NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- For the second time this season, the 23rd-ranked Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team upended a nationally-ranked foe as the Captains pieced together a suffocating effort on the defensive side of the ball to grind out a 9-6 victory against No. 20 St. Mary's (Md.) during a Coast-to-Coast Conference battle on a rainy Wednesday evening at Jennings Family Stadium.
 
Jumping out to an 8-1 lead early in the second half, the Captains withstood a late rally by the Seahawks to cap off the victory. Battling on the defensive side of the ball, Christopher Newport smothered the opposition with a tireless effort from sideline to sideline. Eventually, St. Mary's was baited into 27 turnovers during the contest, which equaled the most by an opponent since Methodist committed 28 on March 24, 2012.
 
Leading the charge for the Captains, Kendall Krause and Gracie Sanders both had three takeaways apiece, while Joely Stevens had a pair and anchored a huge defensive stand late in regulation that helped stymie one of St. Mary's final rallies.
 
Overall, nine different players caused at least one turnover during the game, while five Captains notched two or more. Meanwhile, between the pipes, Becca Creekmore added eight saves to slam the door on St. Mary's high-powered attack.
 
On the offensive side, Krause and Zoe Dyer both had hat-tricks for Christopher Newport, while Kelsey Winters handed out four assists. With her four helpers, she bumped her season total to 37. That marks the sixth-most in program history and the most by a sophomore, topping the previous record of 34 set by teammate Cat Leighty in 2019.
 
Coupled with the victory over No. 23 Lynchburg last Wednesday, the team has now defeated two nationally-ranked foes in the span of a week. Putting that achievement into perspective, prior to March 24, Christopher Newport had played 347 games since the program was founded in 2001. During that time, the Captains defeated two nationally-ranked opponents. Since March 24, they have played three games and possess the same number of wins over top-25 squads.
 
Overall, Christopher Newport now stands at 6-3 on the season, including 1-1 in league action. The setback drops St. Mary's to 3-2 overall and 0-2 against conference competition.
 
From the start, the Captains set the tone. On the offensive side, Winters slipped a feed over the crease to Dyer. In one smooth motion, the junior star snatched the pass and spun a screamer on the doorstep to open the scoring.
 
Holding a 1-0 lead, Christopher Newport shut down the St. Mary's attack. Building a wall at midfield, the squad clamped down on four of the Seahawks' first five clear attempts, including an early takeaway by Krause after she won a battle for possession following a lengthy feed by the visitors. Later, Julia Iapicca dropped the hammer with a devastating check to force another turnover, while Sloane McDonald elevated for an interception to thwart a separate run.
 
Following the defensive stand, the offense went back to work. Carving up the opposition, Winters found Sam Wettengel cutting to the cage for the second goal before slipping a pinpoint feed to Krause, who capitalized in traffic for a 3-1 edge. Later, the squad starred from the eight-meter arc as Sanders and Leighty blistered back-to-back free-position shots to stretch the lead to 5-1 entering halftime.
 
Following the break, the Captains continued torching the St. Mary's defense. Early on, Krause slammed home two early goals, including another eight-meter missile. Meanwhile, during a sustained possession, the squad went around-the-horn before Leighty dished down low to Dyer, who capitalized along the crease.
 
Staring at an 8-1 hole, St. Mary's slowly mounted a comeback. Finding a rhythm, the Seahawks chipped away at their deficit. During a seven-minute span, the visitors tossed four straight goals on the board to pull within three with nine minutes left in regulation. Needing to slow down the opposition, Stevens orchestrated a magical run on the defensive side.
 
First, after an attacker fought her way inside, the senior defender disrupted the play before jostling the ball loose to prevent an attempt on the interior. Although the Seahawks kept possession, they attempted to slip a pass down low. Once again, Stevens was there as she flashed her stick skills and snagged a bouncer before jump-starting a clear.
 
Although St. Mary's managed to fight back and land another goal with two minutes left in regulation, Eleanor Collins snatched the ensuing draw with a momentum-turning play to give control back to Christopher Newport. After cutting some crucial time off the clock, Wettengel circled across the top of the zone from left to right. Drawing the defense with her, the senior captain sent a pass back to Dyer, who filled in the empty space and capped off the festivities with a pointblank dagger.
 
Overall, the Captains held a 28-21 advantage in shots and secured 10 of the game's 17 draws. Collins led the way with three draw controls, while Wettengel and Sanders had two apiece. Sanders, Krause, Stevens, and Emma Jackson all chipped in with three ground balls as well.
 
Christopher Newport will continue its top-25 gauntlet on Saturday when the Captains travel to No. 4 Salisbury for a noon test.
 
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