FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- Capping off a wild second half with an action-packed fourth quarter, the sixth-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team broke a tie with less than six minutes remaining in regulation before adding an insurance goal just 60 seconds later to lock up a 5-3 victory over No. 5 Johns Hopkins during a thrilling top-10 clash on a sun-drenched Sunday afternoon at Mary Washington's Battleground Turf Field.

Deadlocked at three entering the 55th minute, Gigi Stephan landed the go-ahead blow off a successful corner. Moments later, she came back and assisted on Avery Mast's dagger, which capped off a mad scramble and gave the Captains a little extra cushion entering the waning moments of regulation.

Along with Stephan's late-game heroics, Courtney Hughlett sank a pair of goals, while Lindsey Loar drove home an equalizer in the opening quarter to push back against an early tally by Johns Hopkins.

With her two strikes, Hughlett became just the fourth Captain in program history with a multi-goal performance against a top-five opponent. In that exclusive club, she joined current assistant coach and CNU Hall of Famer Marlene Lichty as well as longtime legends Mauri Ware and Bailey Miller. Incidentally, Ware also accomplished the feat against Johns Hopkins after driving home a pair against the No. 2 Blue Jays on September 18, 2021.

Coupled with her two-goal explosion against Bridgewater on Friday, Hughlett also became just the third player in program history to open a season with back-to-back multi-goal efforts. In that group, she joined CNU Hall of Famer Wendy Wilson (2001) and former standout Taylor Young (2013).

Overall, CNU's five goals marked the most against a top-five opponent in program history and equaled the second-highest total against any nationally-ranked foe. Sunday's output was only eclipsed by a six-goal eruption during a 6-0 win against No. 20 Johns Hopkins on September 25, 2011.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improved to 2-0 on the season, while the setback dropped Johns Hopkins to 1-1.

After the Blue Jays erased a 3-1 deficit with two straight goals during a two-minute stretch at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth, CNU dug in. Back on even ground, the Captains regained the momentum with stellar work on both sides of the field.

First, on the offensive end, Christopher Newport secured three consecutive corners and unloaded eight shots during a rapid-fire assault early in the final stanza. Although the Blue Jays held up against the attack, including six highlight-reel saves, Johns Hopkins was unable to generate a counter strike. The Captains kept the ball pinned on their side of the field for four straight minutes before the opposition finally cleared it with 10 minutes left on the clock.

Building on their momentum on the defensive side, the Captains shut down a pair of corners by the Blue Jays. On the first try, Kendall Gibson blocked a rip from the right side of the arc before Hughlett wrestled possession away from a second attacker on the rebound. Moments later, on the next attempt, Ellie Nuckols rushed out to the top of the arc to seal off an initial shooter before Hughlett made an incredible block on a follow-up try.

Just one minute later, the Captains responded on the opposite end of the field after earning their own corner. Following an insert by Nuckols, Hughlett and Mast worked the ball around the circle before Caroline Hughlett punched it inside. Battling on the interior, Riley Iasiello screened a defender and shuffled the ball towards Stephan, who slammed home her first goal of the year along the left post.

Following the restart, Emily Evans was a machine along the right sideline. Clamping down on the Blue Jays, the senior star split two midfielders and intercepted a pass on Hopkins' first push. Seconds later, after the Blue Jays attempted an aerial attack, Evans elevated and picked off the floater with an out-stretched stick before finding Iasiello scooting down the right side of the turf.

Settling in, Iasiello found Nuckols, who smashed a long-range scorcher into the center of the circle. Packing the area just in front of the cage, five Captains flooded the zone in search of some breathing room. Eventually, the ball bounced through Evans and Stephan before Mast capitalized along the left pipe to snatch a 5-3 lead with four minutes remaining in regulation.

On Johns Hopkins' ensuing push, Gibson showed excellent agility to cut back and stymie another shot with a lunging deflection on the left side of the circle. Moments later, Caroline Hughlett took possession inside the arc and lofted a 20-yard rainbow over five Blue Jays to clear the defensive end. After that point, the ball never crossed the center stripe again as the Captains sustained possession and ran out the final three minutes to lock up the victory.

Overall, CNU held a 29-12 advantage in shots and an 18-9 lead in corners. Meanwhile, between the pipes, Lily Kerr came through with five clutch saves to help quiet the high-powered Hopkins attack.

Long before the frantic fourth quarter, the two squads looked evenly matched in the early going. In the opening period, the Blue Jays kicked off the scoring in the ninth minute before Christopher Newport fired right back. Less than two minutes later, the Captains struck on their second corner of the contest.

On the play, Courtney Hughlett unleashed a bomb from the right side of the circle. Although the initial shot was brushed aside, Mast secured the rebound and redirected the roller to Loar, who fired her second goal of the season with a dagger inside the left post.

Deadlocked at one, both defenses settled in for the remainder of the first half. During a deep push by the Blue Jays later in the opening quarter, Courtney Hughlett won a duel with an attacker before scooting out the left side of the circle. Then, in the second stanza, Christopher Newport stood up against two straight corners in the middle of the period.

On the first attempt, Courtney Hughlett bolted out to the top of the arc and forced an early pass before shadowing a second attacker with tight defense along the right side of the zone. Then, on the final try, the Blue Jays nearly capitalized on a deflection in traffic, but Kerr escorted the ball past the left post.

Still knotted at one entering the second half, Christopher Newport quickly broke loose. Only two minutes into the third period, the Captains continued their domination on corners. Following a beautiful insert by Nuckols, Courtney Hughlett split a pair of flyers with a screamer from long range to give CNU its first lead of the contest.

Seven minutes later, the third-year star came back for more. Following another corner, she lifted a liner towards the cage. Although the goalie made the first save, Hughlett outran two defenders, regained possession, and squeezed a bullet between the keeper and the left post for her second straight goal.

Holding a 3-1 lead, Christopher Newport had to weather a storm at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth frame. With their backs against the wall, the Blue Jays came out firing. Kerr made a diving save to wall off a breakaway in the 45th minute, but Hopkins took advantage of the rebound to pull back within one.

Then, in the final period, Johns Hopkins capitalized on another second-chance opportunity following a corner in the 47th minute to even the score at three.

Despite the momentary stumble, CNU never fell behind. Answering on the other end, Stephan stepped into a starring role over the final six minutes to help seal the victory.

Christopher Newport will return to action on September 7 when the team hosts Washington and Lee at noon.

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