CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. -- Behind another incredible defensive showcase, the Christopher Newport field hockey team rolled to a 4-0 victory over Wilson on Saturday afternoon at Trojan Stadium.

Against the Phoenix, the Captains did not surrender a single shot or penalty corner during the 60-minute masterpiece. Overall, Wilson became just the seventh opponent in program history to go an entire game without a shot or corner and the first since Southern Virginia was blanked on October 23, 2019.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the field, Delaney Norr and Katie Abendschoen chipped in with three points apiece. Morgan Arthur and Emma Logue also landed daggers to round out the scoring.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 6-3 on the season. The setback drops Wilson to 3-3.

Setting the tone early, the Captains marched right down the field in the opening moments and secured five straight penalty corners. Although the hosts held tough against the onslaught, Christopher Newport eventually broke through in the fourth minute.

On the squad's fifth corner, Abby Asuncion secured the insert at the top of the zone. Cutting around the flyer, she burst to her right and blistered a screamer towards the left pipe. On the back side, Logue slipped in behind the keeper and redirected the rocket into the cage for the game's opening tally.

Following the goal, Christopher Newport settled in on the defensive end. Smothering Wilson's initial response, Chloe Thompson intercepted a pass that nearly jump-started a 2-on-1 breakaway before spinning her way around two attackers to clear the zone. Shortly thereafter, Brooke Billhimer broke up a feed near the top of the arc before intercepting a cross along the end line.

Later in the period, Lainey Pratzner stoned a rally near the right sideline before Thompson came back to snatch an errant feed just inside the arc to keep the Phoenix scoreless in the first quarter.

In the second stanza, Christopher Newport poked at Wilson's defensive unit but could not quite find an opening. Asuncion had three on-target rips turned away by the keeper, while Norr, Arthur, and Alexis Morales had bullets stoned by defenders.

Although the offense came away empty-handed in the period, the defense continued to shine all over the field. Early in the second quarter, Marcella Sabbagh picked off a feed in the left corner to thwart a quick rally by the Phoenix. Later, Billhimer gobbled up a pass along the right sideline, while Morales snuffed out a run in the middle of the field along the defensive 25 to keep the Phoenix scoreless entering halftime.

Following the break, Christopher Newport's attack went back to work. In the 39th minute, Abendschoen backed her way into the circle on the left side of the field. With two defenders on her hip, she kept her wits and threaded a pass to Norr, who knocked a shot past Wilson's diving keeper to stretch the lead to 2-0.

Staring at a two-goal deficit, the hosts attempted to respond but struggled to find any momentum. Sabbagh won a footrace for a long pass during a 3-on-2 rally by the Phoenix. Shortly thereafter, Morales closed down a run along the right sideline before Arthur bottled up a surge near midfield.

Following the defensive stand, the attack found another opening in the 45th minute. With just seconds left in the third quarter, Morales had a shot stopped by a defender. Although Wilson attempted to clear the circle, Arthur was stationed at the top of the arc. Stealing the clear attempt, the senior took possession and hammered a one-timer from long range. Incredibly, her shot spun through seven defenders before tattooing the back of the cage for a 3-0 lead.

After flashing her offensive chops, Arthur kicked off the fourth stanza with a nice tackle just inside the arc on Wilson's initial push. Then, Maddison Steele stole a pass and cruised up the field to clear the defensive end.

Following the early rush by the Phoenix, Wilson had little success moving the ball across midfield. Billhimer slammed the door on several rallies in the middle of the turf, while Morales also stopped a surge, grabbed control, and weaved her way around two attackers to hand the ball back to the offense.

With little left to prove, Christopher Newport added one final highlight on the offensive side in the 59th minute. Near the edge of the arc, Morales punched a feed to Norr, who was blanketed by four defenders on the inside of the zone. Unfazed by the close quarters, she slipped a roller to Abendschoen, who snuck behind the crowd and knocked home her third goal of the year to polish off the scoring.

Overall, the Captains held a 29-0 advantage in shots and a 13-0 lead in corners. Meanwhile, Lily Kerr earned her second straight shutout victory following a quiet day between the pipes.

Christopher Newport will return to action on September 30 when the squad hosts Shenandoah at 5 p.m.

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