FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- Making their presence felt throughout the contest, Christopher Newport's first-year phenoms played a role in all five goals while helping lead the 6th-ranked CNU field hockey team to a 5-0 victory over Denison on a windy Sunday afternoon at Mary Washington's Battleground Turf Field.

Leading the way, Lindsey Loar scored the game's first two goals after striking twice in the opening period. She now has nine tallies this season, marking the third-most by a freshman in school history. Previously, Abby Asuncion had 14 goals during her debut campaign in 2019, while Anne Gehring snapped off 13 in 2005.

Along with Loar, fellow freshmen Caroline Hughlett, Courtney Hughlett, and Ellie Nuckols all added assists. Overall, Christopher Newport's newcomers have contributed 53 points this season, which stands as the fourth-highest total by a freshman class in program history.

Putting that accomplishment into perspective, only three field hockey programs in the entire nation have received at least 50 points from their freshmen in 2023. CNU's electric crew joins Union and Big Ten power Iowa as the NCAA's highest-scoring freshman contingents.

In addition to the first-year sensations, Emily Evans also deposited a pair of strikes, while Chloe Thompson added one of her own. With her performance, Evans became the first player in program history to record at least eight goals as both a freshman and sophomore.

Meanwhile, on the defensive end, Christopher Newport limited Denison to only two shots while recording the program's eighth shutout of the year. That is tied for the third-most in the NCAA this season.

With the victory, CNU improved to 13-0, while the setback dropped Denison to 8-4.

From the outset, the Captains set the tone on the defensive side of the ball. On the Big Red's first run of the game, Brooke Billhimer stamped out a rally after stripping an attacker who nearly leaked free during a two-on-one advantage. Later, she broke up another surge after pinning a midfielder against the right sideline before Thompson forced an errant pass to close out another push.

Taking advantage on the other end, Christopher Newport opened the scoring after capitalizing on a corner in the eighth minute. Taking the insert on the left side of the circle, Alexis Morales slipped a worm-burner past two defenders towards the right post. On the receiving end, Loar dipped low and deflected it past the pipe for her first goal of the contest.

With her assist on that play, Morales also joined an exclusive club. She became just the eighth Captain to post at least 10 helpers in a single season.

Staring at an early deficit, Denison tried to respond, but CNU locked down the entire field. Following their offensive heroics, Loar applied pressure along the right sideline before Morales bottled up a run on the opposite end. Moments later, Nuckols closed out quickly on an attacker and caused a pass to sail out of bounds.

After regaining control, Morales floated an aerial over the defense to Maddison Steele, who bolted inside and drew a corner. Although the Big Red held up against the initial surge, Christopher Newport continued to attack.

Eventually, Steele had a shot turned away on the interior, but Lainey Pratzner recovered the deflection. In heavy traffic, she sliced a feed right through Steele's legs. Taking possession, Loar grabbed the pass and snapped off her second straight strike to give the Captains a little breathing room entering the second quarter.

Continuing to attack Denison's defensive unit, Kendall Gibson had a fantastic run along the end line in the 16th minute before Asuncion and Delaney Norr had on-target shots turned aside on a penalty corner. Moments later, Asuncion reentered the circle and spun through three defenders during an acrobatic rally before unloading another rip that was blocked by the back line.

Although the Big Red kept the Captains off the scoreboard in the early part of the second period, Christopher Newport seldom let Denison slip past midfield. On the rare occasion that the opposition made it across the meridian, Billhimer remained vigilant. During Denison's deepest push, the third-year star was knocked to the turf but quickly regained her footing, recovered along the arc, and intercepted a crosser before sending a spinner back up the field.

Keeping the ball planted on the offensive end, Katie Abendschoen picked off a clear attempt near midfield before Caroline Hughlett snatched a pass along the left sideline just a split second after she subbed back into the game.

With extra possessions, Christopher Newport eventually took advantage. In the 24th minute, Courtney Hughlett put together a masterclass. Storming towards the left post, she fired a shot, but the keeper made a kick save. After Joelie Erwin grabbed the rebound, she slipped the roller back inside to Hughlett, who used some creativity to capitalize on the second-chance opportunity.

On the play, the goalie hit the turf to prevent a low liner. Incredibly, Hughlett used the keeper's pads as a ramp to send the ball spiraling into the air. Eventually, it sailed over the goalie and past three defenders. Finally, the airborne orb came back down to Earth and bounced to Evans, who punched it into the back of the cage for a 3-0 lead.

Looking to retaliate, Denison could not crack Christopher Newport's defense. Erwin stole a pass along the right sideline, Steele grabbed one near the arc, and Nuckols disrupted a clear at the offensive 25. Later, Morales picked the pockets of a defender, lifted the ball to herself, and maneuvered through a crowd before the attack went back to work.

After Erwin secured a corner less than two minutes before the break, the Captains found an opening. Once again, the Big Red held up against the initial assault, but CNU remained calm. Eventually, Caroline Hughlett flashed superhuman vision to set up the team's fourth goal.

With a defender draped on her back while facing away from the cage, Hughlett flicked a no-look feed past four other players. Incredibly, the ball found its way to Evans, who quickly fired a one-timer past the keeper for a 4-0 lead entering halftime.

Following the break, Christopher Newport was tested on the defensive side but passed the exam with ease. Early on, Avi McWhorter won a duel and grabbed possession to quiet a Big Red rally. Later, Denison earned a corner, but Asuncion came racing out and deflected an attempt at the top of the arc.

Still applying pressure, an attacker lifted a shot towards the cage, but Ella Fallen made a leaping save to punch the ball over the crossbar before Evans cleared it up the field.

After surviving the scare, CNU added one final blow on the offensive end. Cashing in on another corner, the Captains converted in the 36th minute. This time, Thompson inserted the ball to Abendschoen, who smacked a pass over to Nuckols. Stationed along the top right edge of the arc, the freshman took possession and lined a bouncer back to Thompson, who redirected it along the left post for the game's final goal.

With a 5-0 edge, Christopher Newport closed out the contest with a suffocating performance in the fourth quarter. Courtney Hughlett blocked a Denison rally up the left sideline before Nuckols stonewalled a run on the opposite end. Later, after the Big Red worked the ball up the turf, Gibson grabbed control and dropped a rainbow over multiple midfielders to kill off the surge.

Although the Captains were hit with a pair of late cards, CNU was just as effective while playing shorthanded. Nuckols ran step-for-step with a streaker up the left sideline to prevent a three-on-two breakaway. Later, in the final minute, Abendschoen seized an errant pass along the offensive 25 before Billhimer foiled another odd-man rush with a deflection to preserve the shutout.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 39-2 advantage in shots and a 16-1 lead in corners. Fallen and Lily Kerr teamed up for the shutout, while Athena Joannou contributed 26 saves for the Big Red.

The Captains will return to action on Wednesday when the squad hosts No. 5 Salisbury at 4 p.m.

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