NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- For the second straight game, the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team could not quite sustain a fourth-quarter advantage against a top-10 opponent as the Captains suffered a hotly-contested 12-11 setback against No. 9 Washington and Lee on a sizzling Saturday afternoon at Jennings Family Stadium.

Fostering a two-goal lead with less than seven minutes remaining in regulation, the Captains fell short after the Generals capitalized on their final three possessions to steal the come-from-behind victory. Remarkably, it was CNU's fifth one-goal loss of the year and its third against a nationally-ranked foe.

Evenly matched against the Generals, Christopher Newport was outstanding on the draw. Starring throughout the contest, the Captains controlled 20 of the game's 27 battles. Their 20 draw controls marked the team's highest total in two years. It also matched the most against a top-25 team in program history, equaling a 20-draw effort against No. 19 Mary Washington on April 6, 2011.

Making Saturday's performance even more notable, Washington and Lee entered the game with the country's 25th-ranked draw control unit. In their first 17 outings, the Generals had won 60 percent of their draws before the Captains dominated the regular season finale.

On an individual level, Brookelyn Morrison secured nine draws, while Madi Rozgonyi and Emilie Shoults had five apiece. 

Equally impressive on the defensive end, Christopher Newport forced 20 turnovers, which marked the fifth-highest total in program history and the finest performance against a nationally-ranked squad. Carys May came through with a career-high five takeaways, while four other Captains had at least two strips apiece. Leading that group, Maddie Rusinko had three caused turnovers and pocketed a career-high five ground balls.

On the other side of the field, Faith O'Connor sank four goals, while Drew Stanley had a hat-trick. Grace Taylor also dished out three assists, and Morrison became the 21st Captain in program history to reach 100 career goals after depositing a fourth-quarter strike.

With the setback, Christopher Newport fell to 7-10 on the season, while the victory bumped Washington and Lee to 14-4.

In the early going, CNU was phenomenal on both ends of the field. Pushing back against W&L's high-powered attack, Morrison used an over-the-head check to block a free-position attempt, Kate Lamendola broke up a pass on the interior, and Gabby Saia intercepted an errant feed on a failed clear by the Generals.

Meanwhile, on the offensive end, the Captains took advantage of a pair of man-up opportunities during a 70-second window in the middle of the period. First, O'Connor slipped under a defender, caught a feed from Page Henry, and juked the keeper before stinging her first goal of the game. Moments later, Lamendola dropped a rainbow to Stanley, who went high-to-low for CNU's second strike.

Although the visitors pulled even before the end of the period, Christopher Newport continued to hold firm against the Generals. Rusinko won possession of a looping feed down the left sideline after hustling around a pair of attackers to steal a roller in the corner. Then, Molly Campbell picked off a pass near midfield, while May bottled up a rally in the right wing to kill off the opening quarter. 

Continuing the defensive wizardry in the second stanza, Hadley Chadwick swallowed an eight-meter attempt before May stonewalled a pair of Generals at the top of the zone. Shortly thereafter, Jess Hulse thwarted another clear attempt by the visitors after winning a scrum with two attackers in the right corner.

Just as disruptive on the offensive end, the Captains regained their lead with a rapid-fire attack. Kicking things off, Eversole rolled through three defenders, avoided a trail-check, and launched a leaping laser into the top right corner of the cage for a 3-2 edge. Then, Stanley came back with a dagger on the interior, Lamendola skipped a seed through the keeper on a free-position attempt, and O'Connor barreled through a crowd along the right post for a 6-3 cushion.

Although the Generals pulled back within two, CNU quickly responded in the 28th minute. Taking advantage of fast ball movement in the left alley, Taylor connected with Stanley, who polished off her first-half hat-trick with a hammer on the inside.

Staring at a three-goal deficit, Washington and Lee tried to battle back, but the hosts threw a blanket over the field at the end of the first half. Keeping a tight lid on the opposition, O'Connor tracked down a midfielder before stripping her near the left sideline. Then, Rusinko boxed out a General along the baseline before Hulse teamed up with Saia on a successful double-team that resulted in a takeaway in the right alley.

Following the break, Christopher Newport stayed vigilant on the defensive end. Early in the third quarter, Morrison pressured a shooter into a low-percentage rip on a free-position attempt. Then, Emily Snyder showed incredible instincts. With her back towards the cage, she stayed in front of a cutter on a roll along the crease. Although the Generals tried to drop a pass over her head, she read the eyes of the attacker, got her stick up in time, and swatted the ball loose before securing the roller.

Later, Eversole added another slick strip as a midfielder tried to change direction on a clear attempt. Staying with the General, she reached out and blasted the ball free with a trail-check to finish off the takeaway.

On the other end, Christopher Newport extended its lead to 9-5 midway through the quarter. O'Connor outran two defenders on a free-position attempt before dunking over the keeper along the left post. Later, the sophomore star came back with another tally after sidestepping a General before avoiding a late slide on the way to her fourth goal of the contest.

Unfortunately, Washington and Lee fired back and sank three straight strikes at the end of the third quarter to chip CNU's lead down to one entering the final 15 minutes.

Early in the fourth quarter, the two squads traded blows as Morrison notched her 100th career goal on a high-to-low launch before the Generals answered less than five minutes later. Then, Eversole orchestrated a fantastic individual effort to regain a two-goal cushion.

In the 52nd minute, she pushed up the left wing, cut back, and spun to her right. After gaining some room, she burst towards the center of the zone before depositing a diving dart between two defenders for her final goal of the contest.

Meanwhile, the defense continued to lock down the Generals. Lamendola swiped a flip between a pair of attackers. Later, Morrison screened a midfielder and picked off a pass on a failed clear before the Captains put together one of their finest defensive stands of the year.

During a lengthy possession by the visitors, Saia had a great ride up the left wing before Snyder stormed in to stop the run with a double-team. Although the Generals kept possession, Morrison knocked a ball free for a brief moment before Snyder and Rozgonyi played perfect team defense while switching off a pair of attackers at the top of the zone. Then, May and Saia swallowed another player in the right wing to force a shot-clock violation and complete the 90-second showcase.

Sadly, Washington and Lee refused to go down quietly. Regrouping over the final six minutes of regulation, the Generals slapped three straight goals on the board, including the go-ahead missile with 11 seconds left on the clock.

Fighting until the bitter end, Shoults controlled the ensuing draw after sidestepping a General while popping the ball to herself. With little time to work, she handed possession to Rozgonyi, who lofted a floater to Lamendola near the restraining line. After a redirect at the top of the arc, Stanley managed to uncork a shot just as the horn sounded, but W&L's keeper made the save to prevent overtime.

Overall, Christopher Newport held a 33-21 advantage in shots and a 27-24 edge in ground balls.

CNU will return to action on Wednesday when the Captains kick off postseason play. After securing the No. 2 seed in the league tournament, CNU will host Mary Washington in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Semifinals at 4 p.m.

---ISH---