VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- Although a lightning delay postponed the start of the game for over 30 minutes, the 16th-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team weathered the storm and put together an outstanding showcase on both ends of the turf while rolling past Virginia Wesleyan, 8-0, during a non-conference tilt on Tuesday evening at Birdsong Field.

Against the Marlins, Emma Logue made a little history after registering two goals and a pair of assists. With that performance, she became the first Captain to collect at least two strikes and two helpers in the same game since Josie Morgan reached those totals against Oberlin on September 5, 2016. Overall, the senior standout became just the seventh player in program history to accomplish the feat, adding her name to an exclusive club alongside Christopher Newport Hall of Famers Belle Tunstall, Caitlin Cahill, and Wendy Wilson as well as former legends Haylie Black and Ashley Traylor.

Along with Logue's offensive outburst, Abby Asuncion also netted a pair of goals. The reigning All-American now has 29 tallies in her career, tying Katelyn Yandle for ninth on the program's all-time scoring list.

In addition to the multi-goal scorers, Maddison Steele chipped in with three points, while Brooke Billhimer, Delaney Norr, and Chloe Thompson also added strikes for the Captains.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improves to 2-1 on the season, while the setback drops Virginia Wesleyan to 0-3.

In the opening period, the Captains took control with a relentless offensive attack. Although the hosts managed to withstand several early advances by Christopher Newport, the visitors eventually broke through in the eighth minute. After securing a corner, Thompson inserted the ball to Billhimer, who unloaded a blast from the top of the circle. Stationed in the center of the zone, Steele deflected the rip towards the left post. Finishing what she started, Thompson eventually completed the play and opened the scoring after redirecting the ball into the cage.

Just over two minutes later, Christopher Newport struck again. Norr made a fantastic play to steal possession from a defender before Emily Evans took control. From outside of the circle, the freshman punched a knuckler into the zone, which bounced off a defender and the keeper before finding its way to Logue. After snatching the carom, the senior unleashed a screamer from the left side to secure a 2-0 lead.

Keeping pressure on Virginia Wesleyan, the Captains used a similar play to stretch their advantage to 3-0 in the 12th minute. Alexis Morales smacked a rope into the circle, which was jostled around by the defense before squirting out to the right side. Gobbling up the roller, Norr slipped it behind the keeper for her first strike of the year.

With time winding down in the opening quarter, the hosts attempted to push up the left sideline, but Morales stoned the run and orchestrated an incredible clear. Taking the ball by herself, she scampered up the far side of the turf and cruised right past the VWU midfield before handing control over to the attack. Eventually, Vivian Pope pounded a pass to Asuncion, who secured it at the top of the circle and uncorked a dagger for her first tally of the year.

In the second quarter, Christopher Newport pieced together an outstanding defensive performance to keep the Marlins scoreless entering halftime. Early on, the hosts managed to punch the ball towards the cage, but Lily Kerr quickly punted it out of the circle. Moments later, Morales dropped down and intercepted a pass along the arc to brush aside a secondary surge.

Later, after the Captains were turned away on the offensive end, the squad continued its defensive masterpiece. Trying to jumpstart an attack, the Marlins laced a long ball down the field, but Thompson won a race for the roller, scooted past a pair of Marlins, and lofted an aerial up the turf to flip possession. Shortly thereafter, Billhimer, Lainey Pratzner, and Katie Abendschoen disrupted clear attempts to keep the ball on the offensive end, while Gwendolyn Via picked off a roller near midfield and circled her way through three players before handing control back to the attack.

Searching for any semblance of momentum in the waning moments of the first half, the Marlins finally had numbers on their side and attempted to connect on a breakaway down the right side of the field. However, Billhimer stayed deep and snatched the pass before a threat could develop, which kept the shutout intact entering halftime.

Following the break, Christopher Newport broke loose on the offensive end again. In the 40th minute, the Marlins attempted to clear the circle, but Steele grabbed control of the ball at the top of the zone. In the blink of an eye, the second-year star used a quick touch to split two players before circling back around a third defender and unleashing a missile into the cage for a 5-0 lead.

Just four minutes later, after Morgan Arthur intercepted a pass near midfield, the Captains pushed the tempo and earned a corner. Eventually, Logue inserted the ball to Asuncion, who simply sidestepped the VWU flyer and bombed a one-timer through the defense to extend the lead to six. Shortly thereafter, Christopher Newport capitalized again on a similar corner. This time, Logue sent a feed to Billhimer, who dodged a defender and tattooed the back of the cage with her first collegiate goal.

Entering the final stanza, Christopher Newport added one last highlight on the offensive side. After Marcella Sabbagh pumped a shot off a defender to secure a corner, Logue polished off her historic evening. Once again, she served as the inserter and sent a perfect feed to the top of the circle. With possession, Sabbagh dipped low and lined a worm-burner towards the left post. After cutting back inside, Logue avoided the diving keeper and redirected the roller into the cage for her second strike of the game.

Fostering an 8-0 lead, the Captains focused on completing the shutout while keeping a tight lid on the opposition. With nine minutes left, Sabbagh broke up a clear near midfield. Shortly thereafter, Joelie Erwin added an interception of her own before sailing up the right side of the turf to keep the pressure on Virginia Wesleyan's defensive unit.

Continuing to shrink the field, Morales made a nice tackle along the offensive 25 to thwart another clear attempt before Brie Mallozzi won a battle for possession with two defenders along the arc. From there, Christopher Newport went to work on the clock and eventually ran off the final few minutes to lock up the 8-0 victory.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 38-1 advantage in shots and a 17-0 lead in corners. Along with Kerr's work in the first two quarters, Gabi Gray took over in the cage after halftime and orchestrated 30 pristine minutes to close out the contest.

The Captains will return to action on Saturday when the squad hosts Haverford at noon.

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