NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Going toe to toe with one of the top programs in the nation, the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team held a lead at halftime while trading blows with No. 4 Washington & Lee, but the high-powered Generals slipped ahead in the second half on the way to a 16-12 triumph on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Jennings Family Stadium.
 
Unfazed by their nationally-ranked competition, the Captains were evenly matched with the visitors throughout the 60-minute showcase. Headlining the squad's efforts, Julia Iapicca and Kelsey Winters both made history for the hosts. Iapicca drained five goals against the Generals, while Winters added a strike and four assists.
 
Iapicca's five tallies marked the most by a Captain against a top-five opponent in program history. With her performance, she bested four-goal efforts by All-American Sarah Culver and Christopher Newport Hall of Famers Kaitlin Quigley and Ashton Marshall in match-ups against Salisbury. Former All-Region legend Catie Chess also had four in a showdown with No. 5 York (Pa.).
 
In addition to Iapicca's work, Winters set a new single-game standard for assists against a top-five foe. Her four helpers topped the previous mark of three set by Katie Doherty and Erin Callahan in bouts with Salisbury.
 
Overall the 12 total goals scored by Christopher Newport marked the most by the program in a showdown with a top-five opponent, beating the previous mark of 10 set against No. 1 Salisbury on April 8, 2014. Saturday's game also marked the first time in school history that the Captains held a halftime lead against a team ranked in the top-five.
 
In addition to the offensive standouts, Becca Creekmore was a star between the pipes. The sophomore goalie made nine saves, grabbed four ground balls, and caused a turnover. Gracie Sanders and Sam Wettengel also added a pair of takeaways while combining for 12 draw controls.
 
With the setback, Christopher Newport falls to 2-2 on the season. The victory bumps Washington & Lee to 2-0.
 
Right from the start, the Captains stood up to the Generals and stormed out to a 3-0 lead. Iapicca got things rolling with a unique tally as she attempted to scoop a loose ball near the left post and actually flipped it past the keeper for the game's first goal. Later, Wettengel came through with a free-position dagger, while Winters deposited from close range after curling around the crease with a beautiful run to grab a three-goal lead.
 
Although Washington & Lee orchestrated a solid run in the middle of the period to flip a 3-0 deficit into a 6-3 advantage, Christopher Newport brushed off the resurgence.
 
First, Cat Leighty used a nice stutter-step to beat three defenders on the way to a goal with nine minutes remaining in the opening period. Although the visitors responded with a goal of their own, Wettengel slammed the door on another W&L run with a strip from behind to regain possession. After that, the offense did the rest over the final five minutes.
 
Winters connected with Iapicca on a pair of goals, including a fantastic effort that saw Iapicca split the wickets of the Washington & Lee goalie with a bounce shot. Meanwhile, Sloane McDonald sliced up the Generals with a gorgeous pass that Kendall Krause turned into another strike before Zoe Dyer capitalized on a free-position attempt in the final seconds to grab an 8-7 lead entering the break.
 
Trailing on the scoreboard, Washington & Lee came out of halftime with an electric attack. The visitors quickly regained their edge with three straight goals before Iapicca retaliated with a rocket over the head of a defender for her fourth tally.
 
Once again, the Generals responded and ran off four straight goals to grab their largest lead of the game at 14-9 midway through the second stanza. Despite the setback, Christopher Newport never went away. Stepping up on both sides of the ball, the Captains clawed back into the game.
 
Offensively, McDonald beat the shot-clock with a slick feed to Wettengel, who slipped behind her defender and scored on the interior. Shortly thereafter, Iapicca capitalized on another assist by Winters, while Syd Guidi used a fancy spin move to shake a defender on the way to Christopher Newport's 12th goal of the game.
 
Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, the Captains continued pressuring the Generals. During a nice defensive stand with 10 minutes left in regulation, Wettengel rode the hip of an attacker to prevent a shot from the top of the zone. Then, with the shot clock winding down, Iapicca swatted a pass out of the air and won a grueling battle for possession to flip the field.
 
Moments later, after the Generals returned to the zone, Creekmore made a sensational save when she went low and snuffed out a worm-burner towards the left post that closed off another scoring opportunity.
 
Unfortunately, Christopher Newport could not pull any closer. Washington & Lee kept its modest lead and tossed a late goal on the board to lock up the hard-fought 16-12 triumph.
 
During the game, the Generals held a slim 16-14 advantage in draws and a 16-13 edge in ground balls. Along with Creekmore's four rollers, Iapicca also added four for the hosts, while Krause and Wettengel had two apiece.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action on Tuesday when the team heads to Randolph-Macon for a 7 p.m. test in Ashland.
 
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