NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- With just over a minute remaining, Christopher Newport goalkeeper Ethan Larson made the biggest save of his career with a diving stop on a rocket shot by Mary Washington's Abel Luwis, helping the 22nd-ranked Christopher Newport Captains capture a 2-1 win at home over the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference foes. The Captains improved to 6-1-0 with the win, capping a terrific homestand to start the season.

Larson made four stops in the contest, including three in the final 13 minutes as Mary Washington threw everything forward looking for the equalizer. The Eagles leading scorer, Josh Kirkland, got behind the defense and ripped a hard shot from a tough angle in the 79th minute, but Larson sprawled out and kicked it away. Seconds later, a second effort forced the CNU goalkeeper to smother another shot on the near post.

But none was bigger than the fully-extended stop in the 89th minute. Luwis had a first attempt blocked out to the corner where his teammate, Carter Berg, played the ball back into the box. It bounded into the air toward Luwis, who perfectly timed a volley that appeared destined for the left side of the goal. That was until Larson took one step and dove to his right and turned away the shot with his fingertips.

With a 2-1 lead, the Captains would watch as the final seconds ticked away for the team's fourth straight victory. CNU picked up the win against the seventh-largest crowd in program history as the fans filled the stadium on Family Weekend. The 6-1-0 start matches the best run to open a season since 2015 for Christopher Newport, a year in which the Captains started 10-0-4.

The thrilling finish was set up by a pair of first-half goals, one scored by either team, and an Own Goal winner in the 51st minute. The evenly matched contest featured the Captains, ranked No. 22 in the nation, and Eagles, receiving votes in both Top 25 polls.

Christopher Newport opened the scoring in the 11th minute of action on an excellent combination play around the top of the box. Ryan Machado-Jones started the play with one-on-one action in the corner before the senior slipped and fell, but recovered and managed to get a touch pass to the top of the box for Ryan Kiely. The sophomore defender flicked a one-touch passs into the box for Mason Field, who spun and fired a rocket into the left side of the goal.

The lead would only hold for about four and a half minutes as Mary Washington answered with a finish in the 16th minute. Luwis sent a cross in from the right side that found the foot of Evan Fidler, sliding in for the goal on the back post.

Later in the first half, CNU looked primed for another goal when Barry Jones left his defender behind after a nifty move into the box, but a second Eagles defender tracked back and made enough contact to prevent a shot and the Mary Washington keeper made a sliding stop.

CNU re-took the lead in the 51st minute when Trevor Smith played Machado-Jones onsides will a brilliant flick through defenders toward the goal line. Machado-Jones looked to play it back across the middle when an Eagles defender intercepted the pass and knocked it by his own goalkeeper for the score.

Offensive chances were limited throughout the game for both teams as the midfielders ruled control of the action. Defensively, CNU leaned on Kyle Stenzel and Ryan Kiely in the middle while Jonathon Leiding and Jacob Dudley also played the full 90 in the back.

The Captains will hit the road for the first time in 2022 on Wednesday night when they travel to Hampden-Sydney College at 7:00 p.m.