SALISBURY, Md. -- In a battle to determine the top squad in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, the 21st-ranked Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team could not quite keep pace with No. 5 Salisbury as the Captains dropped a 15-4 decision in the league championship on Saturday afternoon at Sea Gull Stadium.

Headlining the action, Syd Guidi collected her 12th hat-trick of the year after landing three blows against the Sea Gulls. Fittingly, the eight-meter mage continued her magic on free-position attempts. During the contest, she capitalized on both of her eight-meter shots. Overall, her 25 career free-position goals are tied with former legend Erin Callahan for the ninth-most in program history.

Along with the championship day star, Kelsey Winters continued rewriting the record books. In the fourth quarter, she handed out her 68th assist of the year. That broke her own previous program standard of 67, which she established last season.

On the defensive side, Brookelyn Morrison affirmed her reputation as one of the nation's most disruptive midfielders. The second-year sensation chipped in with a pair of takeaways against the Sea Gulls. Her 49 total strips this season rank first in the conference and 12th among all midfielders in the NCAA.

With the setback, Christopher Newport dropped to 13-6 on the season, while the victory bumped Salisbury to 14-3. Although the league does not have an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, both programs will be on the lookout for potential at-large berths. The league has received multiple bids in 15 of the past 17 seasons.

In the opening period, the Captains jumped out to a quick lead with a rapid-fire attack. Making the early pressure count, fleet-footed Guidi broke down the defense, scooted inside, and drew an eight-meter attempt. Capitalizing from the right hash, she outran the Sea Gulls before burying a bullet under the crossbar for a 1-0 edge.

Meanwhile, on the defensive side, Hadley Chadwick made a huge save on a point-blank rip along the left post to quiet Salisbury's first surge. Later, after Emma Jackson pressured a Sea Gull and forced an off-target tracer during a free-position attempt, Madi Rozgonyi came through with an acrobatic clear. Striking out on a bold venture up the right sideline, the All-Conference defender wiggled her way through tight quarters while pinned to the boundary before handing the ball back to the attack.

Unfortunately, the Sea Gulls eventually responded. During a five-minute stretch, the hosts strung together five straight goals. Looking to slow down Salisbury's first-quarter cannonade, Christopher Newport whistled for a timeout and regrouped during the stoppage.

Pushing back after the break, CNU's defense proved its worth over the next five minutes. Jackson stuck to an attacker through a series of dodges behind the crease before Morrison and Gabby Saia crashed down on a shooter while forcing an attempt to spin over the bar. Later, Morrison and Julia Iapicca double-teamed a Sea Gull before Chadwick stoned a low liner to cap off the opening period.

In the second frame, Christopher Newport continued to face consistent pressure on the defensive side. Trying to hold up against the onslaught, the back line did its best to stymie the Sea Gulls. Jackson swarmed an attacker during a failed forward pass before Blake Hopkins plucked the spinner off the turf. Later, Bethany Wyant sealed off the left post with a leaping stab before Rozgonyi collected an errant attempt along the opposite pipe.

Sadly, Salisbury never backed down. Keeping up its unbridled attack, the hosts came through with six consecutive goals in the second stanza to secure a running clock with an 11-1 advantage.

Staring at a double-digit deficit, the Captains kept their nose to the grindstone and refused to let up. During a lengthy push by the hosts, Iapicca and Hopkins bottled up a rush at the top of the zone before Kate Lamendola avoided a pick and shadowed an attacker to kill off the rally. Later, when the Sea Gulls returned to the offensive end, Iapicca made a fantastic play to snag a tough deflection off a pipe shot in the final minute, which closed out the first half.

Looking to prevent Salisbury's momentum from bubbling over into the third period, Christopher Newport threw up road blocks on the defensive side. After the Sea Gulls grabbed an early free-position attempt, the visitors turned to their eight-meter exterminator. Continuing her suffocating performance, Jackson got a great jump off the line, pressured the shooter with a high stick, and caused a blast to cruise over the crossbar.

While Jackson was excelling on the back end, Lamendola helped control the middleground. In the 39th minute, Salisbury attempted to clear its defensive zone. Fighting back, the squad's freshman phenom sent a midfielder crashing to the turf while cutting off the left sideline. Although the hosts kept possession, Lamendola chased a second Sea Gull into a 20-yard retreat before SU called for a timeout.

Although Christopher Newport's defense held the opposition real quiet for several sustained stretches in the stanza, Salisbury eventually fought back and snatched a 15-1 edge entering the fourth quarter.  

After being blanked in the second and third periods, the CNU attack unleashed a typhoon two quarters in the making. Opening the floodgates in the final frame, the squad turned back to Guidi. In the 47th minute, she collected a skip pass from Maelyn Eversole before sidestepping a defender and uncorking a rocket into the top left corner of the cage.

Continuing the assault, Winters came through with her record-breaking 68th assist of the year. After circling behind the cage while isolated with a defender, the All-American found Iapicca cutting inside for the squad's third goal.

Later, Guidi added a fitting punctuation mark to her offensive showcase. After converting on high hammers throughout the contest, she went back to the same playbook on her final dagger. With another free-position attempt, she tucked the orb into the top left corner for the squad's last tally.

While the offense found its footing in the fourth period, the defense shut out the high-powered Salisbury attack over the final 15 minutes. During a shorthanded situation, Hopkins knocked a ball loose with a check at the top of the zone before Carys May swallowed a blast with her body following a dangerous shot by the hosts.

Shortly thereafter, Morrison used a trail-check to strip a shooter before Chadwick gobbled up the deflection. Later, Lamendola continued to lock down the center of the turf. After the Salisbury goalie lofted a Hail Mary heave towards the midfield meridian, the freshman bolted over, put her stick in the side of a Sea Gull, and killed off the clear after punching the ball loose to help close out the contest.

For their performance during the playoffs, Lamendola, Iapicca, and Saia all garnered an All-Tournament citation. 

Overall, Salisbury held a 26-13 advantage in shots and a 9-7 lead in ground balls. The Sea Gulls also controlled 14 of the game's 20 draws. On an individual level, a cavalcade of Captains made statistical contributions throughout the contest. Iapicca and Maddie Tomaszewski both collected a pair of draw controls, while Lamendola and May added takeaways. Meanwhile, Chadwick finished with a pair of saves to go along with a ground ball.

After a little Sunday silence, the Captains will set their sights on a potential NCAA Tournament bid. The final bracket will be announced during a selection show on Monday at 10:30 a.m. on NCAA.com.

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