SALISBURY, Md. -- With the first goal of the match coming just over six minutes in, the top-ranked Christopher Newport women's soccer team cruised to a 2-0 win on the road Wednesday, defeating Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference foe Salisbury University (7-7-0). Emma Ricci scored her second straight winner off a corner kick to lift the Captains to their 11th straight victory.

With the win, the No. 1 team in Division III improved to 12-0-1 on the season and added to the longest active unbeaten streak in the NCAA.

The Christopher Newport defense earned the team's third consecutive shutout and sixth in the last seven games while holding the Sea Gulls to just three shots on-goal, all in the second half. Jaya Daniel got the win, improving to 11-0-0 on the season, while rookie Abby Ochs played the second half and made all three saves for the Captains.

The back line was able to play free throughout the contest thanks to an early goal scored by the Captains offense. In one of the first dangerous chances of the game, CNU capitalized on a corner kick taken by Sarah Rhiel. Her pass was lifted into the center of the box where All-American defender Jill McDonald got a header back toward the near post, finding Ricci for the one-touch goal. Ricci slammed home the chance on an open goal, picking up her fourth score of the season.

McDonald snagged her first assist and Rhiel pulled into a tie for the team lead with four helpers this year. Ricci eclipsed double-figures in scoring for the second straight year and ranks second on the team with 11 points on four goals and three assists.

The lead would double in the 75th minute as the CNU offense converted on a penalty kick chance after a foul by the goalkeeper in the box. Molly Beegle, earning her first start of the season, stepped up and delivered a hard shot past the Salisbury keeper for her first goal of the season. The insurance tally helped CNU cruise to the win for the third victory by multiple goals this season. 

McDonald, Kate Eissenberg, and Re Slater played the full 90 minutes on the back line to help secure the team's ninth shutout of the season. CNU has surrendered just five goals in 1170 minutes this season for a 0.38 goals-against average.

The offense showed the ability to knife through the Salisbury defense throughout the game. Late in the first half, rookie Katy Bronski played an excellent ball through the Sea Gulls back line to put Natalie Swarm onsides for a one-on-one chance. Swarm took a few touches before blistering a hard shot just high and wide of the near ninety. On the ensuing goal kick, Bronski was played on herself for another one-on-one chance, but her shot slipped just wide after sliding under the keeper in the 50-50 battle.

The trend continued into the second half when Kenna McCarthy found Swarm near the top of the box in the 66th minute. The Captains' forward worked herself free for a shot around two different defenders before taking a hard shot from the top of the box. The Salisbury keeper stoned the effort but the CNU attack kept pressing forward.

CNU will next take on Mary Washington in back-to-back games, starting with a home game against the Eagles next Wednesday, October 19 at 7:00 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at CNUsports.com.