SALISBURY, Md. -- Fighting until the bitter end, the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team came up short in its bold venture to unseat the defending conference champions as the Captains dropped a hard-fought 14-8 decision at No. 5 Salisbury during the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Championship on Saturday afternoon at Sea Gull Stadium.

Just seven days after keeping fans on pins and needles during a high-scoring overtime thriller on April 29, the two teams engaged in a similar battle on Saturday. The first half was nearly identical to last week with both squads trading leads before the Sea Gulls slipped ahead in the third quarter on the way to the victory.

Headlining Saturday's action, Brookelyn Morrison dominated on the offensive end. After securing a first-team All-Conference plaudit for her performance in the regular season, the freshman phenom continued her work in the playoffs. Against Salisbury, she collected her eighth hat-trick of the year after depositing three darts in the opening period. Coupled with her five-goal outburst against Mary Washington in the league semifinals, Morrison finished the conference playoffs with eight total goals, marking the most by a freshman in a postseason tourney since Elena Obregon drove home nine during the 2013 USA South Tournament.

Although Morrison headlined the attack, she was not the only championship day star for the Captains. Maelyn Eversole collected a career-high three points, while Kelsey Winters handed out three assists. Eleanor Collins also helped control possession and picked up four draws during the title tilt. For their efforts, Collins, Eversole, and Winters each garnered an All-Tournament citation. 

With the victory, Salisbury improved to 14-3 on the season, while the setback dropped Christopher Newport to 11-8. Although the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference does not have an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament this year, both programs will be on the lookout for potential at-large berths. The league has received multiple bids in 14 of the past 16 seasons.

Entering the weekend with momentum, both programs affirmed their position in the hierarchy of the conference after registering decisive semifinal victories on Wednesday. With less than three days to ponder and prepare for the championship bout following their midweek battles, the two squads traded blows in the early going on Saturday.

In a game featuring a pair of attacks known for being both high-powered and talent-rich, strike after strike landed in the opening period. Salisbury bolted out to a quick 2-0 lead before Christopher Newport cut into its deficit. Kicking things off, Winters carved up the defense with a pair of early assists after finding Kendall Krause sprinting down the right alley before connecting with Morrison on the wing.

Although Salisbury regained its two-goal edge, the Captains found their rhythm in the middle of the period. Continuing the first-quarter cannonade, Eversole beat a defender during a one-on-one matchup before scoring her first goal. Moments later, she dished a pass down low to Morrison, who snapped off the equalizer on the doorstep.

After Maddie Rusinko ate a hard foul on the defensive end, which resulted in a yellow card, Christopher Newport capitalized on a power play with the go-ahead dagger in the 11th minute. Adding another goal to her count, fleet-footed Morrison danced between three defenders, corralled a feed from Eversole, and sunk her third tally of the period.

As the offense continued its first-quarter surge, the Captains excelled all over the turf while building their 5-4 lead. On the back end, Hadley Chadwick pocketed a pair of saves, including a nice snag on a low liner. Meanwhile, Maddie Tomaszewski was a force in the middle of the field. The freshman collected two crucial draw controls, including a spectacular bid to secure a hard-fought victory that saw her win a race for a roller before slipping through a triple-team along the left sideline.

After Salisbury wrapped up a high-scoring first quarter with a game-tying strike in the final minutes, both teams dug in for a decidedly different battle in the second stanza. Setting the tone on the defensive end, Madi Rozgonyi pressured shooters on both sides of the crease before Chadwick plucked an on-target rip. On Salisbury's next series, Krause grabbed a ground ball that slipped out of a Sea Gull's stick before Rozgonyi punched one loose along the right pipe.

Although Christopher Newport cleared the defensive end for a brief moment, Salisbury came storming back. Unfazed by the resurgence, Riley Rafterry-Lee bottled up a pair of cutters on the interior before Rozgonyi stayed on the hip of an attacker and forced a shot to spin past the right post.

Eventually, the hosts made the most of their sustained pressure and stole a 6-5 lead in the 23rd minute. Clawing back, Christopher Newport packed a season's worth of hustle into a 60-second window before notching the equalizer less than six minutes later.

With time winding down on the possession clock, Julia Iapicca kicked off the assault by whipping a turnaround tracer through a crowd of Sea Gulls. Although Salisbury made the initial save, Sloane McDonald flew in and snatched the rebound. Looking to take advantage of the second chance, Krause had her own rocket turned away, but Morrison battled through a crowd along the left side of the crease and secured a third opportunity with a hard-fought ground ball.

Keeping their nose to the grindstone during the grueling offensive stand, the Captains eventually capitalized on their own hard work. Securing a free-position attempt, Hope Hunter unleashed a lethal laser that split the wickets of the Salisbury keeper and evened the score at six.

After being held real quiet for much of the second quarter, Salisbury answered in the final two minutes of the period with a pair of late tallies to steal an 8-6 edge entering halftime.

Following the break, Christopher Newport continued its work on the defensive end. Early on, the hosts tried to stretch their advantage but struggled to find an opening. During an initial surge, a Sea Gull wiggled free and posed a genuine risk on the left side of the zone, but Rozgonyi closed out quickly and dislodged the ball. Moments later, Salisbury earned back-to-back free-position attempts, but Chadwick stood tall in the cage, including a slick save on a blast from the center hash.

Unfortunately, the momentum began to turn after that point. Taking control of the contest, the Sea Gulls slapped four straight goals on the board. Meanwhile, on the other side, the Salisbury defense shut out the Captains during the third quarter to lock down a 12-6 advantage entering the final frame.

Trying to keep Salisbury's momentum from bubbling over into the fourth quarter, Christopher Newport stepped up on the defensive side. During an early push by the hosts, Tomaszewski dropped an attacker to the turf while helping flip possession. Shortly thereafter, Rusinko jumped a passing lane and intercepted a feed to kill off another rally.

Meanwhile, on the offensive side, Christopher Newport found an opening with 10 minutes left on the clock. After collecting a quick toss from Krause, Iapicca had an open lane on the left side of the field and slammed the orb just inside the pipe for her first goal of the contest.

Back within five, a cavalcade of Captains clamped down on the defensive side. Pushing back against Salisbury's unbridled attack, Rusinko tied up a Sea Gull on the interior before Chadwick snagged a tough turnaround attempt. Later, Celia Kelaher prevented a run up the left side of the zone, while Krause and Emma Jackson joined forces on a double-team to cause another turnover.

With time winding down in regulation, Christopher Newport orchestrated one last highlight. Piecing together a late clear, Jackson crossed the restraining line before facing extensive pressure on a lengthy sprint. Keeping her wits, she won a foot race with a Sea Gull towards the right sideline before three defenders cut off her streak. Pulling up along the middle meridian, she eventually fed the ball back to Rozgonyi, who handed it to Rafterry-Lee.

Skipping a forward pass nearly 40 yards up the field, Rafterry-Lee found Winters, who settled in on the offensive end. Entering the final minute, the senior All-American dropped a dime to Hunter, who bullied her way through a defender before bouncing a blast into the back of the cage for the game's last goal.

Overall, Salisbury held a slim 28-24 advantage in shots and a 17-16 edge in ground balls. Meanwhile, the two teams split the 26 draws. Helping control the middleground while feeding the offense, Collins and Tomaszewski each collected four draws for the team, while Syd Guidi chipped in with a pair. Additionally, Krause and McDonald added three ground balls apiece.

With the regular season and conference tournament in the books, Christopher Newport will settle in for a little Sunday silence before the NCAA Tournament bracket is announced on Monday at 10:30 a.m.

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