NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Giving No. 4 Salisbury all that it could handle, the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team stood toe-to-toe with the nationally-ranked Sea Gulls during an epic overtime marathon before dropping a hard-fought 12-11 decision on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Jennings Family Stadium.

In a game of runs, the Captains grabbed a three-goal lead in the third quarter before Salisbury snatched a two-goal edge in the fourth stanza. Unfazed by the situation, Kendall Krause and Syd Guidi answered with two strikes in the last seven minutes of regulation to even the score and force overtime.

Unfortunately, the Sea Gulls fought back in the extra session and escaped with the victory after landing the game-winner in the 64th minute.

Showcasing a well-balanced attack, eight different players scored for the Captains, including multi-goal efforts by Kelsey Winters, Julia Iapicca, and Hope Hunter. Meanwhile, on the other end of the field, Taylor Schoolar matched her career-high with 10 saves during an electric appearance on Senior Day.

In addition to Schoolar's work in the cage, Christopher Newport forced 12 turnovers during the contest. Leading the way, Riley Rafterry-Lee, Maddie Rusinko, and Madi Rozgonyi all had two takeaways while anchoring the back line.

Along with their starring role at the end of regulation, Krause and Guidi also made some history on Saturday. With her outing, Krause appeared in her 78th career contest with the Captains, setting a new program record. She broke a tie with Christopher Newport Hall of Famer Kaitlin Quigley, who took part in 77 games from 2008-11.

Meanwhile, Guidi led the Captains with five draw controls during the game, including the 100th of her career. With that, she became just the 14th player in school history to reach the century mark.

Overall, the setback dropped Christopher Newport to 10-7 on the season, while the victory bumped Salisbury to 12-3.

After Salisbury slipped out to an 11-9 lead in the fourth quarter, the Captains dug in with nine minutes remaining in regulation. First on the defensive side, Krause covered an attacker who rolled across the top of the zone and helped force an off-target shot, which caught the post. Chasing down the deflection, Emma Jackson flashed her wheels and won a race against a flock of Sea Gulls before grabbing control along the right sideline.

Taking advantage of the ensuing rally, Christopher Newport beat the shot clock on the other end of the field. With time ticking down in the possession, Brookelyn Morrison connected with Krause, who cut back around a defender before sinking a blast in traffic just before the horn sounded.

Still down by one, Schoolar brushed aside an on-target rip during Salisbury's next surge before the offense struck again. This time, Guidi sidestepped a defender, burst inside, and sliced a rocket just inside the left pipe to even the score at 11 with less than three minutes remaining in regulation.

Searching for an answer, Salisbury had one final push on the offensive end. After securing the ensuing draw, the visitors tried to capitalize on some last-minute heroics, but Christopher Newport's defense was up to the challenge. An attacker tried to wiggle free, but Krause stonewalled the run and stood her up on the interior, which allowed Maddie Tomaszewski to come through with one of the biggest plays of the season.

Playing well beyond her years, the freshman came over and double-teamed the Sea Gull before dropping the hammer with a devastating stick-check, which dislodged the ball. Eventually, Rafterry-Lee won a battle for the roller to help wrap up regulation.

In overtime, Hunter secured the opening draw, but Christopher Newport's initial rally came up short after Salisbury's defense caused a shot to sail wide. On the other end, a Sea Gull tried to end the contest with a high-rising rip, but Schoolar punched the ball out of the air to punctuate the first three minutes.

Sadly, after the teams flipped sides, the Sea Gulls came out on top. Salisbury collected the draw before Erin Scannell came through with her third goal of the game in the 64th minute to steal the win.

Overall, Salisbury held a modest 24-22 advantage in shots while securing 19 of the game's 28 draws. Meanwhile, the Captains led the way in ground balls, 13-10. Rafterry-Lee and Schoolar both pocketed four rollers apiece.

Before the late-game fireworks, the two teams traded blows early in the first quarter. Kicking things off, Lindsay Connell spun a sidewinder around the hip of a defender for the game's first goal in the fifth minute. After Salisbury responded with back-to-back strikes, Morrison drove home the equalizer with three seconds left in the period to tie the score at two. 

Early in the second stanza, Christopher Newport stood tall on the defensive end. Schoolar picked off an errant pass in the crease before adding a pair of saves. Meanwhile, Rozgonyi knocked down a pass on the inside before Rafterry-Lee won a sprint for the loose ball.

On the offensive end, Sloane McDonald carved up the Sea Gulls. First, she dished a feed to Iapicca, who blew a shot right through the keeper for the squad's third goal. Then, less than 40 seconds later, McDonald slipped another lengthy feed over the defense to Hunter, who cut to her right before unleashing a screamer, which gave the hosts a 4-3 lead.

After Salisbury knotted the game, Hunter came through with her second goal after catching a feed from Guidi before circling through a crowd.

Continuing the seesaw affair, the Sea Gulls added the final strike of the period to pull even at five entering halftime.

Following the break, Christopher Newport pieced together a phenomenal performance to grab control of the contest. Kicking things off, Winters found herself matched up one-on-one with a defender. Taking advantage of the situation, she pushed around the right pipe, spun through the Sea Gull, and unloaded from the doorstep.

Looking for a little more breathing room, Iapicca converted a free-position attempt before Rozgonyi came through with the run of the year. Following a defensive stand, the second-year star ran almost 80 yards up the left sideline. At one point, she was nearly pinned by a Sea Gull along the boundary but slipped free with a slick spin move before cutting towards the cage.

Still pulling away from midfielders with a combination of speed and endurance, she eventually ducked underneath the stick of a defender and sank a shot inside the left post, which capped off the lengthy sprint and handed the Captains an 8-5 lead.

Meanwhile, the defense was equally effective in the early part of the second half. During a sustained stand, Rusinko and Rafterry-Lee both pushed back against rolls along the left pipe before Iapicca disrupted a pass on the interior. Later, Rusinko came back and built a blockade that thwarted another push in the middle of the stanza.

Unfortunately, Salisbury eventually found its rhythm again. The Sea Gulls strung together three straight goals to tie the score at eight. Looking for a response, Winters converted a turnaround jumper in the face of a defender along the right post to grab a 9-8 lead entering the fourth frame.

Trading blows, the Sea Gulls stole back the momentum early in the stanza and capitalized on three straight goals to gain an 11-9 edge. However, Christopher Newport fired back and forced overtime with a magical performance at the end of regulation.

Although the Captains eventually came up just short in the extra session, the game marked the closest battle between the two programs since they first met in 2004. It also served as the perfect lead-in to the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference playoffs, which will begin next week.

Christopher Newport enters the postseason as the No. 2 seed and will host Mary Washington next Wednesday at 5 p.m. The winner will advance to the championship bout, which is slated for Saturday.

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