GETTYSBURG, Pa. -- Appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013, the 24th-ranked Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team made a memorable return to the national playoffs as the Captains shattered a slew of school records while upending Johnson & Wales (R.I.), 17-7, during a first-round battle on Saturday afternoon at Gettysburg's Clark Field.

Headlining the history-makers, Winters rewrote the record books while registering a game-high eight points, including five assists. The fourth-year star bumped her total to 106 points this year, which broke the previous school standard of 105 established by Christopher Newport Hall of Famer Meghan Harkey in 2010. Meanwhile, her 67 assists also stand as a new single-season program mark, besting her own total of 66 set last year.

During the game, Winters also posted the 200th assist of her career. She became just the 29th player in the history of collegiate lacrosse - and only the 14th at the Division III level - to reach that milestone.

Along with Winters, Kendall Krause netted a hat-trick against the Wildcats while becoming the 17th player in program history to reach 100 career goals. Just as effective on the defensive end, she posted four caused turnovers against Johnson & Wales. The fifth-year standout now has 82 takeaways during her decorated tenure, marking the second-most in school lore. That also stands as the highest amount by a midfielder, topping former legend Sam Wettengel's total of 79 from 2017-21.

In addition to the veteran members of the squad, sophomore Maelyn Eversole sank five goals during the game, which equaled the most by a Captain in the NCAA Tournament. Christopher Newport Hall of Famer Kaitlin Quigley also notched five against Washington & Lee during the first round of the 2010 playoffs.

Feeding the record-setting attack, Maddie Tomaszewski controlled possession throughout the contest. The first-year phenom secured 14 draw controls, which matched the single-game school record set by Emma Jackson against Illinois Wesleyan on April 10, 2022. Making that performance even more remarkable, she accomplished the feat against a team that entered the postseason ranked fourth in the NCAA in draw control percentage. The Wildcats had won 65 percent of their draws during the year before Christopher Newport took 17 of the 27 duels on Saturday.

With the victory, the Captains improved to 12-8 on the season and punched their ticket to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in school history. Christopher Newport will face ninth-ranked Gettysburg on Sunday at 2 p.m.

Meanwhile, the setback ended Johnson & Wales' 15-game winning streak, which was the third-longest active run in the country. Overall, the Wildcats punctuated the year with a 16-3 record.

In the opening moments of the contest, Krause fittingly set the tone on both ends of the field. Making her first career appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the program's all-time leader in games played stepped up on the sport's biggest stage.

First, after Jackson orchestrated a great ride along the crease to disrupt an initial run by the Wildcats, Krause pocketed the loose ball and stormed up the field. Then, after settling in on the offensive side, the fifth-year senior snagged a feed from Sloane McDonald and peppered a dart just under the crossbar for the game's first goal.

Looking to stretch the lead, Julia Iapicca sidestepped a defender and split two others with a rocket on the run in the fifth minute. Later, Brookelyn Morrison joined the party as the first-year star set up a strike by Eversole on a breakaway before circling a pair of defenders along the right side of the crease on the way to her first goal.

While the offense stormed out to a 4-0 lead, the defense was equally dominant. Early on, Hadley Chadwick collected a pair of saves, including a fantastic stop on a hip-high hammer. Meanwhile, Madi Rozgonyi used a stick lift on a free-position attempt that caused a shot to spin over the cage before Maddie Rusinko orchestrated a sensational series.

During a lengthy rally by Johnson & Wales, Rusinko batted the ball out of the stick of an attacker along the left side of the crease. Moments later, she joined forces with Rozgonyi on a ferocious double-team, which bottled up another Wildcat and led to a shot-clock violation.

Continuing the work at the end of the period, Celia Kelaher picked off a pass at the top of the zone, Winters grabbed a bouncer on a failed clear, and Riley Rafterry-Lee came through with a leaping interception to kill off a fast-break opportunity in the final seconds of the opening quarter.

In the second stanza, Chadwick continued the defensive mastery. On Johnson & Wales' initial run, the freshman keeper wiped away a pointblank rip with some fancy stickwork before Jackson prevented the Wildcats from recovering the rebound.

As the defense continued to blank the opposition, the offense never lost its rhythm. Rozgonyi landed a bouncer off a free-position attempt before Winters posted back-to-back strikes. Then, in the 23rd minute, the senior All-American added her name to the history books with her 200th career assist.

Flashing her vision during an unsettled situation, Winters pushed the tempo on a fast-break opportunity. Despite facing a human blockade between her and the cage, she miraculously found Eversole behind a wall of four players. After catching the dime, the second-year star quickly struck on the interior while capitalizing on Winters' historic helper.

Continuing the onslaught, Krause found a hole in the bottom right corner of the cage on a free-position attempt before Iapicca came through with the team's 10th goal after cutting through a crowd.

Although Johnson & Wales managed to slip three goals on the board in the second stanza, Christopher Newport landed the last blow of the period. In the final minute, Morrison checked the ball away from a midfielder on a clear attempt. With a last-second opportunity, Winters lofted a teardrop over the crease to Eversole, who found open spaces in the center of the zone while wrapping up her first-half hat-trick.

Holding an 11-3 lead entering halftime, the Captains secured a double-digit advantage midway through the third period. First, McDonald sank a turnaround whip after cruising past a pair of defenders to open the scoring. Minutes later, Winters came back with a remarkable goal.

Pushing up the field, she quickly hit the brakes and cut underneath a defender. As a second Wildcat raced over to meet her in front of the crease, Winters found herself in tight quarters. With little room to work, she dug deep into her bag of tricks. Finding just enough space, she uncorked a no-look, behind-the-back, over-the-shoulder dagger on the doorstep for one of the slickest strikes in school history.

Although Johnson & Wales cut its deficit back down to nine with six minutes left in the stanza, Christopher Newport landed a pair of counterpunches. After picking up a free-position attempt, Eversole skipped a bouncer over the keeper from the center hash. Then, after Lindsay Connell drew the attention of multiple defenders in the final minute, Krause slipped through the barricade, secured a pass from McDonald, and dropped in her 100th career goal

While the attack was regaining a double-digit advantage, the Captains were a force all over the turf on clear attempts. Early in the third quarter, Rozgonyi put a lid on a pair of runs after tying up an attacker on a failed rally before snatching an errant pass on a second rush. Later, Krause knocked down a feed along the left sideline before Morrison added a leaping deflection on the opposite side.

Fostering a 15-4 advantage entering the final period, Christopher Newport never let the Wildcats back into the game. Controlling possession, Tomaszewski and Eleanor Collins were a lethal tandem on the draw. The two standouts teamed up to secure four of the five battles in the fourth quarter to help keep the ball away from the opposition.

Taking advantage of the extra possessions, the Captains added two more goals over the final 15 minutes. First, Morrison and Winters teamed up on a give-and-go, which resulted in the freshman's second goal of the contest. Later, after Blake Hopkins saved a rally with an out-stretched snag along the right side of the crease, Eversole polished off her day with a spinner inside the left post.

Despite possessing a comfortable lead, Christopher Newport remained vigilant and showcased the same hustle that led the program back into the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade. During an early offensive stand, Morrison won a race for a roller along the end line and battled with the goalie to keep control. Shortly thereafter,  Maggie Lockard bullied her way through a pack of Wildcats to secure a loose ball that slipped free in the center of the zone.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the field, Rozgonyi blocked a shot by Johnson & Wales before the Captains were hit with a card. Playing shorthanded, Rusinko applied pressure on a free-position attempt, which caused the shot to sail past the pipe. Then, Taylor Schoolar secured a ground ball before escaping difficult pressure with some fine footwork behind the crease, which helped punctuate the 17-7 victory.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 34-19 lead in shots and a 24-13 advantage in ground balls. Kelaher collected a game-high four rollers, while Krause added three to go along with her hat-trick and four takeaways. On the back end, Chadwick finished with four saves while tallying her 10th win of the year.

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