NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Driving home three goals in the second quarter, including a record-setting blast by Abby Asuncion, the 6th-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team overcame an early deficit and stormed back to snatch a 3-1 victory against No. 5 Salisbury during a Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference thriller on a gorgeous Wednesday evening at Jennings Family Stadium.

After the Sea Gulls struck in the first minute of action, the Captains regrouped and fought back. Landing the equalizer in the 21st minute, Asuncion kicked off the comeback while rewriting the record books. With her opening tally, the fifth-year phenom collected her 117th career point, moving past Christopher Newport Hall of Famer Belle Tunstall for the most in program history.

After pulling even, CNU quickly broke the deadlock as Caroline Hughlett sank the go-ahead goal just 38 seconds later. Then, only minutes before halftime, Maddison Steele added the final dagger to close out the scoring.

With her tally, Hughlett became just the second freshman in program history to land the game-winning goal against a top-five foe. In that exclusive club, she joined Asuncion, whose first career strike was the clincher in a 2-1 triumph over No. 5 Johns Hopkins on September 8, 2019. Fittingly, that battle four years ago against the Blue Jays was also the only other game in CNU history in which the Captains registered a come-from-behind victory against a top-five opponent.

Making the offensive eruption even more impressive, Salisbury had shut out its last six opponents, including 1-0 wins over No. 8 York (Pa.) and No. 9 Williams. Overall, the Sea Gulls had blanked their opposition for 386 consecutive minutes before Asuncion's opening strike. That had been the second-longest active streak in the entire NCAA.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Christopher Newport orchestrated an outstanding performance on the back end. Lily Kerr matched her career-high with 13 saves, including several highlight-reel stops while keeping a lid on the high-powered Salisbury attack. Brooke Billhimer also contributed a diving defensive save to keep the momentum during a dangerous rally by the visitors in the third quarter.

With the victory, CNU improved to 14-0 on the season, while the loss dropped Salisbury to 10-3.

In the opening quarter, the Sea Gulls slipped out to a fast advantage after capitalizing on a corner just 46 seconds into regulation. Staying composed, Christopher Newport shrugged off the early setback and quickly regrouped on both ends of the field.

Pushing back against Salisbury's next corner, Kerr kicked away an on-target rope before Alexis Morales forced a second-chance opportunity to spin past the right post. Later, Billhimer wrestled possession away from a pair of attackers along the defensive 25 to help quiet back-to-back rallies in the middle of the period.

After Delaney Norr helped clear the ball up the left sideline, Christopher Newport applied pressure at the tail end of the opening period. Katie Abendschoen spun through two defenders before Ellie Nuckols drew a corner in the 13th minute after flipping a spinner off the foot of a Sea Gull.

Looking to cash in, Asuncion and Chloe Thompson both had attempts turned away on the interior. Seconds later, Abendschoen won a fight for a loose ball along the sideline and quickly flipped a pass back to Asuncion, but her ensuing shot was stoned by a defender at the top of the arc.

Still trailing by one entering the second stanza, CNU held firm against an early assault by the visitors. Mere moments into the period, Kerr made a sliding save along the right post before Thompson knocked the rebound out of the circle. Later, Salisbury collected back-to-back corners, but Kerr continued her masterpiece.

On the first attempt, she batted down a high-rising rocket off an initial rip from the top of the arc before adding a kick save on a ricochet near the left pipe. Then, on the second corner, she swatted away another elevated blast to keep the deficit at one.

After surviving Salisbury's surge, Courtney Hughlett flipped the field after pinning a midfielder against the right sideline before stripping her with a textbook tackle. Although the Sea Gulls momentarily held up against the push, the Captains never relented.

Controlling the ball along the offensive 25, Abendschoen shuffled it over to Morales, who rifled a 20-yard seed into the circle. Incredibly, the rocket skipped past a defender and settled on Asuncion's stick. With a clean look, she turned and chopped a bouncer past the keeper for the game-tying tally.

With work left to do, Caroline Hughlett quickly stole possession off the restart before bolting up the left sideline. Eventually, she curled inside and drew a corner. Looking to capitalize, Kendall Gibson settled a lengthy insert before threading a pass to Morales in the right corner.

Staring at four defenders, Morales found a window and slipped a pinpoint pass through the crowd. Fittingly, Hughlett completed what she started as the first-year star sank a dagger along the left post to give the Captains their first lead of the contest.

Facing their first deficit in over a month, the Sea Gulls tried to respond, but the Captains stepped up on the back end. Early on, Morales knocked a bouncer out of the circle before Billhimer battled through contact to cut off a rally along the right post. Later, Thompson blocked a shot before Kerr made two straight saves, including a sprawling stop on a missile from pointblank range.

Following the defensive stand, Christopher Newport went back to work on the other end. Flashing her speed, Asuncion raced up the turf to intercept a pass near midfield before Steele grabbed possession and scooted across the 25. Moments later, Lindsey Loar kept control while circling through four Sea Gulls before Courtney Hughlett skipped a knuckler through a horde of defenders.

Although Salisbury's goalie kicked away Hughlett's shot, Steele recovered the rebound, pulled to her right, and whistled a screamer into the back of the cage to secure a 3-1 lead entering halftime.

Following the break, the Sea Gulls nearly responded, but Christopher Newport put together its finest defensive stand of the season. Facing an absolute onslaught after a Salisbury corner, Billhimer blocked an early shot before Kerr showcased tremendous footwork while kicking away a pair of worm-burners. Still pushing forward, another attacker found an opening along the left post, but Billhimer made a diving stop to seal off the cage.

Continuing to work while laying on the turf, Billhimer managed to keep the ball in play and send a spinner to Lainey Pratzner, who barreled up the left sideline to give the defense a breather.

Shortly thereafter, Salisbury returned to the offensive end, but Morales snatched possession from a Sea Gull along the right pipe before vacating the circle to kill off the threat.

Looking to retaliate on the other end, Loar pulled past two defenders and fired an on-target tracer that was punted by the keeper. Later, she made a diving attempt to redirect a crosser along the right pipe, but the ball just slipped beyond her reach in the final seconds of the third quarter.

Early in the final stanza, Christopher Newport faced a flurry of action on the defensive end. Salisbury secured three straight corners, but the Captains put on a clinic to stymie the assault.

On the first attempt, Morales deflected a shot from the left corner before Billhimer collected the rebound. Although the Sea Gulls earned another try, Asuncion came bolting out of the cage and blocked an initial rocket before Morales batted down a second attempt along the left wing.

Then, on Salisbury's third corner of the period, Morales never even let the visitors attempt a shot as she stole the ball right off the stick of a shooter and cleared it out of the circle. Moments later, Billhimer won a lengthy standoff with an attacker along the post before slipping out the right side of the zone.

After the Sea Gulls brushed aside Christopher Newport's counterpunch in the middle of the stanza, the Captains settled in on the defensive end to wrap up the victory.

With eight minutes left in regulation, Billhimer blocked back-to-back shots before Kerr added a diving save along the left post. Later, after the visitors earned another corner, Abendschoen applied pressure and stayed on the hip of an attacker before causing a shot to spin away from the cage.

Still searching for an opening, Salisbury continued to attack, but CNU was flawless on the back end. Morales broke up a run in the right corner, Steele forced an errant pass near midfield, and Abendschoen dribbled through a crowd with a minute left to kill off crucial time. Later, after the Sea Gulls regained control, Courtney Hughlett ran stride-for-stride with an attacker and forced her into the teeth of Christopher Newport's back line.

Taking advantage, Morales quickly picked off the roller and lofted an aerial up the turf to help close out the contest.

Overall, Salisbury held a 25-18 advantage in shots and a 10-5 lead in corners, but Kerr and the defense overcame the statistical discrepancies to pick up the program's 14th straight victory.

Christopher Newport will return to action on Sunday when the Captains travel to Danville, Kentucky for a 10:30 a.m. clash at Centre.

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