SALISBURY, Md. -- In her first game since being named the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row, Christopher Newport senior Hanna Heaton lifted the nationally-ranked Captains into the championship game with a first-half bullet to secure a 1-0 win over the host and #4-seed Salisbury University on Friday morning. The Captains will play #3 UC Santa Cruz on Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. after the Banana Slugs defeated Mary Washingon 1-0 in the other semifinal on Friday. 

Heaton notched her eighth goal of the season and her fourth game-winning strike when she connected on a free kick from about 23 yards out on the left side of the field. Like deja vu, Heaton has been nearly automatic from the spot this season and Friday was no different, bending a beautiful line drive around the wall and off the diving goalkeeper into the left pocket of the netting. 

The senior from Gloucester, Va. has caught fire over the last five games, scoring four goals and adding an assist for nine points since October 15. Three of those four goals have been winners as she has now moved into a tie for sixth all-time with 11 game-winning goals in her career. She matched Laura McFerrin (1997-00) and Emily Renkin (2004-06) with eleven and sits just one winner shy of CNU Athletics Hall of Famer Sam Ciaravino (2007, 09-10) on the all-time list. She also moved into the top-ten all time in career goals scored with her 29th career strike, matching McFerrin for ninth on the list. 

The strike came in the 25th minute and gave Christopher Newport a 1-0 lead. After playing against Salisbury in a scoreless draw less than a week prior, the goal proved to be the difference as the defenses held again for the remainder. It was the third consecutive shutout for the CNU defense and the 12th of the season overall. In 17 games played, junior goalkeeper Amy Sidaway and the talented back line has surrendered just five goals for a 0.29 goals-against average. 

Sidaway needed to make just one save in the 90-minute effort against the Sea Gulls as the defense, led by complete game efforts from Avery Spell and Malayah Warner, allowed just five total shots and only one on goal. Bella DiTommaso played 81 minutes and Kyleigh Gough added 82 while Addy Hennessy and Stella Corso also played a big role in the defensive dominance. 

On the offensive side, the Captains only found the back of the net once, but pressured Salisbury's defense with 22 shots and 13 on target. Heaton led the way with three shots on goal but Molly Seventko, Alex Dalakis, and Spell each contributed a couple on frame apiece. 

CNU advances to the conference title game for the fifth straight year and the eighth time in the last nine seasons. The Captains will take on either #3 UC Santa Cruz in a rematch of last year's C2C Championship Game. Game time is set for 10:00 am on Sunday with live stats and a live video webcast available online.