NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Taking on the Southwestern University Pirates for the first time in program history, the Christopher Newport women's soccer team got one goal in each half to race past the SCAC opponent, 2-0, on Captains Field Sunday afternoon. Rookie Alex Devers notched her second game-winning goal in as many career games and fifth-year transfer Clare Davis snagged her first career goal in the win. 

The victory is the ninth consecutive win in home openers and CNU is now 19-0-3 under in three seasons under head coach Jamie Gunderson at Captains Field. That 22-game unbeaten streak matches the record -- set from September 4, 2009 to November 12, 2010 -- as the longest home unbeaten streak in program history. 

The offense was firing on all cylinders against the Pirates as Christopher Newport recorded 35 total shots including 14 on target. Corinne Kulik led the way with six attempts, putting a pair on fame while Devers had five including her first-half tally. Natalie Swarm, Madie Vincent, and Hanna Heaton each added four total shots with multiple shots on-goal and eight total Captains finished with multiple shots in the game.

After seeing the fifth longest shutout streak in program history come to a close in game one, the Captains picked right back up defensively in game two of the 2023 season. A late penalty kick goal against UW Oshkosh on Friday night halted a 551:39 shutout streak dating back through the last five games of last season. On Sunday, however, the Captains picked up the team's 33rd clean sheet in the last 47 games. 

Jaya Daniel earned the solo shutout to earn her 11th career blanking. That moves her into a tie for seventh all-time at Christopher Newport with Carola Reigner (2001-04) and just five shutouts shy of a spot in the top-five all time. Daniel earned her shutout on Sunday with three saves including one pivotal moment in the second half as she denied the equalizer off the goal line. Just over seven minutes into the second half, Southwestern had an opportunity on net that caromed off the crossbar to another Pirate attacker in point blank range. Mia Reyna was the player who ripped a shot on target but Daniel made a fantastic sprawling save to her right to keep Southwestern off the board. 

The Captains' first goal came less than fifteen minutes into the game after Corinne Kulik had set the pace for the Captains attack. Twice already in the game, Kulik had unleashed howitzers toward the Southwestern keeper but the first was high and the second ricocheted off the post. Her third shot, just minutes later, was another blistering attempt that the goalkeeper could not handle and Devers was there to finish on the rebound. 

Emma Ricci started the play with a long run against a defender in the middle of the field. Once free, she played a perfect ball into the box for Kulik, who ripped a hard, low shot at the Pirates goalkeeper. 

The Captains' opportunities started to mount from there, continuing to apply pressure to the Southwestern defense. In the span of just under four minutes in the middle of the half, Heaton, Swarm, and Kulik ripped five shots on goal between them. Madie Vincent added a pair near the end of the half but the Captains settled for a 1-0 lead at the break. 

After Daniel's heroics in the second half, the Captains readjusted and took back control of the attack. CNU responded with nine unanswered shots, including the insurance goal in the 83rd minute of play. Off a corner kick into the box by Hanna Heaton, the Captains gathered a loose ball and played it back to rookie Bella DiTommaso about 30 yards out. She ripped a hard shot at the Southwestern goalkeeper, but she couldn't corral it and the rebound bounced into the middle of the box where Clare Davis got to it first and sent the ball home for the score. 

After 62 career games at Division I Wofford and St. Bonaventure, the Earlysville, Va. native transferred back to the Commonwealth to join the Captains for her fifth year in 2023. She promptly snagged her first career goal for the Captaone in just her second game. 

The Pirates goalkeeper, Johnna Campbell, matched her career-high with 12 saves in the setback. That is the most stops by a CNU opponent since October 27, 20221 when Allison Nork saved 14 against the Captains for Mary Washington. 

With the victory, CNU extends its unbeaten streak to 47 consecutive games (43-0-4). The Captains will return to action on Friday, September 8 with the Captains Classic featuring four games over two days. On Friday, fourth-ranked Virginia Wesleyan will take on Pacific Lutheran at 5:00 p.m., followed by a 7:30 p.m. matchup between the Captains and Gettysburg College. On Saturday, the Marlins face the Bullets and CNU will take on the 20th-ranked Pac Lutheran Lutes.