COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- An early penalty kick goal proved to be the difference as the Christopher Newport men's soccer team fell behind, 3-0, at Colorado College on Saturday afternoon. A frantic comeback bid late in the match got CNU back within one goal, 3-2, but would ultimately fall short as the Captains suffered their first loss of the 2023 season. 

Rookie Alex Stell scored back-to-back goals in the span of 52 seconds to get CNU on the board and ignite the comeback bid. They were the fastest consecutive goals by the same player for Christopher Newport since Stephen Durbin knocked in back-to-back tallies in just 29 seconds against N.C. Wesleyan on September 7, 2016. 

Both of Stell's goals were assisted by fellow rookie Drew McWhinney, who moved into a tie for the team lead in scoring with eight points (3g, 2a). McWhinney has now scored at least two points in four of his first five career games played. 

Colorado College jumped out to a 1-0 lead just over six minutes into the game when Alexander Ward converted a PK. The first half then turned into a possession battle with limited chances on goal, but the Captains had attempts from Caleb Jones, Elton Quintanilla, and a last minute rip by Carson Grove. 

The Tigers scored twice in the first 15 minutes of the second half with a pair of goals by Oliver Ramirez to take a 3-0 lead. Facing a three-goal deficit for just the second time in the last 141 games, a stretch dating back to the middle of the 2014 season, the Captains would not go quietly in the final 30 minutes of game action. 

Manzi Siibo and Yazan Yaghmmour started the show for the freshman class with back-to-back attempts that sailed just wide. Minutes later, Stell, another rookie, came through with his first goal of the game off an assist by his classmate, McWhinney. The momentum carried into the next kickoff, where the Captains raced down the field and had another chance put away by the same combination. 

Trailing by just one, the Captains kept firing, getting a shot wide off the foot of Luke Peri and another shot on-target by Stell, turned away by the Colorado College goalkeeper. The Tigers challenged CNU goalkeeper Dom Stumpo in the final minutes but he made the save to keep his sheet clean for the 23-minutes plus he played on Saturday in relief of starter Hayden Dewey. 

CNU will have just over a week to recuperate from the loss in Colorado before traveling to New Jersey for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff at Stockton University on Sunday, October 1.