NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Showing incredible heart down the stretch, the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team battled back from a three-goal deficit to knot the score at eight late in the third quarter, but the eighth-ranked Washington & Lee Generals were able to stem the tide and secure an 11-8 victory on a gorgeous Wednesday afternoon at Jennings Family Stadium.

During the game, Julia Iapicca continued her early-season domination with her second straight hat-trick, including back-to-back free-position darts that evened the score in the 39th minute. Meanwhile, Syd Guidi also added a pair of strikes, while Kelsey Winters contributed three points, including two assists.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the field, Emma Jackson headlined a remarkable performance by the defense. Standing tall against the high-powered Generals, the junior sensation recorded seven caused turnovers, which equaled the third-highest total in program history and the finest effort against a nationally-ranked opponent.

In addition to her seven takeaways, the third-year star added four draw controls and four ground balls. Riley Rafterry-Lee, Madi Rozgonyi, and Celia Kelaher also forced turnovers on the back line, while Taylor Schoolar pocketed a pair to go along with seven saves between the pipes.

With the setback, Christopher Newport falls to 1-1 on the season, while Washington & Lee improves to 2-0.

Just over a minute into regulation, the hosts struck first. Winters laced a shot from the right side of the zone. Although the ball caught iron, it deflected out to Sloane McDonald, who snatched the ricochet and slammed home a rocket along the left pipe.

Although Washington & Lee responded with two straight tallies, the Captains fired back. On a free-position attempt, Winters unleashed a missile that nearly cracked the Christopher Newport logo at the top of the cage. Ninety seconds later, Iapicca joined the action with a sidewinder after scooting past five different defenders on a remarkable run through the W&L defense.

Clutching a modest 3-2 lead at the end of the opening quarter, the hosts quickly stretched their advantage in the second period. After Jackson put an end to an early run by the Generals with a strip on the interior, Guidi capitalized on the other end. Circling through the defense, she weaved through traffic before finding some room on the right side for her first goal of the game.

Following another strike by the visitors, Guidi came back for more. This time, she dipped low and uncorked a scoop shot that found its way into the back of the cage for a 5-3 lead.

Unfortunately, Washington & Lee regained some momentum after that point. Over the final six minutes of the first half, the Generals slapped three straight goals on the board, which gave the team a 6-5 lead entering the break. After halftime, the squad continued its surge with two more blasts to secure a three-goal edge midway through the period.

Staring at an 8-5 deficit, Christopher Newport regrouped during a timeout. Following the stoppage, the Captains went right to work. Kicking off the comeback, Winters dropped a rainbow over the cage to Brookelyn Morrison, who finished along the left pipe. Moments later, Iapicca snapped off a worm-burner from the eight-meter arc to pull the squad back within one.

On the ensuing draw, Eleanor Collins flipped a liner to Morrison, who snatched possession and charged up the field. Looking for the equalizer, Iapicca earned another free-position attempt. Capitalizing again, she charged in from the arc and whipped a shot around the keeper, which completed her hat-trick and evened the score at eight.

Sadly, Washington & Lee had an answer. Less than a minute later, the Generals broke the deadlock. Then, after stoning a pair of late lasers by the Captains, the visitors pulled away in the fourth. 

Although Christopher Newport had several solid looks early in the final stanza, W&L held tough on the defensive side before the offense added back-to-back goals, which gave the visitors an 11-8 lead.

Battling until the bitter end, Kendall Krause knocked down a centering feed to regain possession with three minutes left in regulation. After Rusinko pounced on the roller and jumpstarted a successful clear, Guidi had a chance on the offensive end, but Washington & Lee's keeper came through with her 10th save of the game to thwart Christopher Newport's final attempt.

Overall, Washington & Lee held a 24-22 advantage in shots and a slim 19-18 edge in ground balls. The Generals also controlled 14 of the game's 21 draws.

Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday at noon when the Captains head north for a showdown at No. 24 Haverford.

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