ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. -- Brookelyn Morrison paced a well-balanced attack with a historic performance while helping carry the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team to its fifth straight victory as the Captains topped St. Mary's (Md.), 20-10, on Wednesday evening at Jamie L. Roberts Stadium.

Against the Seahawks, Morrison posted a career-high six points, including four tallies. That marked her fifth consecutive multi-goal effort, tying the longest run by a freshman since former legend Catie Chess ripped off 10 in a row during her debut campaign in 2015.

In addition to her work on the attack, Morrison also corralled 10 draw controls, which equaled the second-highest total by a first-year competitor in program history. With her well-rounded performance on Wednesday, she became the first freshman at Christopher Newport to record at least five points and 10 draws in a single game.

Along with Morrison's efforts, Julia Iapicca established new career-highs with eight points and six goals. Kelsey Winters also added five strikes and handed out a pair of assists, while Hope Hunter finished with a hat-trick of her own.

Overall, Christopher Newport eclipsed 15 goals for the fifth straight game and topped 20 for the second time this season. The 20 strikes also marked the highest total surrendered by the Seahawks in a home game in five years.

Equally impressive on the back end, Maddie Rusinko forced two turnovers and collected four ground balls, while Winters also added a pair of takeaways. Overall, the Captains baited St. Mary's into 21 turnovers. Meanwhile, between the pipes, Hadley Chadwick pocketed six saves.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improved to 7-5 on the season, while the setback dropped St. Mary's to 6-6.

Early on, the Captains bolted out to a quick lead. Just over 30 seconds into regulation, Sloane McDonald connected with Winters, who blasted a bullet just under the crossbar. Moments later, after earning a free-position attempt, Kendall Krause sliced a shot inside the right pipe for a fast 2-0 advantage.

Still rolling, Morrison put on a show. Emptying her bag of tricks, the freshman phenom starred in nearly every facet of the game. First, on the offensive end, she landed her first goal after barreling down the right alley. Just over two minutes later, she flashed her passing skills after flipping a feed down low to Iapicca, who converted on the doorstep.

Following a St. Mary's timeout, Morrison continued her showcase. On the ensuing draw, she won possession for the Captains after snatching control before fighting through a crowd while battling her way into the offensive end. Eventually, Hunter took over from there as the senior circled behind the crease, cut around the left pipe, and snapped off another dagger on the doorstep for a 5-0 lead.

Adding a fitting punctuation mark to her first-quarter run, Morrison came back with a leaping interception to kill off a clear attempt by St. Mary's with five minutes left in the period.

Although the Seahawks regrouped and deposited three straight goals to inch back within two, Winters had an answer. In the final minute of the period, she registered a takeaway with a trail-check after stripping possession from a midfielder who attempted to cut underneath her. Then, with less than five seconds left on the clock, she added an acrobatic assist.

Just before the horn sounded, Krause fed a pass inside to Winters. Catching the ball with her back towards the cage, the senior All-American absorbed a hit from a defender, spun, and fired a pass through two more Seahawks. On the receiving end, Iapicca took control and drove home the final nail of the quarter to grab a 6-3 edge.

Staying hot in the second stanza, Winters dipped under a defender and sniped along the left pipe for her second goal. Later, she lofted a pass over the crease to Iapicca, who capitalized on the way to an 8-3 lead.

Although the hosts responded with back-to-back goals of their own, Christopher Newport retaliated. Kicking off the resurgence, Hunter skipped a shot into the bottom left corner of the cage on an eight-meter attempt. Shortly thereafter, Winters circled through three defenders and unleashed another high-to-high hammer before Iapicca came back with a missile on the move to secure an 11-5 edge.

After St. Mary's scratched out the team's sixth goal, Iapicca continued to shine. She immediately answered with her fifth strike after converting in transition. Less than 30 seconds later, she danced around a defender at the top of the zone and found Hunter bursting underneath for the squad's 13th tally.

Polishing off the period, Winters was fouled behind the cage. Off the restart, she pushed up the field in search of an angle. Finally, she found enough daylight to whip a one-timer through a slew of Seahawks just inside the left pipe.

While the offense built a commanding lead, the defense was just as effective. Clamping down throughout the second stanza, the Captains withstood a series of dangerous runs by the hosts. Early on, Madi Rozgonyi rode an attacker down the center of the zone and dislodged the ball. Although St. Mary's retained possession after a lengthy scrum, Iapicca sacrificed her body and blocked a shot to prevent a second-chance opportunity.

Later in the period, Rusinko and Emma Jackson joined forces on a double-team along the left pipe to force a turnover before Christopher Newport brushed aside a last-second effort by the Seahawks. On the opposition's final run of the first half, Rozgonyi bottled up an initial push at the top of the arc before Hunter deflected a pass on the interior. Capping off the surge, Chadwick swallowed a shot to sustain a 14-6 lead entering the break.

Keeping the momentum in the third quarter, Iapicca cashed in on another transition goal less than 30 seconds into the second half. Two minutes later, Morrison added her second dagger after snapping off a sidewinder around the hip of the goalie for a double-digit lead at 16-6.

Although St. Mary's momentarily pulled back within nine, Winters regained the running clock. After securing a free-position attempt, she took a quick hop before spinning a screamer into the top left corner of the cage for a 17-7 edge.

Looking to keep the 10-goal lead, the defense smothered the opposition. Chadwick slammed the door on a rip along the right pipe. Later, Krause used persistent pressure in the center of the zone to force an errant shot before Iapicca stripped an attacker who lost her footing on the left side of the field. Shortly thereafter, Riley Rafterry-Lee stood up and denied a roll along the crease to help force a shot-clock violation.

Entering the final few moments of the third quarter, Celia Kelaher stayed in the face of a Seahawk and caused an off-balance attempt, which Chadwick cleaned up on the back end.

In the fourth quarter, Christopher Newport went right to work with a fresh 15 minutes on the clock. On the attack, Iapicca carried a pair of defenders towards the right side of the zone before tossing a pass back to Morrison, who filled the vacated area and fired a rocket inside the left pipe. Then, during a man-up situation, Morrison dropped a feed to Eleanor Collins, who uncorked a high-to-low laser for the team's 19th goal.

Later in the period, Morrison wrapped up the offensive heroics with one final highlight. After a shot sailed past the right post, the freshman grabbed the roller, scurried around the pipe, and hammered on the doorstep to complete her afternoon.

While the offense stole the show with another rapid-fire assault, Christopher Newport also pieced together a late series on the defensive end that showcased exactly why the Captains have ripped off five straight victories. Holding an 11-goal lead with only a few minutes left in regulation, the visitors had the win locked up. Rather than relaxing, the team remained vigilant.

After St. Mary's gained possession on the defensive end, McDonald and Winters refused to give the Seahawks an inch while pushing back against a clear attempt. Sprinting around the field, the two forced a defender into a 20-yard retreat along the left sideline. Later, after St. Mary's handed the ball back to the goalie, Morrison, Krause, and Lindsay Connell blanketed midfielders to prevent a pass. The pressure eventually forced the hosts to burn a timeout after watching 30 seconds run off the possession clock without moving the ball a single inch up the field.

Fittingly, after the stoppage, the Seahawks had little time left to generate an opportunity on the offensive end as Chadwick collected a last-ditch shot, which punctuated the run.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 33-22 advantage in shots and a 20-16 lead in ground balls. The Captains had a 17-16 edge in draws as well.

Wednesday's game also was a historic showing in the long-running rivalry between the Captains and Seahawks. In a series known for one-goal triumphs and back-and-forth battles, Christopher Newport's win marked the most lopsided victory by either team since the very first meeting between the two programs in 2001.

The Captains will look to continue their winning ways on Saturday when the squad travels to No. 17 Roanoke for a 6 p.m. showdown.

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