Live Stats // Video Stream
DANVILLE, Ky. -- The sixth-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team will face a road test on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. when the Captains travel to Centre for a non-conference showdown at South Campus Field.
Entering the weekend, CNU sits at 14-0 overall, including 7-0 on the road. Meanwhile, Centre is currently 7-6 with a 5-1 mark at home. The Colonels will open up their weekend with a battle against Mary Washington on Saturday before welcoming the Captains to town.
For those fans unable to attend the game, live stats and a video stream of the action will be available at CentreColonels.com. A direct link can be found at the top of this release and on the schedule page.
Christopher Newport extended its winning streak to 14 straight games on Wednesday when the Captains upended No. 5 Salisbury, 3-1. That roll is tied with Big Ten power Rutgers for the second-longest active run in the nation, trailing only Middlebury's 22-game streak dating back to last season.
Against the Sea Gulls,
Abby Asuncion opened the scoring with the equalizer in the 21st minute. With that goal, she collected her 117th career point, moving past Christopher Newport Hall of Famer Belle Tunstall for the most in program history.
Just 38 seconds later,
Caroline Hughlett added the go-ahead strike before
Maddison Steele chipped in with the final dagger in the 28th minute. CNU's three goals in the second frame marked the most surrendered by the Sea Gulls in a single period since the NCAA switched to 15-minute quarters.
Meanwhile, with her tally, Hughlett recorded her third game-winning goal of the season. Incredibly, all three of her clinching strikes have come against nationally-ranked competition after previously polishing off victories over No. 11 Kean and No. 19 Franklin & Marshall earlier in the year. She is just the second Captain in school history to register three game-winners in a single season against top-25 foes, joining former All-American Courtnie Greene, who accomplished the feat in 2017.
Overall, Christopher Newport's five total wins against nationally-ranked competition this year are the second-most in school history. The 2013 Captains upended six top-25 programs on the way to the NCAA Final Four.
Along with the offensive heroes on Wednesday,
Lily Kerr matched her career-high with 13 saves, while
Brooke Billhimer chipped in with a defensive save. Billhimer also deflected three shots during the contest, and
Alexis Morales added two blocks of her own. Helping out on both ends, Morales also notched two assists. She now has 12 helpers this year, just one shy of matching Haylie Black's school record set in 2006.
Centre enters the weekend on the heels of a 3-2 overtime setback against Rhodes on Sunday. That loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Colonels. Despite the stumble, the squad still ranks 20th in the NCAA with a sparkling .812 save percentage. Additionally, Abby Brainard ranks in the top-50 nationally with four defensive saves of her own.
Along with Brainard's work on the back line, Carlie McKenry has compiled a 1.56 goals-against-average and 91 total saves this season. Offensively, Claire Martin has a team-high 11 points, while Peyton Gahm and Meghan Speth have 10 apiece.
Sunday's battle will mark the 11th all-time meeting between the two programs with CNU holding an 8-2 edge in the series. Last year, the Captains posted a 4-0 win in Newport News, including a pair of goals by Asuncion. Prior to the 2022 showdown, the Colonels had won the previous two games, including a 2-1 double-overtime triumph in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
Following Sunday's game, Christopher Newport will wrap up the regular season on October 28 when the team travels to Mary Washington for a 1 p.m. tilt.
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