GRANTHAM, Pa. -- Trading blows throughout the majority of the game, the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team battled back-and-forth with the 15th-ranked Messiah Falcons before the hosts slipped ahead with a surge in the fourth quarter to steal a 15-6 victory during a non-conference showdown on Saturday afternoon at the Messiah Lacrosse Turf Field.

Kendall Krause recorded her fifth hat-trick of the season - and her second against a nationally-ranked opponent - after depositing three goals in the first half. Kelsey Winters also added three points, including two assists. Her final helper marked her 50th of the season. Incredibly, she became just the second Captain in program history to reach that milestone, joining Christopher Newport Hall of Famer Meghan Harkey, who set the school record with 55 assists in 2011.

Rounding out the attack, Sloane McDonald chipped in with a pair of points, and Alexis Kasuda contributed her 11th goal of the year. On the defensive side, Madi Rozgonyi forced a pair of turnovers and collected four ground balls, while Taylor Schoolar came through with eight saves.

With the setback, Christopher Newport falls to 5-6 on the season. The victory bumps Messiah to 7-3.

Standing toe-to-toe with the nationally-ranked Falcons, Christopher Newport looked sharp on both ends of the field in the early going. On the offensive side, Krause got things rolling with a pair of fast strikes, including a rainbow that floated over the Messiah defense before skipping through the goalie's wickets.

On the defensive end, the Captains held up against the high-powered Messiah attack. After the Falcons got on the board, the back line clamped down. Joely Stevens applied pressure on the left side of the zone before forcing an errant pass that Maggie Lockard snagged along the crease. Moments later, Rozgonyi deflected a pass and pounced on the loose ball to flip possession again.

Later, Schoolar stepped up with a remarkable run between the pipes. First, the junior made a clean save on a low liner after a Falcon slipped free on a run up the center of the field. Then, she snuffed out a blast along the left pipe before slamming the door on back-to-back free-position rockets during the middle of the period.

Although the Falcons pulled even again at two, Kasuda quickly broke the deadlock. With Winters drawing the eyes of the defense on a trip around the top of the zone, Kasuda wiggled free on the inside. After snatching a pass, she rolled to her left and buried a blast in the top right corner of the cage for a 3-2 edge.

Once again, Messiah evened the score with a strike at the end of the first quarter before snaring a 4-3 lead early in the second stanza. Undaunted by the swing in momentum, Christopher Newport retaliated.

Less than a minute after the Falcons landed the go-ahead goal, Zoe Dyer earned a free-position attempt. The senior eventually passed out of the opportunity before Winters took possession near the left pipe. Looking for a quick strike, McDonald stormed through the zone, grabbed a feed, and landed the equalizer in the 20th minute.

Continuing the seesaw affair, Messiah shot back with its fifth goal before Krause added her third tally of the contest. On the play, the senior pieced together a lengthy run that saw her cruise past multiple defenders. Eventually, she snatched a pinpoint pass from McDonald before converting on the run.

Looking to keep the game knotted at five, the defense threw a blanket over the field. During a long rally, the Captains ran down the shot clock before forcing an off-balance pass, which Schoolar scooped up in the crease. Later, Stevens knocked down another feed that flipped possession before Lockard cut off a second rally shortly thereafter.

Unfortunately, Messiah continued testing Christopher Newport's back line before tossing two goals on the board in the final 20 seconds of the first half to snatch a 7-5 lead entering the break.

In the third quarter, the Captains quickly fired back. Isolated one-on-one with a defender along the left side of the crease, Winters took advantage of the situation. The junior All-American backed down the Falcon, spun to her right, and circled through the zone before lacing her first strike just inside the right pipe.

Meanwhile, on the back end, Schoolar did her best to keep Messiah in check. She made a sensational save following a free-position attempt that saw an attacker sneak around the right pipe for a pointblank blast. Later, she added two straight stops during a sustained rally to keep the hosts off the board.

Sadly, the Falcons eventually broke through again. The squad landed the final two goals of the third period to steal a 9-6 advantage entering the final 15 minutes. After gaining a little breathing room, Messiah put the game out-of-reach in the fourth quarter with six straight strikes to lock up the 15-6 triumph.

Overall, the Falcons held a 33-19 advantage in shots and a 19-18 edge in ground balls. Along with Rozgonyi's four rollers, Krause, Lockard, and Maddie Rusinko had two apiece.

Christopher Newport will return to action on Tuesday when the Captains host St. Mary's (Md.) at 5 p.m.

---ISH---