FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- For the third time in program history, the Christopher Newport field hockey team wrapped up its regular season schedule with an undefeated record as the top-ranked Captains knocked off Mary Washington, 3-0, on Wednesday evening at the Battleground Turf Field.

With the victory, CNU improved to 17-0 on the year and became the first Division III team to complete an undefeated regular season since 2023. Incidentally, the Captains were also one of the last teams to accomplish the feat after Christopher Newport, Middlebury, and Ohio Wesleyan entered the postseason with unblemished records two years ago.

Overall, the 2025 squad joined the 2013 and 2023 Captains as the only teams in program history to finish the regular season with a perfect record. Fittingly, all three of those squads capped off the regular season with a win against Mary Washington at the Battleground Turf Field.

On an individual level, Emily Evans collected her sixth career multi-goal outing after landing the final two blows of the contest. Additionally, Caroline Hughlett opened the scoring just 47 seconds into regulation, and Riley Iasiello handed out a pair of assists.

On the back end, Christopher Newport completed its 13th shutout of the season. Between the pipes, Lily Kerr hauled in four saves, including two during a rapid-fire assault early in the third quarter. With that performance, she posted her eighth 60-minute shutout of the year, which established a new program record. Previously, she had seven shutouts in 2022 and 2024, while fellow All-American Bailey Lien had seven in 2013.

Wednesday's contest also marked Kerr's 70th career start, passing Lien for the most by a goalie in school history. Additionally, she netted her 62nd victory, which moved her to 12th on the all-time Division III charts.

Equally effective on the back end, Morgan Shealer pocketed her first career defensive save after brushing aside an on-target rip off a penalty corner in the second quarter. Along with her work in the first half, the sophomore standout was stellar throughout the contest, including a one-on-one victory against a streaking attacker in the third quarter and a huge stand to prevent a point-blank shot in the final stanza.

While the victory bumped Christopher Newport to 17-0 on the season, the setback dropped Mary Washington to 11-6.

Less than a minute into regulation, CNU lit up the scoreboard. Following a takeaway by Courtney Hughlett at midfield, she connected with Evans, who spun into the left corner. Eventually, Iasiello took control and pushed forward. Putting pressure on the Eagles, she pulled the goalie and two defenders towards the left side of the circle, which created a seam in the center of the zone.

Filling the void, Caroline Hughlett ran straight up the gut, collected a pass from Iasiello, and dropped in a dart on the doorstep to give the visitors a fast 1-0 lead.

Trying to respond on the other side, Mary Washington struggled to find a rhythm. Kicking off her evening, Shealer cut off a streaker along the left sideline before slowing down another surge in the corner. Moments later, Kendall Gibson punched a roller away from a shooter near the right post before Caroline Hughlett picked off a pass at the 25, cut through two Eagles on the sideline, and lifted an aerial over the hosts to clear the back end.

After flipping the field, Avery Mast kept the ball pinned on the offensive side. Taking three straight free hits, she blasted the Eagles with a series of ropes, including a screamer that blew the stick right out of the hands of a UMW defender. Shortly thereafter, she also picked off a pair of failed clears before connecting with Brylee Johnston on a run into the left corner.

Later, Johnston continued to star over the final few minutes of the opening period. Along the left sideline, the freshman caused an errant pass, which Courtney Hughlett quickly intercepted. Then, she blocked a rocket while stationed along the boundary to prevent a last-minute clear by the hosts. 

In the second stanza, Christopher Newport continued its work on the defensive end. Early on, Gibson gobbled up a dangerous spinner in the center of the circle before a shooter could corral it. Then, Mary Washington secured back-to-back corners in the 20th minute, but CNU held firm.

On the first attempt, the Eagles fired a shot through a tight window, but Shealer dipped low and blocked the blast with a defensive save along the right post. On the second attempt, Mary Washington tried to find space on the other side, but Kerr made a lunging save to kick away a rip towards the left pipe.

Following the initial assault, the hosts orchestrated another offensive threat later in the period, but Christopher Newport remained vigilant. Gibson shadowed a shooter on a roll along the right side of the zone before disrupting an attempt on the interior. Seconds later, she bottled up another push along the right baseline before Kelly Via outran an attacker while tracking down a long feed into the corner.

With time winding down in the first half, the Captains nearly doubled their one-goal advantage with a late surge. Gibson and Lindsey Loar teamed up on a strip near midfield before Mast bolted up the left sideline. Keeping the hosts on their heels, the second-year star slipped a pass to Iasiello, but her fastbreak tracer was handled by a defender.

As the tide began to turn, CNU quickly capitalized with an early blow after the break. Less than a minute into the third period, Ellie Nuckols pulled to her right, split two Eagles, and threaded a dime back towards the center of the field. Taking advantage of the pinpoint pass, Evans settled the ball, went to her backhand, and planted a seed inside the left post for a 2-0 advantage.

Looking to retaliate, Mary Washington pieced together its finest offensive rally of the contest, but Kerr was simply sensational on the back end. On an initial push by the hosts, she knocked down a high deflection with a difficult save near the left pipe. Then, just seconds later, the two-time All-American kicked away a low liner along the right post.

After Loar ended the surge with a slick snag to steal a pass at the top of the arc, the Captains nearly caught the hosts in transition. With numbers on their side, the visitors pieced together a quick rush going the other way. Leading the charge, Iasiello found Nuckols, who blistered a dagger that was stopped at the last second by UMW's goalie. 

Trading runs, Shealer found herself on an island with an attacker near the left sideline, but she stole possession while winning the one-on-one battle. Looking to take advantage of the frenetic pace in the final moments of the stanza, CNU had another breakaway opportunity as Caroline Hughlett laced a 30-yard laser through traffic to Evans. Stationed behind the defense, the senior secured the pass and whipped a one-timer that just spun wide.

In the fourth quarter, Christopher Newport continued to set the tone on the offensive side. Controlling the tempo, the Captains earned five straight corners and tested the defense with five on-target shots, but four tracers were swallowed by the goalie before the fifth was brushed aside by a defender.

After surviving the scare, the Eagles attempted a counterstrike, but Kate Engle bottled up a rush at the top of the zone before Shealer added another highlight. In the 57th minute, a bouncing ball skipped past the Captains and landed on the stick of an attacker, who found herself all alone along the left pipe.

Although Kerr hit the turf to stone an initial push, the shooter tried to get to her backhand. Preventing the second-chance opportunity, Shealer caught up to the play, cut off a look on the inside, and blocked a turnaround attempt, which gave reinforcements enough time to arrive on the scene and kill the threat.

With pressure still mounting, Mary Washington picked up back-to-back corners, but Nuckols helped stymie both attempts with relentless work as the flyer.

Following the defensive stand, Christopher Newport added one final exclamation point to its perfect regular season. In the final seconds of regulation, Courtney Hughlett plucked an off-target pass, weaved through a crowd, and handed the ball to Iasiello. Storming into the circle on the right side, Iasiello dipped underneath a defender and sent a crosser through the zone to Evans, who banged home her career-high ninth goal of the year with a redirect along the left pipe.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 15-6 advantage in shots and a 7-6 edge in corners.

With the regular season in the books, the Captains will settle in and wait for the unveiling of the NCAA Tournament bracket, which is slated for November 9.

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