LANCASTER, Pa. -- Returning to her home state, Avery Mast helped headline a historic performance by the seventh-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team as the Captains knocked off No. 18 Franklin & Marshall, 3-0, during a well-rounded showcase on Saturday afternoon at Tylus Field.

Mast opened the scoring in the 23rd minute after burying a missile off a feed from Delaney Norr. With that strike, she became just the eighth freshman in program history to record the game-winning goal against a nationally-ranked opponent. In that exclusive club, she placed her name alongside former All-Americans Abby Asuncion, Courtney Fiest, and Brittan Muir as well as longtime standouts Madison Doss and Kylie Cale and current teammates Maddison Steele and Caroline Hughlett.

Playing just hours from her hometown, the Lewisburg, Pennsylvania native added another historic footnote with her first collegiate strike. Mast became the first out-of-state Captain to score a goal on her home soil in program history. Since the team was founded in 2000, CNU has featured nearly three dozen out-of-state standouts, including a list of award-winning legends ranging from Allie Hackbarth and Lisa Murphy to Marcella Sabbagh and Alexa Hendrickson. However, Mast became the first member of that group to score a goal in her home state while joining Delaware's Carol Thompson and Maryland's Calli Ioannou as the only ones to register a single point on their return home.

Adding one final layer to Mast's performance, Avery became the first visiting player to score her first collegiate goal in a top-25 battle at Franklin & Marshall's Tylus Field since September 8, 2021. Coincidentally, nearly three years ago to the day, Avery's older sister, Allie, was the last player to accomplish that feat after she led Messiah to a 2-1 overtime victory against the Diplomats.

Along with Mast's masterpiece, Emily Evans and Caroline Hughlett both scored for the second straight game. They became the first Captains to find the back of the cage in each of CNU's first two contests since Mauri Ware opened the 2019 campaign with an equally electric performance.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the field, Christopher Newport blanketed the turf. Lily Kerr came through with four saves, including a remarkable run at the end of the first half. Brooke Billhimer also blocked a pair of shots, while Ellie Nuckols got her stick on a separate attempt. Coupled with their 4-0 win over Denison last Friday, the Captains opened the season with back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 2017.

Additionally, the three-goal victory equaled the most lopsided triumph on the road against a nationally-ranked opponent in school history. Incidentally, it matched an identical 3-0 win less than 12 months ago at No. 17 Bryn Mawr. Previously, the Captains also knocked off No. 14 Mary Washington, 3-0, on November 5, 2014 after upending the same UMW program, 4-1, on October 30, 2013.

With the victory, CNU improved to 2-0 on the season, while the setback dropped Franklin & Marshall to 0-3.

Throughout the opening quarter, Christopher Newport sustained possession with relentless work all over the field. Early on, Katie Abendschoen intercepted a clear along the left sideline and scooted around a pair of midfielders while returning the ball back to the attack. Later, after the Captains were hit with a card, Abendschoen came through with a short-handed strip at the top of the arc before Billhimer bottled up a deep rally along the left post.

Looking to capitalize on the other end, CNU secured two straight corners in the middle of the period, but an absolute laser by Courtney Hughlett was kicked away by the keeper. Later, after Kendall Gibson locked down the left sideline with tremendous pressure to kill off multiple clears, Lindsey Loar had a strong sequence on the offensive end. The second-year speedster pieced together a pair of runs into the circle after bursting straight up the gut before cutting in along the right edge. Unfortunately, both rallies were stymied by the Diplomats, including a nice save on a nuke by Norr.

After playing most of the opening period on the offensive side of the field, the Captains settled in on the defensive end to quiet a late surge by the hosts. In the waning moments, Kerr punted a bouncer that slipped into the circle before adding a diving save on a second-chance opportunity. Shortly thereafter, Nuckols deflected a rip off the stick of a shooter before applying immediate pressure on a Franklin & Marshall corner, which helped silence the final threat of the period.

Continuing the defensive domination early in the second stanza, Billhimer blocked an initial blast before Kerr came back with a sliding stop. Later, after the hosts secured their second corner of the contest, Billhimer stoned another rip down low before sending the ball to Caroline Hughlett, who quickly scampered up the field.

Following the early push by the Diplomats, Christopher Newport kept a lid on the high-powered F&M attack. Throughout the middle of the period, the hosts tried to find some space up the left sideline, but Gibson, Nuckols, and Billhimer refused to give an inch while keeping the ball pinned on the boundary. Moments later, on a counter attack, Maddison Steele swiped the ball from a midfielder and weaved through two defenders on a 30-yard sprint towards the circle.

With the defense struggling to catch up, Steele handed possession to Norr, who sliced a feed to Mast. Although four Diplomats raced back and flooded the zone, the freshman pulled away from the pressure and deposited a top-shelf tracer under the crossbar for the game's first goal.

Searching for the equalizer, Franklin & Marshall had a solid look in the 27th minute. However, Billhimer stole the ball deep inside the zone and sent a roller to Caroline Hughlett, who unleashed a pinpoint pass up the sideline that quickly generated another scoring opportunity for the Captains.

With time winding down in the period, Norr and Evans put on a clinic. Kick-starting the rally, Norr fired a pass inside to Evans, who had a rip snuffed out by the keeper. Seconds later, Norr saw a deflection bounce off the pads of the goalie before Evans had another centering pass cut through the zone.

Keeping the pressure up, Courtney Hughlett regained possession and pushed back into the circle. Eventually, she slipped a roller through three defenders before Evans capped off the action. After controlling the pass, she whipped a worm-burner inside the right post for a 2-0 advantage.

Looking for an answer, Franklin & Marshall nearly broke through in the 29th minute, but Kerr orchestrated a highlight-reel run on the back end. Building a wall between the pipes, the junior All-American made a diving save to block a tough deflection in traffic. Although the Diplomats kept possession, Kerr scurried to her feet, elevated, and batted away a high hammer that was destined for the back of the cage.

Following Kerr's acrobatic display at the end of the first half, Christopher Newport went back on the attack early in the third stanza. On a corner, Morgan Shealer unloaded a stinger from the top of the circle that handcuffed a defender and drew a second attempt. Moments later, Steele had a shot bounce off another Diplomat before the visitors picked up a third corner in the 37th minute.

On the play, Shealer threaded a pass through the wickets of a defender. After collecting the feed on the inside, Caroline Hughlett unleashed a spinner that caught the body of a defender on the doorstep, which earned a penalty stroke for the Captains. Capitalizing on her own work, Hughlett slammed a rope inside the right post for the squad's third tally of the contest.

With a little more breathing room, CNU went back to work on the defensive side. On a lengthy run by the hosts, Abendschoen stuck to the hip of a streaker during a 20-yard sprint before winning possession near the circle. Later, Gibson broke up a rush by a pair of attackers, while Courtney Hughlett helped put a lid on a corner attempt with quick pressure off the insert.

After struggling to find any room during the first three quarters, Franklin & Marshall opted for different tactics in the fourth period. Early on, the Diplomats went to the air with a looping rainbow, but Abendschoen picked off the aerial with ease. Shortly thereafter, the hosts opted for brute force as an attacker tried to barrel through Billhimer. Unfazed by the physical confrontation, the senior All-American held her ground, absorbed the contact, won possession, and drew a yellow card on F&M for good measure.

Continuing to push back against Franklin & Marshall's advances, Abendschoen handled a 2-on-1 situation after planting herself between a pair of Diplomats before stealing a pass and wiggling her way out of the circle. Then, on one of the game's final rallies, Lainey Pratzner stayed deep after a bouncing ball created a breakaway opportunity. Polishing off the shutout, she caught up to the play, slowed down the action, and came away with the strip to ice the 3-0 win.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 24-9 advantage in shots and a 7-3 edge in corners.

The Captains will return to action on Sunday when the squad completes its Pennsylvania swing with a road trip to Haverford at 11 a.m.

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