutes of actual action, Christopher Newport equalized on a goal from Jonathon Leiding on a rebound. Cory Hogge and Jason LaViola combined for a nice pass off a corner kick in the 47th minute before Hogge launched the ball far post. Will Collins got a head on it toward the frame, but the first attempt was denied. Then, the ball trickled to the right side of the frame where Leiding lay waiting to smash home the game-tying goal. 

In overtime, the Captains again got another goal off a scrum in the box. Another beautifully played cross into the box was put on frame when Owen Burnett got a head on it for a shot, but the ball ricocheted between several bodies before a defender played the shot into their own goal.

The game-winning goal sent Christopher Newport to a second consecutive conference final under head coach Justin Chezem. The Captains will face either #2-seeded Mary Washington or #3 Wisconsin Whitewater, who played in the other semifinal at 2:00 pm on Friday.