ARLINGTON, Va. -- The third-ranked Christopher Newport women's soccer team showcased its talent on both sides of the ball at Marymount University on Wednesday evening, coming away with the teams seventh shutout in the first ten games as the Captains defeated the Saints, 3-0. CNU improved to 8-0-2 on the season while the host Saints dropped to 3-6-2 following the result. 

Making history on the offensive side of the ball, junior Hanna Heaton scored her 25th career goal to become the second player in CNU women's soccer history to record 25 goals and 25 assists in her career. With a pinpoint strike in the 49th minute, Heaton scored her fourth goal of the season to join CNU Athletics Hall of Famer Victoria Perry as the only players in CNU lore to reach the milestone in both categories. 

Not to be outdone, fellow senior Molly Seventko kept pace with Heaton atop the scoring column for the Captains with her fourth goal of the season in the 60th minute. Rookie Julia Joyner set up the score for her second career assist. Finally, junior defender Bella DiTommaso scored her first goal of the season while helping the back line secure the shutout. 

The win came in head coach Jamie Gunderson's 100th career game since taking over the program prior to the 2021 season. CNU improved to 87-2-11 in his tenure for a winning percentage of 92.5 percent. Wednesday's game was also the 72nd shutout for the CNU defense in the first 100 games under Gunderson, including the seventh this year. 

Junior goalkeeper Amy Sidaway was mostly unchallenged against Marymount, needing to make just one save in the game. DiTommaso led the way on the back line alongside rookie Nora Cook, who also played 90 minutes, while Addy Hennessy and Malayah Warner also started. Stella Corso and Kyleigh Gough also helped lock down the Marymount offense, holding the Saints to just four total shots in the game. 

CNU outshot Marymount, 20-4, in the game, including 11 shots on goal. The fireworks came in the second half when Heaton got things started just over three minutes into the period. DiTommaso also played a big part in setting up the goal, as she controlled the ball near the sideline before driving by a defender just outside of the box at the corner. She got tripped up, and a whistle set up a free kick for the Captains as DiTommaso drew the foul. 

Heaton stared at a three-player wall and surveyed the goalmouth from about 20 yards away on the left side of the field. For the third time this season, the Gloucester, Va. native put away the set piece strike by making a seemingly effortless, surgical strike over the wall and into the top of the goal. 

The second goal was anything but surgical, as Seventko battled through plenty of contact inside the six to notch her fourth goal of the year. After Joyner lofted a ball into the box, Seventko got a 50-50 header against a defender to sail toward the frame but it ricocheted off the right post. Fortunately, it trickled right back in front of her and the senior was able to blast home the short-range shot for the score. 

Finally, in the 86th minute, a failed clearance by the Marymount defense found DiTommaso all alone on the left side of the field. She looked up for options and called her own number, bending in a beautiful, left-footed rocket into the right side of the netting beyond the outstretched arms of the diving goalkeeper. 

CNU put eight more shots on-goal in the game, including four in each half. The Captains have now won all 12 games played against Marymount and improved to 5-0-0 in Arlington. 

Following Wednesday night's win, the Captains will now return home to host the University of Mary Washington on Saturday night. The Eagles saw a four-game unbeaten streak come to a close on Wednesday with a 2-0 loss to nationally-ranked Johns Hopkins, but travel to Captains Field with a 7-2-1 overall record this season. Kickoff from the home field is set for 7:00 p.m. on Saturday.