HAVERFORD, Pa. -- Capping off a comeback for the ages with a stunning rally in the fourth quarter, the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team scored the game's final six goals, including a go-ahead blast by Brookelyn Morrison with three minutes remaining in regulation, to flip a lopsided deficit into a thrilling 15-14 victory over No. 24 Haverford on Saturday afternoon at Swan Field.

Trailing 14-9 early in the final stanza, the Captains regrouped with an epic performance. Headlining the late-game heroics, Paige Williams posted a goal and an assist on the offensive end, but it was her takeaway on a failed clear by Haverford in the final 90 seconds that put the finishing touches on the come-from-behind masterpiece.

The five-goal deficit equaled the second-largest comeback in school history, trailing only the 8-2 hole that Christopher Newport overcame on the way to a 16-15 triumph over Meredith on March 10, 2018. However, adding extra weight to Saturday's performance, the 2018 squad used 43 minutes to erase its deficit, while the current Captains needed just 13 minutes to complete their rally.

Along with Williams, Kelsey Winters scored twice in the fourth quarter and finished the game with five total points. Fellow senior Julia Iapicca also added a hat-trick, including the equalizer with four minutes remaining, while Morrison polished off her own three-goal showcase with the game-winning rocket. The freshman phenom also chipped in with eight draw controls as she helped Christopher Newport control possession throughout the final 15 minutes.

With her hat-trick, Morrison became the first freshman to register at least three goals against a nationally-ranked opponent since Williams netted four against No. 4 Salisbury on May 1, 2021. Meanwhile, her eight draw controls equaled the fourth-highest total by a freshman in program history, trailing only a pair of efforts by former All-American Meaghan Galvin in 2014 and a 12-draw showcase by Cat Leighty against Frostburg State on March 25, 2018.

On the other end of the field, nine different Captains collected at least one takeaway as the visitors limited Haverford to only three shots in the fourth quarter. Equally impressive between the pipes, Hadley Chadwick notched a pair of saves and picked up the victory with her work in the crease.

With her performance, Chadwick became just the third freshman in school history to register a win against a nationally-ranked foe. She joined an exclusive club featuring Hanna Slough, who knocked off No. 15 Washington & Lee in 2013, and Emma Walsh, who defeated No. 10 Catholic in 2016.

With the triumph, Christopher Newport improved to 2-1 on the season, while the setback dropped Haverford to 1-1.

After the Fords stole a 14-9 lead early in the fourth quarter, the Captains faced a tough task. Battling a veteran-laded squad that advanced to the NCAA Tournament last year, Christopher Newport dug in. Unfazed by the situation, the team immediately began its comeback bid.

Less than a minute after the hosts stretched their lead, Winters cut it back down to four. The two-time All-American burst around the left post. Although a defender raced over to meet her, she stopped on a dime, cut back, and laced a turnaround jump shot just inside the left pipe, which gave the visitors a little momentum.

Still facing a daunting deficit, the Captains took advantage of extra possessions created by Morrison and Iapicca, who dominated on the draw. With 11 minutes remaining, Sloane McDonald found Syd Guidi cutting inside for the team's 11th goal. Less than 60 seconds later, Winters worked her way around the left pipe and carried a defender on her back before wiggling free for her second strike of the period.

Meanwhile, the defense was equally effective. Riley Rafterry-Lee came through with a huge takeaway to stymie a Haverford rally in the middle of the stanza before bottling up another attacker who attempted to roll along the crease during the squad's next trip down the field. Chadwick also came through with the save of the season after stoning a pointblank rip by a Ford who broke free along the right post with five minutes left.

As the defense continued to stand tall, Williams took over on the attack. First, the junior star bullied a defender during a one-on-one match-up before whipping a screamer just inside the left pipe. Later, she came back and threaded a pass to Iapicca, who unleashed a rocket on the run that knotted the game at 14 with four minutes remaining.

Needing another goal, Morrison continued her starring role. On the next draw, she flipped the ball to herself and scurried up the turf. Fittingly, after starting the possession with her performance in the middle of the field, she capped off the comeback with one final highlight on the offensive end.

After the hosts were hit with a card, Christopher Newport took advantage. Winters grabbed the ball on the left side of the field and created a little room to work. Filling the void, Morrison slipped in and took possession. Although Haverford was able to regroup and applied pressure to the freshman sensation, she barreled through a double-team and unloaded a rip over the head of a third defender, which gave the visitors their first lead since the opening period.

With little time left on the clock, the Fords had one final opportunity after the defense forced a turnover with less than two minutes remaining in regulation. Needing to clear the zone, Haverford attempted to work the ball up the right sideline, but the squad ran headfirst into Williams.

Initially, the junior juggernaut jarred the ball loose with a quick check, but the hosts retained possession. Refusing to back down, she ripped the ball away again with a trail-check after another midfielder attempted to slip underneath her. This time, the Captains came away with the roller and went to work on the clock.

Needing to run out the final 90 seconds, Guidi circled the entire offensive zone before handing the ball to McDonald, who reversed course and drew another card on Haverford. Facing a shorthanded opponent, the Captains used crisp passing to work the ball around the field before Hope Hunter took control and scampered into the right corner to cut off crucial seconds.

After flipping possession around the field one last time, the Captains handed the ball off to Kendall Krause. As the clock ticked down, the fifth-year senior completed the program's seventh all-time victory against a nationally-ranked opponent. Fittingly, the game ended in the hands of Krause, who served as a starting midfielder in five of those triumphs.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 29-26 advantage in shots and a 21-19 lead in ground balls during the bout. The Captains also controlled 17 of the game's 32 draws.

Similar to the fourth quarter, Christopher Newport dominated the opening moments of the contest. Although Haverford struck first, the visitors fired back. Eleanor Collins converted a free position attempt, Krause added a strike after an acrobatic 360-spin, and Iapicca torched a Ford during a one-on-one battle before sinking her first goal of the game.

With a 3-1 edge, the Captains continued to shine on the defensive side as well. During an early rally by the hosts, Taylor Schoolar made back-to-back saves, including a slick stop to punch away a low liner that seemed destined to find an opening in the bottom left corner of the cage. Later, Madi Rozgonyi put an emphatic punctuation mark on a Haverford surge in the middle of the stanza after burying an attacker into the turf before snatching the ground ball and starting a successful clear.

Taking advantage of the work on the defensive end, the Captains stretched their lead to 4-1 after Morrison slammed a laser inside the right pipe on an eight-meter shot.

Unfortunately, Haverford regained the momentum late in the opening quarter. Putting together an answer to Christopher Newport's four-goal surge, the hosts snapped off five straight tallies to reclaim a 6-4 lead entering the second period.

Looking for a response, Christopher Newport went right to work with a fresh 15 minutes on the clock. Kicking things off, Winters assisted on a dagger by Morrison before depositing a missile of her own. Shortly thereafter, Krause skipped a blast off the turf to knot the game at seven midway through the quarter.

Trying to keep a lid on the high-powered Haverford attack, Schoolar went to her knees to thwart an eight-meter attempt. Later, Maddie Rusinko pushed back against three different attackers at the top of the zone, while Emma Jackson came away with a crucial strip and scoop to end another advance by the Fords.

Although the Captains continued to hang tough on the back end, Haverford was able to break the deadlock and snatch a 9-7 lead entering halftime.

Following the break, the hosts slapped another quick goal on the board before Christopher Newport retaliated. In the 32nd minute, Iapicca was a one-person wrecking crew. Although she had an initial shot snuffed out by the Haverford keeper, she corralled her own rebound, circled back inside, and dunked on the doorstep.

Inching closer, Guidi added her first point of the game less than a minute later. Cutting to her left to shake an initial defender, she ran back inside, split a pair of Fords, and lined a high rocket underneath the crossbar, which pulled the visitors back within one at 10-9.

After that point, Haverford fired back. The team strung together three straight goals to wrap up the third quarter. However, the defense did enough to keep the Fords within striking distance. Refusing to let the opposition get too comfortable, Christopher Newport never lost faith even as momentum began to flow in the opposite direction.

During the latter portion of the third quarter, Krause wrestled a ground ball away from an attacker, Celia Kelaher knocked down a pass after running stride-for-stride with a cutter, and Chadwick shrugged off a shot along the left pipe. Then, Iapicca punctuated the stanza with an impressive run.

On Haverford's penultimate possession of the third period, Iapicca forced a turnover before snatching a loose ball that dropped to the turf on the team's final surge, which kept the deficit at four entering the last 15 minutes.

As it turned out, every one of those defensive stops proved to be crucial. Although the hosts were able to extend their lead to five early in the fourth quarter, Christopher Newport had just enough time left to orchestrate a magical rally that culminated in one of the most improbable comebacks in school history.

Along with the hat-tricks by Morrison, Winters, and Iapicca, Krause finished the contest with a pair of strikes, while McDonald, Guidi, and Williams added two points apiece. Iapicca also snatched six ground balls and three draw controls during a well-rounded performance.

Christopher Newport will be back in action on March 4 when the Captains open up a seven-game homestand with a 1 p.m. battle against Shenandoah.

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