BALTIMORE, Md. -- Mauri Ware registered her second multi-goal effort of the season and headlined a furious second-half rally that came up just short against No. 2 Johns Hopkins as the Christopher Newport field hockey team dropped a 4-3 decision to the Blue Jays during a back-and-forth battle on Saturday afternoon at Homewood Field.
 
Ware landed Christopher Newport's first goal in the 23rd minute of action before adding the final strike with less than 90 seconds left in regulation, which pulled the Captains back within one. Sophomore Chloe Thompson also blasted her first career tally to knot the game at two early in the third quarter.
 
With her two goals, Ware became just the third player in program history to score twice against a top-five foe. Incidentally, she joined familiar company in the exclusive club. Current assistant coach and Christopher Newport Hall of Famer Marlene Lichty was the first Captain to accomplish that feat when she struck twice against No. 5 Mary Washington on October 6, 2012.
 
Along with Ware and Lichty, Bailey Miller also had two daggers against No. 5 Vassar on October 14, 2019. Fittingly, during that contest, Ware actually assisted on Miller's second strike. Returning the favor on Saturday, Bailey's younger sister, Ainsley Miller, helped sustain Christopher Newport's late rally with a strong defensive presence along the left sideline, which eventually led to Ware's second tally.
  
With the setback, Christopher Newport falls to 3-4 on the season. The victory bumps Johns Hopkins to 6-0.
 
Early in the first quarter, the Blue Jays applied consistent pressure, but Izzy Diz was a brick wall on the back end. The senior pieced together a tackle on an initial push into the circle. Later, after the hosts earned a corner, she blocked a rocket along the left side to halt the possession before knocking down an aerial that posed a significant threat shortly thereafter.
 
Following the defensive stand, Christopher Newport organized its first scoring opportunity. Thompson worked her way across midfield and slipped a ball to Ware, who cruised along the end line and drew a corner, but her ensuing shot was kicked away by the goalie.
 
After Johns Hopkins withstood a rally by the Captains, the hosts tried to break the scoreless deadlock on the other side. Holding firm, Marcella Sabbagh momentarily disrupted JHU's surge along the left side of the zone before Vivian Pope snatched possession on the interior and cracked one out of the circle.
 
Continuing to press forward, the Blue Jays earned a corner in the eighth minute, but Abby Asuncion put immediate pressure on the shooter and forced a quick pass, which Diz bottled up. Shortly thereafter, Brooke Billhimer stopped a pair of marches along the right side of the circle after stealing possession near the end line.
 
With time winding down in the first quarter, Johns Hopkins orchestrated one last threat in the final minute, but Diz punctuated the period in style. After an attacker wiggled free and generated a one-on-one situation with the senior star, Diz stood her ground and won the skirmish before grabbing the ball and firing it up the field.
 
After both defenses provided the highlights in the first quarter, the offenses took control in the second. Johns Hopkins opened the scoring in the 17th minute. Later, the Blue Jays nearly extended their lead, but Gabi Gray put together a phenomenal series between the pipes. After an attacker leaked free on the right side, she came out of the cage and stoned a pointblank rip. Showcasing great instincts and excellent stick skills, the junior goalie stuck with the play, grabbed the rebound, and punched it out of harm's way.
 
Moments later, Gray punted another roller that dribbled through the circle before Diz kept her wits during a dangerous run that nearly developed into a 3-on-1. Withstanding the push, the senior stole possession away from the three Blue Jays before handing the ball back to the attack.
 
Looking for a response on the offensive end, Emma Logue took the ball from a defender and knocked it to Ware. Barreling into the circle, the senior showed off an incredible array of moves.
 
First, Ware stopped on a dime and put a Blue Jay on skates before dropping her to the turf. Circling back, she split two more defenders and tipped the ball around a third. Still facing a wall in front of her, she unleashed a backhand that deflected off the stick of another Blue Jay before flipping over the goalie for the equalizer in the 23rd minute.
 
Although Johns Hopkins quickly retaliated and regained the lead less than 30 seconds later, Christopher Newport went right back to work on the offensive side.
 
In the 25th minute, Ware pushed in from the right side and threw the ball off the foot of a defender to earn a corner. After Pope handled the insertion, she slipped it back to Ware, who had a rip stymied at the last second. Later, the Captains secured three more corners during a three-minute surge, but Nyla Lewis' screamer was knocked down by a Blue Jay before Sabbagh had a pair of attempts turned away as well.
 
Firing back on the other end, Johns Hopkins picked up a pair of last-minute corners to close out the first half. Handling the pressure, Asuncion continued to shine as the flyer and remained active at the top of the circle, while Billhimer and Sabbagh cleaned up rebounds down low to punctuate the second quarter.  
 
Still staring at a 2-1 deficit in the third period, Christopher Newport stepped up on both sides of the ball. First, on the defensive end, Gray made a leaping stop to knock down a rainbow with her pad. Minutes later, Lewis swiped possession from a midfielder along the sideline to jumpstart a rally in the 38th minute.
 
With a long hit, the senior sent the ball over to Pope, who quickly punched it into the circle. After the ball bounced off a defender's stick, Thompson was perfectly perched on the left side to settle the deflection. Gaining control, she immediately unloaded a one-timer into the back of the cage to even the score at two.
 
Similar to the second quarter, Johns Hopkins stormed down the field looking to break the deadlock. In the 38th minute, the hosts earned back-to-back corners. Unfazed by the gravity of the situation, Gray made two game-saving stops to keep the Blue Jays off the board. Meanwhile, Sabbagh blocked a rebound attempt following the first corner, while Diz dropped low and won a lengthy battle with an attacker along the left post to cut down the second try.
 
Trading rallies, Christopher Newport fired back. Katie Abendschoen lined a tracer into the circle that just missed connecting with a stick. Shortly thereafter, Logan Beal snatched a loose ball and tossed it up the left side before Maddison Steele pushed her way into the zone and secured a corner in the 43rd minute.
 
With a chance to grab the lead, the Captains did everything possible to crack the Johns Hopkins' defense. Unfortunately, the hosts responded with a highlight-reel display. The JHU goalie made a pair of diving saves to thwart initial shots. Moments later, Asuncion corralled a rebound and launched it towards the left pipe, but another Blue Jay was there with a momentum-turning defensive save.
 
Just over a minute later, Johns Hopkins converted on the other end to steal a 3-2 lead entering the final 15 minutes.
 
Looking for more in the fourth quarter, the Blue Jays picked up three corners in the first two minutes. Although Gray and Sabbagh shut down the first two shots, the hosts capitalized on a ricochet to secure a two-goal advantage in the 47th minute.
 
Searching for a response, Christopher Newport worked its way back down the field. During a rally in the middle of the period, Asuncion connected with Abendschoen along the left post. With a defender draped on her back, the freshman secured possession and bullied her way inside to earn a corner. Unfortunately, Pope's ensuing shot was swallowed by a defender.
 
Keeping the ball on the offensive end, Diz came through with a tackle near midfield, Lainey Pratzner and Morgan Arthur pushed their way up the right side of the field, and Pope intercepted a looping aerial, but the Captains were unable to find an opening.
 
Entering the final few minutes, Christopher Newport generated another corner, but Sabbagh had a shot deflected on the inside. Refusing to back down, Miller, Asuncion, and Pope helped build a barricade along the left sideline to keep the hosts from slipping out of the zone.
 
Eventually, Pope stoned a clear attempt and secured possession before lacing a pass to Asuncion. From long range, the junior fired a dart that was stoned by the goalie. Sticking with the play, Ware secured the rebound and quickly banged home her second strike to pull the squad back within one.
 
Unfortunately, that was as close as the Captains could get. In the final 90 seconds, Johns Hopkins was able to weather the storm and chip away at the clock while polishing off the hard-fought victory.
 
Overall, the Blue Jays held a 16-15 advantage in shots and a 13-10 lead in corners. Meanwhile, Gray finished the contest with six saves, while Johns Hopkins had eight stops, including a pair of defensive saves.
 
Christopher Newport will return to action on September 25 when the squad hosts St. Mary's (Md.) at 1 p.m.
 
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