NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Twenty-nine different players logged at least 19 minutes each as the 16th-ranked Christopher Newport Captains flew past Pfeiffer University (0-3-0) in women's soccer action on Sunday afternoon, 6-0. The Captains improved to 3-0-0 as six different players netted goals, eight players logged at least a point, and two different goalkeepers combined for the shutout victory. 

The well-balanced showcase included three goals in either half, including the game-winning strike from senior Emily Talotta just over seven minutes into the match. Three players had three points in the game with a goal and an assist as Sarah Smith, Emma Ricci, and Natalie Swarm led the high-voltage attack against the Falcons. 

The dangerous CNU offense wrapped up a solid second week of the season by sweeping the two games they played while outscoring their opponents in the Captains by a final count of 8-1. So far on the season, the Christopher Newport attack has scored 12 goals, averaging 4.0 per game, while the defense has allowed just one goal. 

On Sunday, the Captains got to work right out of the gate, scoring twice in the first ten minutes. The starting unit attacked from the opening whistle and finally broke through in the eighth minute of action when Talotta worked the ball up the left side of the field. The senior midfielder received the ball near the sideline and methodically dribbled by her defenders toward the end line. After breaking into the box, she was able to bend a hard liner from a tough angle toward the goal. The Pfeiffer netminder made the stop, but could not keep the ball in front of her as the momentum carried Captains' rip into the side of the net. 

Just under three minutes later, rookie Emma Ricci earned her first career point with a beautiful pass into the box from the right side. The freshman sped by her defender on the left side and lifted a cross by the goalmouth for Sarah Smith. The senior transfer buried the volley into the center of the goal to give the Captains a 2-0 lead. Rounding out the first half scoring, junior forward Molly Beegle notched her second score of the weekend with a header goal in the 31st minute. Defender Victoria Partin and midfielder Jessica Zimmermann were torching the Pfeiffer defense with repeated centering passes during a stretch in the first half and it was Partin that finally cashed in with a gorgeous right foot into the box. Her pass arced right to Beegle, who directed in a header toward the left side of the goal for the score. 

The Captains' offense was dominant, outshooting the Pfeiffer attack, 17-0, in the first half. That included nine attempts on frame and was just the beginning as the second half was nearly as impressive. CNU took 12 more shots in the game and the defense allowed just a single attempt to outshoot the Falcons, 29-1, for the game. 

The second half scoring matched the first with three more Captains entering the season scoring column. First, Ricci capped the finest performance of her young career with a goal in the 55th minute. Partin again started the play with a strong cross into the middle that was first deflected back toward the middle of the box. On pure instinct, Smith flicked her heel toward the ball and caught just enough to redirect the ball back forward to Ricci, who didn't hesitate and buried her shot into the right side of the goal. 

Christopher Newport picked up goal number five in the 79th minute off a corner kick. Rookies Anna Bookstaver and Natalie Swarm set up Abby Pogreba for her first career goal on an exceptional connecting play. Bookstaver's left-footed corner kick reached Swarm in the back of the box before the newcomer slipped a bouncing pass back across the crowded penalty area for Pogreba. The junior wasted no time, hammering home her try past the diving goalkeeper. Wrapping up the explosive offensive performance, Swarm added a goal to give her a three-point showing in the 82nd minute. Playing through a defender, Swarm smashed a hard shot into the right side of the goal. 

Defenders Hannah Karas and Sabrina Gillis led the team in minutes played, helping keep Pfeiffer off the board, while Ellie Cox, Caroline Davis, and Partin also did the bulk of the work maintaining the shutout. In goal, rookie Jaya Daniel earned the win in her first career start with a clean first half; in the second half, Sydney Buckner faced the lone challenge of the night by the Falcons and managed to hold onto the clean sheet for CNU. 

Christopher Newport will next host Roanoke College on Wednesday, September 15 at 6:00 p.m. Live stats and a live video webcast will be available at CNUsports.com.