CHICAGO, Ill. -- Alexis Kasuda collected her fourth hat-trick of the season, but the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team dropped a 15-5 decision to No. 22 Chicago on Friday evening at Stagg Field.

Playing through a consistent snow squall, Kasuda was unaffected by the elements as the senior pumped a pair of goals in the first half before adding another tally in the third stanza. Syd Guidi also landed her 29th strike of the season, while Blake Hopkins found the back of the cage as well.

On the defensive side, Madi Rozgonyi added her name to an exclusive group while registering three takeaways. With that performance, she became just the fourth freshman in school history to cause at least three turnovers against a nationally-ranked opponent. Current teammate Emma Jackson accomplished the feat twice last year against No. 23 Lynchburg and No. 24 Mary Washington. Previously, Victoria Betterly did it against No. 22 Scranton on March 16, 2019, and Monica Evans had three takeaways against No. 18 Mary Washington on April 7, 2010.

Aided by her work on Friday, Rozgonyi now has 21 caused turnovers this season. That stands as the third-highest total by a freshman in program history, trailing only Betterly and Evans, who finished with 27 and 23, respectively.

With the setback, Christopher Newport now stands at 6-7 on the season. The victory bumps Chicago to 10-1.

In the early going, the nationally-ranked Maroons scooted out to a 3-0 lead in the first four minutes before the defense settled in. On Chicago's next trip down the field, Riley Rafterry-Lee and Maddie Rusinko applied pressure at the top of the zone and forced an off-balance pass, which Taylor Schoolar scooped up in the crease.

Moments later, the Captains clamped down again on Chicago's subsequent rally. Kicking things off, Rozgonyi pieced together a tough ride to force an errant pass. Later, Rafterry-Lee disrupted back-to-back shots on the right side of the field, including a rip that Schoolar smothered between the pipes.

Meanwhile, on the other end, Guidi got the offense rolling. In the 11th minute, she took possession 15 yards from the crease. Sprinting to her left, the second-year star slammed on the brakes and left two Maroons in the dust. Cutting back the other way, she eventually laced a liner just inside the pipe for Christopher Newport's first goal.

Although Chicago responded with a rapid-fire rally that helped the hosts steal an 8-1 lead early in the second quarter, the Captains showed a steely resolve and quickly battled back.

Leading the resurgence, Kasuda found her groove. First, the senior used a nice cut to sprint past multiple defenders before capitalizing on a feed from Zoe Dyer for the squad's second strike. Just over a minute later, she slipped free again after ducking underneath a defender before working her way inside. Eventually, she snared a pass from Sloane McDonald and punched in her second straight goal.

Still chipping away at the deficit, Blake Hopkins orchestrated a remarkable run in the 26th minute. Taking possession nearly 20 yards from the cage, the sophomore standout did the rest by herself. She pushed up the field before coming face-to-face with two defenders. Unfazed by the situation, she simply circled to her left and cut past both Maroons before slipping past a third defender who was unable to close out on the interior. With only the goalie in her way, she dipped low and unleashed a sidewinder around the keeper, which cut Christopher Newport's deficit down to four at 8-4.

After that point, the defense closed out the first half. Kendall Krause clamped down on a clear attempt after jumping a pass near midfield before handing possession back to the attack. Later, Rusinko chipped in with a phenomenal run to punctuate the period. The freshman phenom bodied up an attacker and forced a tough pass from the top of the zone, which Lizzie Burgoyne hauled in. Shortly thereafter, on Chicago's final rally of the quarter, Rusinko ate up a roll while sticking to the hip of a Maroon. Eventually, her efforts led to a low-percentage shot, which Burgoyne handled with ease.

Continuing the defensive work in the second half, Rafterry-Lee and Hopkins joined forces on a pair of early stands. First, they double-teamed an attacker at the edge of the zone and helped dislodge the ball, which Burgoyne corralled. Later, on an inside run, Hopkins used a trail-check to punch the ball loose before Rafterry-Lee collected the roller.

Shortly thereafter, on Chicago's third offensive possession of the period, Rafterry-Lee and Rusinko dropped an attacker to the turf following a quick clear, which led to an errant pass that gave the ball back to the Captains.

Unfortunately, momentum eventually swung in favor of the Maroons. The hosts hung four straight goals on the board in the middle of the period to snatch a 12-4 lead.

Needing to steady the ship, the defense found its rhythm again. Cutting off Chicago's very next rally, Jackson disrupted a pass that eventually skipped down the field to McDonald, who scooped it up and took it the other way. Although the Maroons eventually returned to the offensive end, Rusinko forced a tough shot that Joely Stevens corralled in the middle of a scrum.

Continuing the stellar work on the back end, Rozgonyi showed off her skills. Diagnosing a play while reading the eyes of an attacker, she jumped into a passing lane, intercepted a feed, and scooted the other way on a clear attempt.

On the other end of the field, Kasuda polished off her hat-trick in the 44th minute. Flashing her toughness, she won a physical battle with a defender at the top of the zone. On the play, she cut to her right and blew through a stick-check while sending the Maroon crashing to the turf. After finding some space, she buried a bullet in the top left corner of the cage for the team's fifth strike.

Still holding a 12-5 lead entering the final stanza, the hosts never let the Captains pull any closer. Refusing to go down quietly, Burgoyne made a pair of tremendous saves in the fourth quarter. With 10 minutes remaining, she dropped low to pluck a worm-burner off the turf. Then, in the middle of the period, she made a pointblank stop on a tricky behind-the-back rip along the left post to close off another rally.

Meanwhile, Rozgonyi added her final takeaway after stonewalling a run up the right sideline to shut off a clear attempt. Sadly, the Maroons continued to pressure the Captains and eventually tacked three more goals on the scoreboard in the final 15 minutes to lock up the 15-5 victory.

Overall, Chicago out-shot Christopher Newport, 23-11, and held a 27-22 edge in ground balls. Meanwhile, the two teams evenly split the 24 draws. Guidi and Kasuda both had three draw controls for the Captains, while Burgoyne added four ground balls to go along with three saves. Rusinko and Rafterry-Lee collected three rollers apiece as well.

Christopher Newport will return to action on Sunday when the Captains wrap up their Midwest trip with a 1 p.m. test against Illinois Wesleyan.

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