LEXINGTON, Va. -- Julia Iapicca drove home four goals in the second half, while Hadley Chadwick orchestrated a masterclass between the pipes as the 24th-ranked Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team opened the year with a thrilling 12-10 victory over No. 7 Washington & Lee during a nationally-ranked test at Alston Parker Watt Field on Wednesday evening.

Picking up right where she left off last season, Iapicca pushed back against a second-half rally by the Generals. Finding an answer every time the hosts gained a little momentum, the reigning All-American deposited four goals over the final two quarters to help silence W&L's comeback bid.

Kelsey Winters also added two strikes and a pair of assists, while Sloane McDonald and Maelyn Eversole had two points apiece.

On the defensive side, Chadwick registered nine saves, including the 100th of her career. Additionally, six of her stops came in the final 30 minutes, four were on free-position attempts, and three prevented W&L from taking a lead early in the first half.

The victory marked Christopher Newport's eighth against a top-25 opponent in program history. The seventh-ranked Generals were also the highest-ranked opponent ever defeated by the Captains. The program's only previous win against a top-10 foe came against 10th-ranked Catholic on March 3, 2016.

Wednesday's win was also CNU's second all-time triumph against Washington & Lee. The squad previously knocked off W&L, 9-8, on February 23, 2013.

Facing a veteran-laden squad that opened the year with a 17-10 win against No. 4 Franklin & Marshall on Sunday, the Captains set the tone early with fantastic work on the defensive side of the ball. With the hosts controlling possession, Christopher Newport stood up against several sustained surges by the Generals.

On W&L's initial push, Maddie Rusinko popped the ball loose for a brief moment before Kate Lamendola secured a key roller behind the crease after an off-target shot sailed over the crossbar. Later, Carys May stood up a pair of attackers at the top of the zone before Iapicca rode another General into the ground and secured a loose ball.

Continuing the early stand, Emma Jackson stayed on the hip of an attacker during a curl around the crease before helping dislodge a pass into the center of the zone. Moments later, Lamendola used a trail-check to steal possession from a midfielder on a failed clear by the Generals.

Following nearly six minutes of suffocating work on the defensive side, Christopher Newport capitalized on the other end. After weaving through multiple defenders on a sprint towards the crease, Syd Guidi secured a free-position attempt. With a clean look from the eight-meter arc, she sent a bouncer past the keeper to open the scoring in the seventh minute.

Staring at a deficit, Washington & Lee responded with back-to-back goals in the middle of the opening period before CNU retaliated. During a lengthy offensive stand, Hope Hunter kept the rally alive with a nice scoop after a tough pass skipped off the grass. With a second opportunity, Eleanor Collins dropped a dime to Winters, who caught the rainbow and whistled the equalizer while absorbing contact from the heart of the W&L defense.

Back on even ground, Christopher Newport remained vigilant on the defensive side. Brookelyn Morrison intercepted a quick flip along the crease to kill off the Generals' initial response. Later, Chadwick made a tremendous save on a free-position attempt in the final minute of the opening period. Keeping momentum in the second stanza, Iapicca applied pressure in the center of the zone to help force an off-target shot, while Rusinko deflected another rip and helped control the rebound in front of the cage.

Once again, Washington & Lee kept pressuring the Captains and eventually regained a lead in the 19th minute, but the visitors had an answer. Lighting up the opposition from the eight-meter arc, CNU sank three straight free-position attempts in the middle of the period. Lamendola kicked things off after splitting a pair of Generals along the right side of the crease. After earning a look from eight meters, she skipped one through the keeper for her first collegiate goal.

Continuing the surge, Winters unleashed an absolute missile into the bottom left corner of the cage before Eversole followed suit with an identical snipe for her first tally of the year.

Meanwhile, the defense never backed down. Chadwick came through with another free-position save, while Rusinko pieced together a physical ride that pushed an attacker around the edge of the zone before Morrison pounced on a loose ball. 

With time winding down in the first half, the two teams traded goals. First, Morrison cut inside and grabbed a feed from McDonald before converting on the move. Then, in the final seconds, the Generals added an answer, which chipped CNU's lead down to 6-4 entering the break.

In the second half, Chadwick came out on fire. The second-year star made three saves in the opening minutes of the period, including back-to-back stops during a rapid-fire assault early in the stanza. She also stoned another free-position attempt after stamping out a worm-burner that was initially deflected by Morrison and Iapicca.

On the other side, the offense kept clicking. In the 33rd minute, Winters won a scramble for a loose ball along the left post after battling her way through a pair of Generals. With the defense on its heels, the reigning All-American stepped back and lofted a feed to Iapicca, who caught the teardrop and capitalized on the doorstep.

Three minutes later, Iapicca came back for more. This time, she snagged a feed from Eversole and whistled a screamer on the run, which gave the visitors an 8-4 advantage.

Refusing to go down quietly, Washington & Lee kept fighting. The hosts strung together three late goals in the third quarter to pull back within one. However, CNU's defense never let the Generals pull even.

At the tail end of the stanza, Madi Rozgonyi stuck to an attacker through multiple dodges before forcing a pass behind the cage. Later, while playing shorthanded, Chadwick walled off the left post with another sensational stop during a free-position attempt, while McDonald won a fight for a loose ball against multiple Generals to help silence a push at the end of the period.

With 15 minutes left in regulation, Christopher Newport kept calm in the face of mounting pressure at the start of the fourth quarter. Putting a lid on a sustained surge by Washington & Lee, Jackson won possession of a roller along the end line and held on while being badgered by two Generals. Eventually, she flipped the ball to Chadwick, who handed it over to May. Facing a tough clear, the freshman split multiple midfielders while pinned to the right sideline before the attack took control.

Looking for a little breathing room, the offense found its footing with some gritty action. Morrison took a hard hit and secured a free-position attempt. Although W&L's keeper made a nice save, Morrison barreled towards the crease and kept the play alive. Eventually, she got her stick on her own rebound and shoveled it out to Eversole, who collected a second-chance opportunity.

With new life, Winters broke the ankles of a defender behind the crease, pushed up the left alley, and tossed a seed to McDonald, who buried a rocket from close range.

Two minutes later, Iapicca added her third goal. On the play, she found herself isolated with a defender while marching to the top of the zone. Searching for some space, she stopped on a dime, spun to her right, and stormed up the gut before hammering home a huge strike with less than 10 minutes remaining in regulation, which gave CNU a 10-7 edge.

Although W&L inched back within two, Christopher Newport continued to star in all facets of the game. On the defensive end, Rusinko came through with a momentum-turning play during an unsettled situation. The Generals secured a loose ball during a scrum along the end line before creating a clean look on the inside. Unfazed, Rusinko bolted across the zone and got her outstretched stick on the shooter, which deflected an attempt that ended up in Chadwick's pocket.

Later, May orchestrated another physical clear, fighting her way up the sideline while shrugging off an illegal hit, which led to a card on a Washington & Lee attacker. Moments later, Drew Stanley capitalized on the possession as the freshman converted an eight-meter attempt after burning a blast past the keeper into the bottom left corner of the net.

Continuing to trade punches, the hosts responded with their ninth tally before Iapicca regained a three-goal cushion with just over three minutes left in regulation. On the play, she used a slick crease roll to reverse course behind the cage, curl around the left pipe, and jam home her fourth goal on the doorstep.

With the clock becoming a factor, CNU made sure to extend every possession on the offensive end while forcing W&L's attack to suffer through long rallies on the opposite side. During one lengthy defensive stand, Rusinko stoned a push up the right alley, Rozgonyi jostled a ball loose on the left end, and Lamendola added an interception in the center of the zone.

Shortly thereafter, the Generals nearly slipped free on a fast-break, but Jackson knocked the ball out of the attacker's stick, while Blake Hopkins slowed the action down with some tight defense at the top of the arc.

With only a few minutes left on the clock, a General wiggled loose and changed levels with a high-to-low laser. Incredibly, Chadwick registered her ninth save after plucking the bouncer off the grass before starting a successful clear.

Following a CNU timeout, Washington & Lee managed to cut its deficit down to two before regaining possession of the ensuing draw with only 70 seconds left in regulation. Needing another stop on the back end, the Captains came through with another clutch defensive stand.

May forced an attacker to give up possession on the left side of the field. After the pass clanked off the stick of a second General, Rusinko got between the attacker and the crease. Building a wall that prevented W&L from collecting the roller, she watched as the ball spun into Chadwick's grasp.

Still needing to clear the zone, May cut around a General and fired a pass to Morrison, who steamed into the offensive end. Facing unrelenting pressure, the reigning Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year battled her way through two defenders before looping a pass to Eversole, who found some freedom behind the crease.

In the final moments, Eversole connected with McDonald, who scurried into the left corner and ran out the remaining seconds to lock up the thrilling victory.

Overall, Washington & Lee out-shot the Captains, 26-18, but Chadwick's performance between the pipes helped offset the statistical discrepancy. Meanwhile, both squads collected 16 ground balls, while the hosts held a slim 13-12 lead on the draw. On an individual level, Lamendola picked up a team-high four rollers, while Jackson notched five draw controls and her 100th career ground ball. Morrison also added four draws and three grounders during an action-packed evening of work.

Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday at 1 p.m. when the team kicks off the home portion of its schedule with another top-25 battle against No. 16 Roanoke.

---ISH---