NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Putting its high-octane attack on full display, the top-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team scored in all four quarters while pulling away for a 7-1 victory over St. Mary's (Md.) on a chilly Wednesday evening at Jennings Family Stadium.

Headlining the assault, Riley Iasiello and Caroline Hughlett scored two goals apiece, while Lindsey Loar had a strike and a pair of assists. Courtney Hughlett also handed out two helpers, including the 30th of her career. That moved her into a tie with former legend Haylie Black for the second-most in school history.

Rounding out the offensive stars, Emily Evans chipped in with three points of her own, while Ellie Nuckols added her third goal of the year.

Meanwhile, on the defensive end, the Captains limited the Seahawks to only five shots. On the back side, Lily Kerr made a save during a flawless 37 minutes of action before Ella Fallen chipped in with a pair of stops and Anna Mosciano closed out the festivities with nine minutes of pristine work.

For her performance, Kerr collected her 60th career victory, becoming just the 16th goalie in Division III history to reach that milestone.

With the triumph, Christopher Newport improved to 15-0 on the season while extending the program's home winning streak to 13 straight contests dating back to last year. That stands as the third-longest active streak in the nation and equals the fifth-longest run in program history.

On the other side, the setback dropped St. Mary's (Md.) to 10-5 and snapped the Seahawks' five-game winning streak.

Facing a team that had not allowed a goal in the month of October, CNU quickly put an end to that run in the second minute of action. Settled at the 25, Nuckols slipped a feed to Loar, who split two defenders with a backhand flip to Courtney Hughlett. Pulling another Seahawk towards the right post, Hughlett stopped and slid a roller to Iasiello, who blistered a one-timer from the center of the circle to snatch a 1-0 lead.

Looking to respond, the visitors struggled to find their rhythm. Pushing back against St. Mary's advances, Morgan Shealer disrupted a run on the left side of the arc before poking away a bouncer along the sideline. Shortly thereafter, Gigi Stephan stole a pass at the 25 before Julia Oleyar baited a Seahawk into an errant feed near the right boundary.

Although St. Mary's eventually worked the ball down the field, Courtney Hughlett intercepted a pass in the right corner before Nuckols knocked away a dribbler on the opposite side. Then, in the final moments of the opening period, Kate Engle pressured three midfielders into a 40-yard retreat before helping force a turnover in the right corner, which polished off the opening stanza.

In the second quarter, CNU continued to keep a tight lid on the visitors. Loar used a lunging stab to pick off a clear attempt along the right sideline before Kelly Via snatched a long hit near the center stripe to thwart another surge.

Looking to capitalize on the extra possessions, the Captains found an opening in the 21st minute. From midfield, Via broke down a Seahawk before dishing the ball to Courtney Hughlett, who fired a laser to Loar. With the defense struggling to catch up to the action, Loar spun and whipped a screamer inside the left pipe for a 2-0 edge.

Staring at a two-goal hole, the Seahawks responded with their finest offensive stand of the first half in the 25th minute. On an initial rush, Kendall Gibson broke up a centering feed in front of the cage. Moments later, the visitors earned a corner, but Caroline Hughlett put an end to the threat. On the play, she served as the flyer and forced a pass with tight pressure at the top of the arc. Although the Seahawks attempted to slip a feed back towards the left side, Hughlett followed the play, tipped the ball, and helped cause the ensuing shot to bounce wide.

Following the break, the visitors orchestrated another push at the start of the third period. First, Kerr hit the deck to kick away a dangerous roller just in front of the cage. Then, after the visitors picked up their second corner of the contest, Nuckols broke up the initial pass before Gibson ripped away a second-chance opportunity near the left pipe.

After that point, CNU's attack took over. In the 36th minute, Courtney Hughlett connected with Loar on a 25-yard clear that sliced through three Seahawks. Collecting the pass near midfield, Loar burst down the field with Iasiello flanked to her right. Eventually, Loar chipped the ball past two defenders before Iasiello redirected the spinner between the legs of the keeper to complete the highlight-reel breakaway.

Just two minutes later, Stephan was tripped inside the circle, which earned Christopher Newport a corner. Taking advantage, Nuckols and Avery Mast joined forces on a slick give-and-go. After inserting the ball from the baseline, Nuckols snuck behind the keeper and deflected a rip by Mast, which handed the hosts a 4-0 lead.

Searching for a little more cushion, the Captains collected their fifth goal just before the end of the third quarter. With possession along the left sideline, Emma Weber threaded a pass to Loar, who spun past a defender before sprinting into the circle. In a flash, Loar shoveled the ball to Evans, who screened the goalie and scored on the doorstep to snatch a 5-0 advantage entering the fourth quarter.

In the final frame, the Captains kept the pressure on St. Mary's back line. On an early run by the hosts, Victoria Trejo-Wearden redirected a roller around the goalie to Hailey Ward, who had a shot turned away by a defender. Although she was stymied on her initial try, Ward stuck with the action and helped earn a corner just seconds later.

On the ensuing play, Mast dipped low on the inside and used her stick to elevate a rocket by Caroline Hughlett. The ball eventually sailed over the keeper and bounced off the leg of a defender, which gave the Captains a penalty stroke.

Taking the shot, Hughlett finished what she started after sending a seed into the bottom right corner of the cage for her first goal of the contest.

Later in the period, Hughlett came back for more. This time, she inserted the ball to Mast, who popped it to Evans. Completing the circuit, Evans twisted a pass back to Hughlett, who pulled around the keeper and capped off the scoring with a tracer near the left post.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the field, the defense kept a blanket over the turf. After taking over between the pipes, Fallen made a diving save to thwart a rush along the right end line before stoning a long-range bouncer through traffic. Although the visitors eventually cracked the scoreboard with a penalty stroke in the 50th minute, the hosts never let them pull any closer.

Caroline Hughlett stoned a surge along the 25 before tossing the ball to Mari de Castro, who fought through a midfielder to help clear the defensive end. Moments later, Brylee Johnston jumped in front of a Seahawk, stole a pass, and wiggled her way through a crowd along the right sideline to complete another acrobatic clear.

With time winding down, Mast bottled up a push near midfield before Caroline Hughlett stole a centering feed in the final minute to close out the contest.

Overall, CNU held a 35-5 advantage in shots and a 12-2 edge in corners.

Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday when the Captains host No. 14 Rowan on Senior Day at 1 p.m.

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