FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- Adding her name to an exclusive list of Christopher Newport legends, Cat Leighty deposited her 100th career goal while finishing with a game-high five tallies, but the 25th-ranked Captains could not quite keep pace with No. 17 Mary Washington as the Eagles picked up an 18-12 victory during a Coast-to-Coast Conference women's lacrosse showcase on Saturday afternoon at the Battleground Turf Field.
 
Headlining the top-25 battle, Leighty became the 15th Captain to reach the 100-goal plateau. One of the most accurate shooters in program history, she landed the milestone on just her 196th career shot. That marked the fourth-fewest attempts needed to reach the benchmark, trailing only Christopher Newport Hall of Famer Ashton Marshall and former legends Rachel Tomlinson and Lauren King.
 
With her five strikes against the Eagles, Leighty registered her seventh multi-goal effort in eight appearances this season. She also has five hat-tricks and ranks among the top-20 nationally with 26 total goals in 2021.
 
Along with Leighty's historic performance, Kelsey Winters added four points, including a pair of goals. Meanwhile, on the other end of the field, Becca Creekmore chipped in with 10 saves, and Joely Stevens matched her career-high with three caused turnovers.
 
With the setback, Christopher Newport falls to 5-3 on the season, including 0-1 in league action. The victory bumps Mary Washington to 2-3 overall and 1-1 against conference foes.
 
Fittingly, Leighty got things started with the game's opening goal less than two minutes into regulation. Following a save by Creekmore, Zoe Dyer collected a loose ball after a quick clear and found Leighty on the right side of the zone. Facing a wall of defenders, the senior standout simply spun around a pair of Eagles while snapping off her first tally.
 
Although Mary Washington responded with four straight goals, Christopher Newport regrouped in a timeout. Following the stoppage, Gracie Sanders controlled the opening draw before Leighty made the hosts pay again. Matched up one-on-one on the right side, she made a quick cut to her left, burned her defender, and ripped a rocket on the run for her second goal.
 
Just four minutes later, after Stevens stripped an attacker on the defensive end, Leighty added her third tally, which pulled the visitors back within two at 5-3.
 
Trading goals in the middle of the period, Sloane McDonald slipped in a strike on the inside, while Kendall Krause snatched a feed from Sam Wettengel, ducked under a defender, and painted the right pipe with her first tally, which kept the deficit at two. Meanwhile, the defense continued pestering the Eagles as Creekmore gobbled up a free-position attempt, and the entire unit teamed up to force a shot-clock violation with eight minutes left in the opening stanza.
 
Back in possession on the offensive end, the Captains pulled closer as Julia Iapicca bounced a bullet into the back of the net off an eight-meter shot, which cut the team's deficit to one at 7-6.
 
After a timeout, Mary Washington retaliated with two straight goals before Christopher Newport pushed back on the defensive side. Stemming the tide, Creekmore swallowed a tough bouncer off a free-position attempt before adding another key stop during a man-down situation. Meanwhile, Stevens made a great play near midfield to force a turnover while battling through contact to help keep the hosts at bay entering halftime.
 
Following the break, Winters opened up the second stanza with Christopher Newport's seventh tally. After the Eagles were hit with a card, the sophomore sensation delivered. Taking possession at the top of the zone, she circled to her right, pushed in, split two defenders, and buried her first goal of the game.
 
Holding a slim 9-7 lead, Mary Washington refused to let the visitors pull any closer. Finding their rhythm, the Eagles strung together five straight goals in the span of seven minutes to secure a commanding 14-7 advantage.
 
Needing to steal back some momentum, Winters earned a free-position attempt. Without a good angle, she pulled the ball out and wrapped around the back of the crease. Finding some space, she dished over the top of the cage to Sanders, who caught the feed on the run before depositing on the interior.
 
Later, after Creekmore walled off another eight-meter attempt, the sophomore floated a 40-yard rainbow to midfield in order to jumpstart a clear. Keeping the pressure on the Mary Washington defense, Leighty came through with her milestone bullet.
 
With 18 minutes left in regulation, Leighty found herself isolated with a defender. Pushing in, she quickly turned and used a stutter step to free up some room on her left. With a clear path, she rolled in and blistered a low liner for her 100th career goal, which pulled Christopher Newport back within five at 14-9.
 
Just over a minute later, Leighty continued adding to her ledger with her fifth goal of the game after blowing past the left shoulder of an Eagle before sniping on the right side of the zone.
 
Still battling, Christopher Newport dug in on the defensive side in order to keep the comeback bid alive. Iapicca cracked the ball out of the stick of an attacker before Hope Hunter snatched the roller and started a clear. Later, Krause and Emma Jackson also bullied Eagles with takeaways of their own before the Captains forced another shot-clock violation with four minutes left in regulation.
 
Meanwhile, on the offensive side, Winters ripped a one-timer off a free-position attempt for her second goal. Later, in the waning moments, she slipped a feed to Wettengel, who burst past an Eagle and landed a shot on the run for the game's final tally.
 
Unfortunately, Mary Washington was able to overcome Christopher Newport's late push and hold on for the 18-12 victory. Overall, the Eagles held a 32-25 edge in shots and a 15-14 lead in ground balls. The hosts also controlled 21 of the game's 32 draws. For the Captains, Sanders led the way with four draw controls, while Hunter collected three ground balls. Creekmore also secured four rollers to go along with her 10 saves.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action on Wednesday when the Captains host No. 20 St. Mary's (Md.) in another league showdown at 4 p.m.
 
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