SALEM, Va. -- Cutting the deficit down to two with six minutes remaining in regulation, the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team could not quite pull off the comeback as the 17th-ranked Roanoke Maroons responded with a late rally to secure a 12-7 victory on Saturday evening at Donald J. Kerr Stadium.

During the contest, Kelsey Winters posted a team-high five points, including four assists. Syd Guidi and Hope Hunter also added two goals apiece. 

On the defensive side, the Captains held strong against the high-powered Maroons. Christopher Newport eventually baited the hosts into 18 turnovers, marking the most by Roanoke this season. Riley Rafterry-Lee helped anchor the back line with a takeaway and three ground balls. Meanwhile, between the pipes, Hadley Chadwick notched six saves.

The setback snapped Christopher Newport's five-game winning streak and dropped the Captains to 7-6 on the season. The win bumped Roanoke to 11-2 overall.

After the Maroons slipped out to an early lead, the visitors immediately responded. Stationed on the right side of the zone, Guidi slipped a feed past three defenders and the goalie, who came out of the cage in search of an interception. On the receiving end, Hunter quickly snatched the pass and stung a shot into the open net. 

Although Roanoke responded with back-to-back goals, Christopher Newport stood tall on the defensive side. Early on, Julia Iapicca knocked down a pass and won a race for the roller along the right sideline. Later, during an unsettled situation, Chadwick brushed aside an on-target bullet from close range.

Continuing to push back against the Maroons, Madi Rozgonyi dislodged the ball at the top of the eight-meter arc before forcing an errant pass with pressure along the left pipe. Moments later, after a failed clear, the hosts generated a break, but Rafterry-Lee raced back and cut off an angle on the right side of the field to prevent a shot.

Meanwhile, on the offensive end, Christopher Newport found an opening with just over a minute left in the opening stanza. Backing down a defender on the left side of the zone, Winters eventually pushed inside and tossed the ball to Brookelyn Morrison, who sniped along the right pipe for the squad's second strike.

Although the Maroons eventually gained a three-goal cushion early in the second quarter, the Captains pieced together an answer.

Kicking off the resurgence, Guidi earned a one-on-one match-up at the top of the zone. Pushing to her right, she eventually cut back, slipped inside, and landed a bouncer on the move for her first goal. Just over a minute later, Winters came flying around the right pipe, stopped on a dime, and stung a shot between a defender, the keeper, and the post.

Following a lengthy defensive stand that ended in a shot-clock violation, Christopher Newport landed the equalizer in the 23rd minute. Dropping a pinpoint pass over the cage, Winters found Sloane McDonald, who quickly deposited the team's fifth goal of the contest.

Looking to regroup, Roanoke called for a timeout. Unfortunately, the stoppage worked as the Maroons hung back-to-back goals on the board to steal a 7-5 edge entering halftime.

Following the break, Christopher Newport dug in for one of the longest defensive stands of the season. Pushing back against the Maroons, Rozgonyi stood up against a series of dodges while preventing a clean look at the top of the zone. Later, after brushing aside three free-position attempts, Maddie Rusinko snared an off-target shot with a great snag behind the cage to polish off the three-minute masterpiece.

Although Roanoke quickly returned to the offensive side, the Captains had more left in the tank. This time, Celia Kelaher had a solid ride on a roll at the top of the arc and forced a rip to spin over the crossbar, which helped force another shot-clock violation.

Sadly, the pressure continued to mount before the Maroons added two more tallies, which gave the team a 9-5 lead with less than four minutes remaining in the period.

Once again, the defense stepped up. Rafterry-Lee broke up a play and collected a loose ball in the middle of a crowd to kill off a late push by the hosts. Shortly thereafter, Rozgonyi disrupted a separate run on the interior before getting her stick on the hands of a shooter during a breakaway in the waning moments, which forced an attempt to sail wide.

Keeping up the pressure at the start of the fourth quarter, Kendall Krause stuck with a cutter on an initial push by Roanoke, which helped cause a pass to hit the turf. Moments later, Rozgonyi stonewalled an attacker who tried to rush in from the top of the zone before Emma Jackson swiped possession on the right side of the crease to kill off another rally.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the Captains began to find their rhythm. Five minutes into the stanza, Winters lofted a long feed over the cage to Guidi, who cut in from the right side and bounced a bullet past the keeper. Then, after a save by Chadwick, Christopher Newport pulled within two.

With six minutes left in regulation, the team settled in for a lengthy offensive stand. With time winding down on the possession clock, Maelyn Eversole came through with the key play as she hustled back to the restraining line to save a wayward pass from slipping into the hands of the Maroons.

With just seconds remaining on the shot clock, Winters eventually gained control and drew the attention of three defenders. As Roanoke over-pursued, the senior handed the ball to Hunter, who found an opening along the crease for the squad's seventh goal.

Searching for an answer, the Maroons called for a timeout. Less than a minute later, Christopher Newport was hit with a card. Down a player, Rusinko stripped an attacker for a clutch takeaway before Chadwick slammed the door on a low liner to kill off the shorthanded situation.

Unfortunately, the Captains could not generate another opportunity on the offensive end as Roanoke slapped three late goals on the board to lock up the 12-7 triumph.

Overall, the hosts held a 29-22 advantage in shots and a 19-17 lead in ground balls. The Maroons also controlled 16 of the game's 23 draws.

Christopher Newport will return to action on Wednesday when the team heads to Meredith for a 4 p.m. showdown.

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