ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. -- Trailing by two early in the fourth quarter, the 15th-ranked Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team pieced together an emphatic comeback on both sides of the field as the Captains scored the game's final four goals on the way to an 11-9 triumph over St. Mary's (Md.) on Saturday afternoon at Jamie L. Roberts Stadium.

On the offensive end, Grace Taylor sank the go-ahead goal in the 54th minute before Faith O'Connor added the back-breaker with 90 seconds left in regulation to seal the win. In her first appearance with the Captains, Taylor finished with three points, including a pair of assists. Meanwhile, O'Connor, Maelyn Eversole, Kate Lamendola, and Drew Stanley all had two goals for the victors.

Equally effective on the other side of the field, CNU suffocated the Seahawks over the final 13 minutes of regulation. Maddie Rusinko headlined a pair of crucial second-half defensive stands and finished with a pair of takeaways, while Lamendola and Brookelyn Morrison had four strips apiece. Hadley Chadwick also pocketed seven saves, including two in the final stanza.

Coupled with the program's 13-4 win at Lynchburg last Saturday, the 2025 squad became the first team to surrender fewer than 10 goals in each of its first two games since the 2006 Captains accomplished that feat. It also marked the first time CNU held its opposition to single-digit tallies in back-to-back road bouts since 2021.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improved to 2-0 on the season, while the setback dropped St. Mary's (Md.) to 0-2.

Entering the fourth quarter deadlocked at seven, the Seahawks landed two quick blows in the first two minutes to snatch a 9-7 advantage. Needing a response, Eversole came away with the ensuing draw before settling in on the offensive end. Eventually, the senior bolted towards the left corner with two defenders in tow. Unfazed by the crowd, she tossed the ball back to Lamendola, who uncorked a high-to-high hammer just under the crossbar to cut the deficit down to one.

On the other side of the field, CNU clamped down on back-to-back SMC possessions. First, Lamendola cut off a streaker up the right side of the zone before Madi Rozgonyi grabbed a loose ball and kick-started a clear. Moments later, Chadwick swallowed a rip after a Seahawk slipped free in the left alley.

Following the defensive stand, the offense went back to work. After the Captains methodically worked the ball around the zone, Elena Sorkin gained possession and drew a one-on-one match-up. Sprinting to her right, she rolled past her defender, fired across her body, and landed a screamer inside the left post to even the score at nine.

After the hosts called for a timeout to set up a play on the offensive end, CNU held firm. Rozgonyi stayed with an attacker through a series of dodges before forcing her into traffic in the right wing. Eventually, Gabby Saia pounced on a ground ball and handed possession back to the attack.

On the subsequent rally, Taylor drew a foul on a charge towards the crease. Earning a free-position attempt from the left hash, she capitalized on the eight-meter shot with a low liner past the keeper to give the visitors a 10-9 lead with less than seven minutes remaining in regulation.

Facing their first deficit since the third quarter, the Seahawks attempted to regroup, but Christopher Newport remained vigilant on the back end. On St. Mary's first push, Morrison slipped into the passing lane and disrupted a feed before Chadwick hauled in the roller along the crease. Then, on SMC's return trip, Rusinko stood tall against a fast-break clear. Staying in front of a streaker, she held her ground on a rush up the right alley before forcing a low-percentage shot, which Chadwick plucked out of the air.

Looking for a little breathing room, CNU called for a timeout in the waning moments of regulation. Following the break, O'Connor did the rest by herself. Piecing together a remarkable run, she spun past an initial defender, dodged a slide from the center, and painted the left post with the back-breaking bullet to ice the 11-9 triumph.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 28-25 advantage in shots and a 21-11 edge in ground balls. Meanwhile, St. Mary's (Md.) secured 15 of the game's 23 draws.

Long before completing their fourth-quarter comeback, the Captains engaged in a similar back-and-forth battle in the first quarter. Starting things off, CNU struck first after landing a blow just 90 seconds into the contest. On the play, Taylor dropped a looping feed over the crease to Eversole, who grabbed the ball, split two defenders, and deposited on the doorstep for a 1-0 lead.

Although the hosts fired back with three straight goals, Christopher Newport dug in and mounted a counterattack. After Chadwick shut down SMC's next rally with a sensational save on a point-blank shot, the Captains erupted on the other end of the field.

Kicking off the retaliation, O'Connor caught a flip from Lamendola before torpedoing through the defense. The second-year star dodged a Seahawk at the top of the zone and ducked underneath a second defender before rifling a one-timer from the interior.

Just over a minute later, Morrison came back with the equalizer after sinking a bouncer during a man-up situation to tie the score at three.

Meanwhile, the defense continued to clamp down on the SMC attack. During a lengthy rally by the hosts in the middle of the period, Rusinko ran stride-for-stride with a cutter to prevent a feed from landing on the interior. Although the Seahawks kept possession behind the cage, Morrison tied up a second attacker in the middle of a scrum to force a loose ball, which Chadwick collected in the crease.

Back on offense, the Captains connected on two straight blows during a 60-second surge. First, Lamendola outran a defender at the top of the arc before whipping a sidewinder into the back of the cage. Then, O'Connor found Stanley slipping free on the inside. Eventually, the sophomore found a little space, caught the pass, and ripped on the run to grab a 5-3 advantage.

Although the Seahawks called for a timeout and capitalized on the stoppage with their fourth goal at the end of the opening period, Christopher Newport quickly seized the momentum again in the second stanza.

With a fresh 15 minutes on the clock, O'Connor came back for more. Following a save by the Seahawks, she gained an extra possession after securing the rebound near the right post. Seconds later, she took advantage of her own hustle with a dime to Eversole, who capitalized on the interior.

Less than two minutes later, after Rozgonyi came away with an interception to silence an SMC surge in the left corner, the Captains stretched their lead to three. This time, Taylor dropped a rainbow to Stanley, who scored after a cut down the center of the zone for her second strike of the contest.

After that point, the defense took over. Rozgonyi stonewalled a run around the left post at the end of the shot clock to stymie an SMC possession in the middle of the period. Then, Morrison stripped an attacker who was loading up to shoot in the right alley, while Lamendola pinned a midfielder against the left sideline following a draw control by the hosts.

Despite the defensive efforts, St. Mary's continued to plug away and eventually scored twice just before halftime to pull back within one.

Following the break, CNU orchestrated another defensive masterpiece at the start of the third period. At the forefront, Morrison put on a clinic. First, she prevented a clear with a takeaway along the left boundary. Later, she killed a free-position attempt by the hosts after obstructing the shooter with a check along the arc. Then, on another possession, she plucked an errant feed off the turf, spun through traffic, and cleared the zone.

After Morrison's work, Saia won a one-on-one duel with an attacker along the baseline, while Carys May slammed the door on another Seahawk near the restraining line. Although St. Mary's eventually slipped free again for the equalizer in the 40th minute, the visitors closed out the period in style.

Following the goal, Rusinko single-handedly stopped SMC's subsequent surge. At the beginning of the possession, she avoided a pick, scurried through traffic, and forced an off-kilter shot that spun over the crossbar. Although the hosts kept the ball, the senior standout came back and jumped a passing lane before snatching a feed at the top of the zone and bolting across midfield.

The Seahawks eventually returned to the offensive zone at the tail end of the period, but Chadwick added a huge save on a free-position attempt from the center hash to keep the game tied entering the fourth quarter.

Although St. Mary's got off to a fast start in the final frame, the Captains had enough left in the tank to rally on the way to their thrilling come-from-behind triumph.

Morrison led CNU with five draws to go along with four ground balls, four takeaways, and a goal. Lamendola also added five rollers, while Eversole had three draws and three points. Meanwhile, O'Connor notched her second straight four-point outing after finishing with two goals and a pair of assists.

Christopher Newport will return to action on Wednesday when the team heads to Randolph-Macon at 7 p.m.

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