NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- In an early-season top-20 showdown, the 16th-ranked Christopher Newport women's soccer team earned a hard-fought 2-1 overtime win over 19th-ranked Centre College on Saturday afternoon. The win ended the Colonels 35-match unbeaten streak against Division III competition as the Captains (2-0-0) became the first team to defeat the perennial power since 2018. 

After falling behind early in the second half to Centre, the Captains turned to a familiar recipe as Riley Cook led the team into overtime and then served up the gamewinner in extra time. Cook assisted on Molly Beegle's equalizer in the 63rd minute and then slammed home her 25th career winner with an unassisted tally in the first overtime period. 

Cook continues to shatter the Christopher Newport record book as she added another to her already monolithic standard of game-winning goals with 25 in her career. She is the first player, men's or women's, to reach 25 career game-winning strikes for the Captains. In addition to her goal, the assist earlier in the match gave her a three-point performance and ran her career points scored record to 150 career points. 

Becoming the first ever C2C women's soccer player to reach 150 career points dating back to the beginning of the conference sponsoring the sport in 1991, Cook is currently one of only three active players in all of the NCAA (Division I, II and III) to reach 150 career points. With her stellar performance on Saturday, Cook joins Michigan State's Ava Cook and St. Scholastica's Morgan Friday in the exclusive club.

The heroics were set up when Centre took a 1-0 lead in the 48th minute of action. Elizabeth Nelson served a perfect ball into the box where Megan Sidaway headed home the first goal of the match. The Captains had dictated much of the control to that point, outshooting the Colonels, 11-2, in the first half, but Centre struck first. 

Despite falling behind, the aggressive Captains offense continued to pressure the Centre defense until Beegle finally converted with the equalizer. Just minutes after checking into the game, Beegle made a great run through the middle of the box and connected on a volley into the near side of the goal when Cook crossed the ball into the box from the right. The junior forward notched her sixth career goal with the tally and first of the season. 

With the score knotted at 1-1 at the end of regulation, the Captains once again took control in extra time. The offense pushed from the opening whistle, getting a good look on an offsides call in the 94th minute before pushing forward again less than a minute later. The winning play was started by Sarah Smith, who sent a ball to Cook at the top of the box. With a touch to her right, she slipped by a defender and positioned for a rocket over the outstretched hands of the Colonels goalkeeper. 

Cook's game-winning goal was the 68th of her career in her 65th career game. 

Christopher Newport will return to action on Sunday, September 12 at 3:30 pm to take on Pfeiffer University (0-3-0). Live stats and a live video webcast will be available at CNUsports.com.