NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Prior to the game on Tuesday night, the Christopher Newport women's soccer team was elevated to the No. 2 ranked team in Division III according to the United Soccer Coaches national rankings. Living up to that billing, a dominant offensive performance in the second half left no doubt as the Captains (13-0-2) captured a 5-1 win over Methodist University at Captains Field in the second to last game of the regular season. 

Methodist became just the fourth team to score against CNU this season and only the second team to lead the Captains at any point when they connected on the opening goal in the 10th minute of action. Kelsey Burge connected on a hard drive in the box and snuck her shot inside the near post as she scored her third goal of the season. 

The goal would prove to be the only shot the vaunted CNU defense would allow all game. The second-longest shutout streak in program history was halted at over 700 minutes, but the back line got right back to its suffocating nature the remainder of the game. Reanna Slater and Nyah Savage each played the full 90 minutes while Bella DiTommaso, Bella Aguayo, and Avery Spell each contributed key time in holding down the Monarchs attack. 

While the defense put up a brick wall, the Captains offense got to work led by junior midfielder Hanna Heaton and fifth-year senior Emma Ricci. Heaton started the five-goal outburst with the game-tying goal in the 23rd minute of action on a free kick from about 25 yards out. On the set piece, she played a ball toward the back post that scooted through traffic and found the back of the net for her 11th goal of the season, tying the game at 1-1. 

The match now square again, it was all Christopher Newport the rest of the way. Right after halftime, Heaton scored again to notch her third brace of the season and sixth game with at least four points this year. This time, she finished through the abuse of a rocketed clearance attempt by the Methodist defense. After corraling the ball on the ricochet she only had the goalkeeper to beat and with one swipe to her right, she found an alley to pocket the eventual game-winning goal. It was her third winner of the season and ran her season scoring total to 35 points, marking just the 11th such total in program history. She joins former greats Riley Cook (x3), Sam Ciaravino, Gabby Gillis, Emily Renkin, Emma O'Reilly, Natalie Stallings, Laura McFerrin, and Victoria Perry as the only Captains to ever score 35 points in a season. 

Not long after Heaton's winner, the Captains inflated the lead to two on a beautiful pass from Ricci for her first of two assists in the game. The fifth-year senior wiggled by her defender on the right side and made a perfect pass back into the field of play for Lexi Hazelgrove. The sophomore midfielder made sure to pay off the assist with a blast into the right side of the goal. 

In the 66th minute, Ricci was the middle portion of a tremendous combination play started by Bella Aguayo out of the back. On the Methodist half, Aguayo played a long ball toward the goal line setting Ricci free of her defender onsides. She took one touch and then centered another gorgeous pass to Corinne Kulik on the back post; from there, Kulik settled and buried her fifth goal of the season to give the Captains a three-goal edge, 4-1. 

The final tally of the night came off the foot of Alex Devers on a nice flick volley from the same side, but this time it was Molly Seventko with the pass coming in from the right. In the 74th minute, Seventko was loose and crossed a pass to the near post where Devers reached out and poked home the final goal of the match. 

CNU held a decisive 46-1 advantage in total shots including 18 attempts on frame in the game. The Captains also recorded 10 corner kicks in the contest. 

Twenty-five different players logged minutes in the game with 23 earning double-digit totals as the depth of the Captains was on display. Late in the game it was Hannah Taylor and Sarah Ramsey manning the midfield with QB Osuna and Lauren Croley creating dangerous opportunities at the top. 

With the win, head coach Jamie Gunderson and the second-ranked Captains improved to 73-0-9 during his tenure and continue the NCAA Division III record for consecutive games without a loss. The Captains also added another game to its home unbeaten streak that is now at 40 games over the last four seasons. 

CNU will close out the regular season this Saturday against Salisbury University at home. The Captains will kick off against the Sea Gulls at 5:00 p.m.