HAVERFORD, PA. -- Trailing by three entering the fourth quarter, the 22nd-ranked Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team flashed a steely resolve and orchestrated a remarkable comeback to force overtime, but Haverford survived with a game-winning strike in the 65th minute to steal an 8-7 victory on Saturday afternoon at Swan Field.

Headlining the late rally, Elena Sorkin scored the final two goals in regulation while finishing with her first hat-trick of the season. Drew Stanley also sank a pair of strikes, while Gabby Saia was relentless on the defensive end. The second-year star matched her career-high with three takeaways, including two strips in the fourth quarter.

Along with Saia's work on the back end, Brookelyn Morrison helped thwart a pair of late rallies by the visitors, including a huge stop in overtime. Meanwhile, Hadley Chadwick collected nine saves and four ground balls.

The setback was CNU's first overtime battle since a marathon showdown with No. 4 Salisbury on April 29, 2023. It also added another chapter to the program's burgeoning rivalry with Haverford. Over the last three years, the two squads have met three times with each game decided by a single goal.

With the loss, the Captains dropped to 4-4 on the season, while the Fords improved to 7-1.

Trailing by three entering the fourth quarter, Christopher Newport pieced together one of the finest 15-minute stretches of the season. After Saia forced a turnover on Haverford's first possession of the period, the Captains began their comeback.

Nearing the end of the shot clock following a lengthy offensive stand, Maelyn Eversole bolted up the left side. With a defender in tow, she managed to slip a seed past two other Fords. On the receiving end, Stanley caught the pass and uncorked a high-to-low laser on the interior to cut the deficit down to two.

While the attack kicked off the comeback, CNU shined all across the field. On the back end, Morrison and Saia squeezed down on a shooter during an eight-meter attempt, which prevented an on-target look. Later, in the middle of the turf, Eversole badgered a Ford with relentless pressure during a clear attempt. Her assault helped cause a hurried heave, which Saia picked off along the right sideline.

Taking advantage of the ensuing possession, Sorkin broke the ankles of a defender with a jump-cut at the top of the zone. Sprinting back to her left, she found some space and buried a missile under the crossbar to pull the visitors back within one.

Less than two minutes later, following a Haverford timeout, Sorkin came back for more. Isolated with a defender during a one-on-one showdown, she quickly won the battle. Breaking out a face dodge, she slipped under the Ford and sank the equalizer in the top left corner of the cage with five minutes remaining in regulation.

Back on even ground, Christopher Newport had to survive a late rally by the hosts. Moments after checking into the game, Jess Hulse was tested by the Haverford attack, but the freshman dropped down low, ran with a cutter, and helped obstruct a shot from the inside. Later, Lamendola had a solid ride around the left post before Chadwick plucked a bullet between the pipes.

Entering the waning moments of regulation, Haverford regained possession and whistled for another timeout. Although the Fords drew up a last-minute play, Morrison tore up their plans. The junior All-American jumped a passing lane, disrupted a feed, and forced an errant toss to sail across the left boundary.

Although the Captains did not have enough time left to mount a true scoring opportunity in the final seconds of the period, Faith O'Connor showed some veteran savvy. The second-year star took possession and drew a foul that resulted in a yellow card with less than a second left on the clock. That play ensured that CNU would begin the overtime session with control of the ball.

Looking to capitalize early, Sorkin had an eight-meter attempt bottled up by Haverford's keeper, while Stanley had a shot blocked by the defense. Although the Fords held up against the early surge, Morrison put an end to their response on the other side of the field after using a trail-check to strip an attacker at the top of the zone.

With an additional three minutes added to the clock, Haverford went to work again. Holding up against the initial rush, Saia knocked a shooter off-balance, while Madi Rozgonyi punched a ball loose after an attacker tried to slip underneath the defense. Unfortunately, the Fords kept possession and eventually capitalized in the 65th minute to steal the 8-7 victory.

Overall, Haverford held a 32-26 advantage in shots and a slim 10-9 lead on the draw. Meanwhile, CNU led the way in ground balls, 20-17.

Long before the Fords closed out the contest, Haverford scooted out to an early lead in the first quarter, but Christopher Newport kept the game close. On the offensive end, Sorkin dodged to her right, bounced off a second defender, and unloaded a one-timer inside the left post to get the Captains on the board. Later, the defense pieced together a solid run at the end of the opening period.

After Haverford slipped out to a 3-1 edge, Carys May intercepted a feed in the left alley before a successful clear by Sorkin. Moments later, on the Fords' return trip, Morrison jostled a ball loose along the restraining line, while Lexi Larson prevented a shot from the left wing. Although the hosts kept control, Morrison came back and swallowed a dodge in the center of the zone to force an off-target attempt, which May collected in the midst of a crowd in the right corner.

Later, with just seconds remaining in the first quarter, Chadwick came through with a heads-up play. Unable to complete a clear, Haverford opted to unload a sneaky 40-yard launch from the center stripe. Unfazed by the attack, the junior goalie plucked the bouncer off the turf before keeping possession in the face of pressure along the crease to close out the opening stanza.

After the Fords extended their lead to 5-1 early in the second period, Christopher Newport orchestrated another response. First, on the offensive end, Sorkin secured a free-position attempt. Although her initial rip was blocked by the keeper, Stanley bolted in, outran a pair of defenders, collected the deflection, and unleashed a second-chance stinger for her 13th goal of the year.

Meanwhile, on the other end, Saia headlined an impressive performance by the back line. Suffocating the opposition, she prevented a curl around the left post while pushing the attacker into a five-yard retreat. Eventually, she buried the Ford into the turf, collected the loose ball, tiptoed along the baseline, and kicked off a successful clear.

After Haverford returned to the offensive end, Morrison punched a ball loose for a brief moment, but the hosts retained possession. With the shot clock ticking down, the Fords unloaded a Hail Mary heave towards the crease, but Saia bodied another attacker on the interior while blocking the last-ditch dagger.

Looking to polish off the first half in style, Grace Taylor dropped a floater to Lamendola, who caught the feed in traffic. Surrounded by three defenders, the second-year star escaped the pressure and skipped a bouncer past the keeper for CNU's third goal of the contest.

Still trailing by two, Christopher Newport clamped down on the defensive end to keep Haverford within striking distance. On a late push by the Fords, Rozgonyi teamed up with May to seal off the left post before grabbing a loose ball after Morrison clubbed it free. On HC's next surge, Maggie Lockard stuck with a cutter to prevent a clean look on the inside before helping win a fight for possession of the rebound in the left corner.

Although Haverford continued to attack, Chadwick walled off a pair of shots, including a point-blank rip during a one-on-one showdown near the left pipe. May and Saia also pinched off a streaker in the center of the zone before Lamendola completed the takeaway with a strip behind the crease to keep the deficit at 5-3 entering halftime.

Continuing the defensive mastery early in the second half, Lamendola tied up a shooter along the crease before Chadwick won possession of a wild roller that circled around the cage. Moments later, Saia and Maddie Rusinko joined forces on a double-team that stopped a turnaround attempt in the right wing, while Morrison knocked down a pass during a one-on-one battle before collecting the spinner in the right corner.

Meanwhile, on the offensive end, Eversole put together a remarkable run. Circling up the left side of the zone, she cut towards the center, drew a second defender, and slammed on the brakes. Cutting back, she dipped underneath a Ford before launching a lefty laser into the back of the net to cut the deficit down to one at 5-4.

Firing back, Haverford landed two straight strikes to regain a three-goal edge before CNU settled in on the defensive end again. Leading the way, Chadwick pocketed three saves, including a stop on a worm-burner following an eight-meter attempt. She also plucked some high heat out of the air after Rozgonyi knocked a shooter off-balance in the middle of the zone at the end of the period.

That performance helped set up Christopher Newport's epic fourth-quarter rally. Unfortunately, after forcing overtime, the comeback came up just short as the Fords survived in the end.

CNU will return to action tomorrow when the Captains conclude their Pennsylvania road trip with a 1 p.m. showdown at Swarthmore.

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