NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- After two years as a reserve defender, the Christopher Newport men's soccer team turned to junior Zach Ruhlman at striker and the move paid off on Sunday as he scored a brace against Catholic University (2-4-0) and lifted the Captains to a 2-0 victory at home. CNU extended its season-opening unbeaten streak to six games as the Captains improved to 4-0-2 behind the triumphant performance by Ruhlman while the defense secured a second straight shutout. 

Ruhlman scored in a pair of big moments for the Captains as he tallied a score in the final five minutes of both halves. The first, which stood up as the game-winning goal, would be his first career goal off an assist by Jason LaViola. The second gave the Captains breathing room at the end of the game with an insurance goal off a feed by Yazan Yaghmmour. 

Both goals came off just a single touch as he redirected crosses from his CNU teammates. In the first half, Yaghmmour started the scoring play with a long throw down the left sideline to find LaViola streaking by his defender after a nice turn. After a run up the side, the junior midfielder crossed in a low liner into the box where Ruhlman was running parallel and able to get inside of his Catholic counterpart. With the goalkeeper coming out to try and cut down the angle, Ruhlman slid to the ball and popped up the shot to redirect it by him for the score. 

The second half goal was a near carbon copy but this time it was a cross by Yaghmmour that Ruhlman got his foot on. With time clicking away and Catholic sending everything forward, the Captains got the much-needed insurance goal in the 86th minute of action. 

The goal came at a timely moment after Hayden Dewey was forced to go to the ground to make a nice save on a driven shot by the Catholic attack. On the ensuing run down the field, CNU started the play on a free kick as Trevor Smith played around to Miles Maggioncalda. The sophomore then pivoted and fired a long pass to Yaghmmour on the left sideline; after a first touch to get beyond the defender, he won the footrace to the ball and sent a left-footed liner into the box. Just after the ball glanced off the ground at the top of the six, Ruhlman stuck his right foot out and managed to poke it into the upper 90 on the far side. 

For good measure, Ruhlman also shifted back to his natural center back position for a pivotal five-minute stretch after rookie Carson Friedlein was sidelined for a short injury break. In the time that Ruhlman patrolled the back alongside Declan Karney, he headed out a corner kick attempt and helped organize CNU against four attempts from the corner. He and Yaghmmour each made a stop on the late-game tries from the corner as Catholic looked to equalize. 

The defense in the game was forced into some extra work as Asher Kuzemka left the game early with an injury. Friedlein took on the bulk of the duty while Karney played the full 90 minutes at center back. Yaghmmour and Caleb Jones anchored the outside while Josh Monzon and Jack Otto also contributed pivotal breaks for the starters. 

Dewey made the key saves when he had to, finishing the game with a pair. He locked up his third solo shutout and fourth overall this season with the clean sheet, keeping the dangerous Catholic offense off the scoreboard for just the second time this season. 

CNU has now started the season with a six-game unbeaten streak for the second straight year and the Captains have scored multiple goals in five of their six outings in 2024. An eight-game homestand to start the season will come to a close next weekend as the Captains welcome in 7th-ranked Colorado College on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. followed by a Saturday night kickoff against Rowan University.