LYNCHBURG, Va. -- Setting fire to the record books during a historic outing on Saturday afternoon, the 19th-ranked Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team stormed past Lynchburg, 19-4, during an exciting non-conference clash at Shellenberger Field.

Headlining the historic contributors, Kelsey Winters established a new Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference record for career points. Against the Hornets, she erupted for seven assists and a pair of goals. With that performance, she wrapped up the day with 390 points in her All-American career. That topped the previous league standard of 386, which was set by Mary Washington's Catherine Kennedy from 2009-12. It also equaled the 20th-most in Division III history.

Equally impressive, Winters' seven assists tied the seventh-highest single-game total in school lore. Overall, her 262 career helpers are the third-most in the history of collegiate lacrosse. LIU Post's Jackie Sileo had 369 from 2011-14, while Rhodes' Emily Bruner set the Division III standard with 275 from 2019-23.

Along with Winters, Brookelyn Morrison added her name to the record books after collecting three caused turnovers. With that performance, the sophomore star finished the day with 44 takeaways, breaking the previous single-season school mark of 42 set by Sam Wettengel in 2019.

Rounding out the historic performers, Syd Guidi equaled Christopher Newport's single-game record with 14 draw controls. That tied the mark originally set by Emma Jackson against Illinois Wesleyan on April 10, 2022 and matched by Maddie Tomaszewski against Johnson & Wales during the first round of the NCAA Tournament on May 13, 2023.

In addition to her work on the draw, Guidi deposited four goals against Lynchburg. Julia Iapicca also landed four strikes during the victory, while Sloane McDonald contributed three points, including a pair of tallies. 

With the win, Christopher Newport improved to 11-4 on the season, while the setback dropped Lynchburg to 9-5.

From the outset, CNU grabbed control. On the squad's first possession, with the shot clock winding down, Iapicca circled around a pair of defenders, dodged a third Hornet along the crease, and scored on the interior. Seconds later, after Guidi and Eleanor Collins teamed up on their second straight draw, Winters found Morrison cutting on the inside for a fast 2-0 lead.

Although Lynchburg cracked the scoreboard in the third minute, the visitors had an answer. Hustling along the end line to grab a loose ball, McDonald secured a second-chance opportunity before Iapicca blew a rocket through Lynchburg's goalie.

Still rolling along, Guidi sidestepped a defender on the way to her first goal, while the defense pushed back against Lynchburg's response. Morrison and Jackson applied immediate pressure on a free-position attempt, leading to an off-kilter shot, which Hadley Chadwick handled. Later, Morrison stayed in the face of an attacker during a dodge at the top of the zone before dropping the hammer for her record-tying 42nd caused turnover of the season.

After the strip, CNU orchestrated a quick clear as Winters found Iapicca charging down the field for a 5-1 advantage midway through the opening stanza.

Keeping the momentum, Morrison danced around a defender in the left alley on the way to her second goal before Winters put on a clinic. The fifth-year phenom assisted on back-to-back goals, including a slick give-and-go with Iapicca and a laser by Maddie Lamy. Later, after Guidi landed her second strike, Winters dusted a defender behind the crease before sinking her first tally of the contest.

Searching for a double-digit advantage, Guidi pushed the lead to 11-1 after converting an eight-meter attempt from the center hash before Winters came back with the record-setter. Just before the horn sounded at the end of the period, she was isolated with a Hornet on the left side. Unfazed by the close quarters, she found a sliver of daylight between two defenders before threading a feed through traffic, which Morrison grabbed for the squad's 12th goal.

After the offensive assault in the opening quarter, the defense set the tone early in the second stanza. Chadwick brushed aside an early on-target rip before Morrison added her name to the history books. In the 19th minute, she picked off a failed clear with a solid snag at midfield before absorbing a physical confrontation with a Hornet to keep possession and clean up her record-setting 43rd takeaway of the year.

Later, during a shorthanded situation, Jackson pressured a shooter into a low-percentage attempt, which skipped past the crease. Shortly thereafter, Maddie Rusinko perfectly played a 2-on-1 break to prevent an initial shot before Madi Rozgonyi raced back and helped force a crease violation, which ended the threat.

Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the field, McDonald sank a man-down missile after cruising past a pair of defenders before Kate Lamendola joined the party with a screamer off a feed from Winters. Just over 90 seconds later, Maelyn Eversole continued the mid-quarter surge after bouncing a blast through the keeper for a 15-1 lead.

Following her work on the offensive end, Lamendola helped stymie a surge on the back side after bottling up a dodge at the top of the zone before winning a race for a loose ball. Eversole also flashed her skill set with an interception near midfield during a shorthanded situation, which helped close out the first half.

Still leading by 13 early in the third quarter, Christopher Newport continued to stretch its advantage. In the 34th minute, Winters drew the attention of two defenders and the goalie while stationed behind the crease. Eventually, McDonald filled the void while slipping past another Hornet before capitalizing on the doorstep.

In the middle of the period, Guidi added her fourth goal with a slippery sprint up the right alley. The senior used a series of spins and stutter-steps to wiggle past two defenders before landing CNU's 17th blow. Then, less than two minutes later, Blake Hopkins fired a dart from the left side off an eight-meter attempt, which secured an 18-2 edge.

As the offense continued to do damage, the defense never relented either. Capping off the third quarter, Morrison pieced together a fantastic run. On a free-position attempt, she reached out and swatted the stick of a shooter, which dislodged the ball and ended the threat. Although the visitors were unable to clear the zone, the second-year star stalked another Hornet before using a textbook trail-check to rip possession away for her 44th strip of the season.

With little left to prove, Christopher Newport closed out the contest with excellent work in the fourth frame. Adding her own historic footnote, Guidi captured her final three draws of the game in the last period. First, she won a race for a flip along the left sideline before securing another bouncer while flanked by three Hornets. Then, in the 54th minute, she reached out and grabbed one last toss from Collins to match the single-game school record with her 14th draw control.

Meanwhile, Winters deposited a turnaround tracer along the right post to polish off the scoring, while the defense closed out the contest in style. Bethany Wyant stoned a pair of shots in the final four minutes, and Alexa Romero came through with a takeaway after knocking down a late pass at the end of regulation.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 31-11 lead in shots and a 20-14 edge in ground balls. The Captains also secured 17 of the game's 25 draws. On an individual level, Morrison plucked five rollers to go along with her three takeaways and three goals. Lamendola and Emilie Shoults also had two ground balls apiece.

CNU will return to action on April 20 with a 3 p.m. tilt against Mary Washington.

---ISH---