ARLINGTON, Va. -- Coupling a high-powered attack with a swarming defensive effort, the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team stormed past Marymount, 20-7, during a non-conference battle on Wednesday afternoon at Longbridge Park.
 
After COVID protocols forced the cancellation of Christopher Newport's regularly-scheduled game at Randolph-Macon on Tuesday, the team accepted a last-minute invitation to Marymount for a Wednesday matinee. With less than 24 hours to prepare for the contest, the Captains simply stepped onto the field and blistered their competition with relentless effort on both sides of the ball.
 
Headlining the 60-minute masterpiece, Sam Wettengel and Kelsey Winters both contributed historic performances. On the defensive side, Wettengel registered six caused turnovers, which equaled the third-highest total in program history. Aided by her efforts on Wednesday, she bumped her career total to 66 takeaways, which moved her into a tie with Julia Golden for the fourth-most all-time.
 
Balancing out her day, Wettengel also added six draw controls and five ground balls. Along with her six caused turnovers, she became just the second player in school history to notch at least five takeaways, five draws, and five rollers in a single game, joining former standout Kristyn Hankins, who accomplished the feat at Averett on April 2, 2005.
 
Meanwhile, on the offensive side, Winters led Christopher Newport with 10 points, including seven assists. Her seven helpers equaled the third-highest single-game total in program history, while her 10 points were the 10th-most by a Captain. Coupled with her 11-point explosion against Virginia Wesleyan last week, she became just the fourth player to have a pair of double-digit scoring efforts in a single season.
 
Along with Winters, Julia Iapicca and Gracie Sanders also added hat-tricks for the Captains. With her final goal of the game, Sanders also reached the 50-point plateau for her career.
 
Overall, Christopher Newport registered its third 20-goal performance of the season. That already equals the most in a single campaign since the legendary 2013 squad had nine during its run to a conference title and the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
With the win, the Captains improve to 3-2 on the season, while Marymount sits at 1-1.
 
From the start, Christopher Newport was in control on Wednesday. Just 16 seconds into the game, Winters found Iapicca cutting towards the cage for the squad's first goal. Less than five minutes later, the Captains stretched their advantage to four after Winters came through with a goal and another assist, while Cat Leighty unleashed a screamer from the top hash on a free-position attempt.
 
Looking to regroup, Marymount called for a timeout, but Christopher Newport was unfazed by the stoppage. Following the break, the Captains pieced together a defensive showcase to keep the hosts on their heels.
 
After the timeout, Emma Jackson jumped a passing lane and snagged an interception before burning up the field on a successful clear. Later, on the Saints' next trip down the field, Wettengel added a nice ride on the left side of the crease before snatching another takeaway.
 
Although Marymount managed to finally break through with back-to-back goals, Christopher Newport went right back to work on both sides of the ball. First, Winters scooted in off a free-position attempt for her second strike. Then, Wettengel stepped up and posted a gorgeous trail-check to take the ball away on a clear attempt near midfield before picking off another pass to regain control just a few minutes later.
 
Capitalizing on the extra possessions, Leighty beat a one-on-one situation for her second tally, while Sloane McDonald uncorked a scorcher off an eight-meter shot to grab a 7-2 lead.
 
Still rolling, the Captains never slowed down and added five more goals to the scoreboard over the final six minutes of the first half. Iapicca cut through a cluttered zone and scooted past three defenders before scoring on the interior to get the final push started. Shortly thereafter, Sanders split two defenders with a rocket, Lindsay Connell capitalized from close range, and Iapicca ran a little give-and-go with Winters before depositing on the right side.
 
With little left to prove in the opening period, Winters floated one final pass over the crease to Sanders, who completed her hat-trick with a rope on the run.
 
Entering halftime with a commanding 12-2 lead, Christopher Newport came out of the break with more work to do. On the defensive side, Hope Hunter set the tone early as she dropped the hammer on an attacker to clamp down on Marymount's initial run in the second stanza.
 
Back in control, Wettengel whipped a sidewinder around a defender to register her first goal of the contest. Minutes later, she returned to the defensive side and intercepted a feed near the top of the zone before Kendall Krause took advantage on the offensive end with a low liner off a free-position attempt.
 
Continuing to do solid work from the eight-meter arc, Krause came back with her second straight free-position tally before Syd Guidi joined the fun with a blast of her own midway through the final period.
 
Holding a 16-4 lead, the Captains cruised to the finish line. Paige Williams came through with the first multi-goal outing of her career after slamming home two daggers in the span of two minutes, including a heads-up play that saw her grab a loose ball on the interior and shovel it past the keeper.
 
With the clock winding down, Guidi added one of the fastest goals in program history in terms of time spent on the field. The freshman checked back into the game shortly after Eleanor Collins controlled a draw in the final six minutes of regulation. Exactly 12 seconds after stepping onto the turf, she burned up the field, snatched a pass, beat a defender, and landed her second blow to grab a 19-6 advantage.
 
Three minutes later, Winters hammered home the final nail after isolating a defender on the left side of the zone before sprinting past the Saint on the way to her 10th point of the game.
 
Overall, Christopher Newport held a 32-12 advantage in shots and a 21-13 lead in ground balls. Jackson came through with three rollers for the Captains, while Krause added a pair to go along with two takeaways. Joely Stevens was also exceptional on the back line to help bottle up the high-powered Saints attack, while Becca Creekmore finished with four saves to earn the win.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday when the squad hosts Shenandoah at 4 p.m.
 
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