FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- After 60 action-packed minutes of regulation, a pair of edge-of-your-seat overtime periods, and eight remarkable rounds of a star-studded shootout session, Kelly Via capped off the festivities with a game-winning dart that lifted the second-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team to a rousing 1-0 victory over Messiah during a highlight-filled marathon on a gorgeous Saturday night at Mary Washington's Battleground Turf Field.

Adding the perfect punctuation mark to an outstanding evening, Via converted both of her attempts in the shootout, including the clinching blow on a floater over the keeper. Prior to her offensive heroics, she also packed a series of defensive gems into 80 minutes of nonstop work during a performance for the ages.

Along with Via, Ellie Nuckols converted a high-stakes attempt in the final round of the initial shootout, which helped send the contest into a sudden-death series of back-and-forth battles. Lindsey Loar also drained her try in the opening portion of the shootout and earned a penalty stroke on her second attempt, which Caroline Hughlett converted.

In addition to the offensive heroes, All-American goalie Lily Kerr pieced together one of the finest stretches in program history. After making six saves during the first 80 minutes of the contest, she came back with four stops during the shootout, including a game-saving stand on Messiah's fifth attempt, which would have clinched a victory for the Falcons.

Overall, her four stops during the shootout equaled the most by any goalie in school lore. She matched Olivia Davis' performance against Mary Washington on September 13, 2018 and Jamie Dowling's work against No. 19 Catholic on October 17, 2012.

In the end, Kerr's efforts helped seal Christopher Newport's first shootout win since Davis' masterpiece against Mary Washington in 2018. Meanwhile, Via became just the fourth Captain to sink a game-winning tally in a shootout, joining longtime legend Haylie Black, former All-American Courtney Fiest, and current assistant coach and CNU Hall of Famer Marlene Lichty.
 
With the victory, the Captains improved to 7-0 on the season, while the setback dropped Messiah to 2-4.

Entering the shootout after 80 minutes of thrilling action, Christopher Newport saved its finest work for the end of the contest. In the best-of-five portion of the shootout, Loar knotted the score at one after faking to her left before cutting back around the keeper along the right post. Then, Kerr stoned Messiah's next attempt after walling off a rush along the opposite pipe.

Continuing the seesaw affair, the Falcons regained a 2-1 cushion in the third round of the shootout before Via retaliated with an equalizer.

After Messiah capitalized on its try in the fourth round to secure a 3-2 edge, the Captains needed both a goal and save in the fifth frame to keep the contest going. First, Nuckols stepped to the line and flashed her speed and stick skills. Pushing in, she split to her right, burst past the keeper, and sank a seed from the doorstep to knot the score at three.

Still needing a stop to continue the shootout, Kerr stepped up. Staying tall, she made a kick save on an initial rip along the post before brushing aside the attacker with her stick to prevent a follow-up attempt.

Knotted at three, the two teams engaged in a sudden-death session with both squads guaranteed one attempt in each round. After the Falcons opened the scoring in the sixth round, Loar pushed towards the left post and was tripped up by Messiah's keeper, which earned a penalty stroke. Filling in at the dot, Caroline Hughlett planted a worm-burner inside the right pipe to even the score again.

After that point, Kerr took over. In the seventh round, she made a quick save while absorbing contact that sent her stumbling to the turf. From a seated position, she came through with two more stops on back-to-back rebounds to kill off the eight-second clock. Then, in the eighth round, she added a diving stop to her left, which stymied Messiah's second straight shootout attempt.

With an opportunity to ice the victory after Kerr's performance on the defensive end, Via was ready for her moment in the spotlight. The second-year star stormed in, slammed on the brakes, and spun to her left. After the goalie hit the turf to prevent a low liner, she quickly lifted the ball and floated it over the keeper to wrap up the marathon victory.

Although Via provided the game's final highlight, there were plenty of others scattered throughout an epic evening of top-notch field hockey action.

Long before the contest came to an end, Messiah served as the aggressor in the opening quarter. On an initial run by the Falcons, Avery Mast blocked a shot from the right side of the zone. Seconds later, Caroline Hughlett picked the pockets of a midfielder along the 25 before threading a feed to Riley Iasiello, who cleared the defensive end with a sprint up the left sideline.

Later in the period, Morgan Shealer deflected a rip off a corner attempt, while Kerr added four saves, including a sprawling stop to quiet a dangerous rally in the final minutes of the stanza. Kendall Gibson also cleaned up a second-chance opportunity between the pipes with a huge defensive save, which kept the game scoreless after 15 minutes.

In the second quarter, the Falcons continued to test CNU's back line, but the Captains held firm. Gibson won a one-on-one duel with an attacker in the center of the circle, while Loar tracked down a midfielder and stripped her from behind with a lunging interception. Shortly thereafter, Courtney Hughlett laid out at the top of the arc and came through with a sliding deflection to prevent a pass from landing on the interior.

With time winding down in the first half, Messiah picked up its third corner of the contest, but Kerr added another acrobatic stop. While getting knocked to the ground following a physical altercation in traffic, she kept her wits and made a kick save from the turf to polish off the period.

Following the break, Christopher Newport found its groove on the offensive end. Peppering the Falcons from every angle, Iasiello had a pair of attempts turned away on the doorstep, while the Hughlett twins each had a chance bottled up following back-to-back corners. Shortly thereafter, Gigi Stephan had a look from the left side of the zone, but her shot just floated over the crossbar.

Meanwhile, on the other end, Courtney Hughlett stuck with a shooter and blocked a bullet from the top of the zone, Emily Evans won a race for a loose ball near the left sideline, and Nuckols threw a lid on a Messiah corner after stealing an errant insert along the right boundary. Later, Shealer held her ground on a rush down the center of the field before winning a battle for possession just inside the arc to keep the game knotted at zero entering the fourth frame.

Looking to crack the scoreboard in the final quarter, Christopher Newport unleashed a relentless assault. In the first seven minutes of the fourth stanza, the Captains secured four corners and launched seven shots. Unfortunately, the Falcons withstood the pressure as they blocked three blasts, saved two others, and watched a pair of daggers by Stephan and Mast just skip past the cage.

Later, CNU was hit with two cards, which forced the squad to play 9-on-11 for nearly two full minutes. Unfazed by the situation, Nuckols deflected a pass near the defensive 25, while Courtney Hughlett won a fight with a pair of attackers inside the circle. Eventually, she flipped possession to Hailey Ward, who helped escort the ball up the left sideline to end the threat.

Entering the waning moments of regulation, the Captains nearly broke through as Mast flashed her power. Cranking three late shots, including a pair of nukes off corner attempts, she tested the Messiah defense with a lethal attack, but the Falcons made two saves and blocked the final try to force overtime.

In the extra session, Via threw a blanket over the field. Pushing back against a pair of early runs by the opposition, she made a tackle along the left sideline before picking off another pass near the center of the turf. Courtney Hughlett also grabbed a dangerous roller that scooted inside the circle in the 65th minute 
 
On the opposite end, Loar broke the ankles of a defender with a series of cuts before pushing inside. Battling on the interior, Kate Engle fought for position among a crowd of Falcons and nearly generated a point-blank shot off a feed from Loar, but her try was silenced by the back line.

Moments later, Mast fired another missile off a corner attempt, while Gibson had a redirect on the doorstep that was punched away at the last minute.

At the start of the second overtime, Messiah orchestrated an early run and picked up a corner, but Courtney Hughlett swallowed the ensuing shot. Then, while playing shorthanded again after getting hit with another card, Kerr made a sliding save before Caroline Hughlett whipped the ball out of harm's way after collecting the rebound.

With time running down, Via broke up a counter-strike by the Falcons in the 76th minute. Later, she forced an attempt to sail wide with tight pressure on the right side of the circle before grabbing possession of a bouncer in the corner to help quiet a last-ditch effort by Messiah.

Incredibly, after her defensive heroics at the end of the second overtime, Via had enough left in the tank to come back in the shootout and help carry the Captains to the victory.

Overall, CNU held a 28-12 advantage in shots and a 13-5 edge in corners. Meanwhile, on the back end, Kerr completed her 21st career shutout with a flawless performance between the pipes.

Christopher Newport will return to action next weekend when the Captains travel to New Jersey for a pair of contests. CNU will kick off its trip on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Montclair State before heading to No. 16 Stevens just 24 hours later.

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