NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Extending an eight-match unbeaten streak with a 2-0 win over Southern Virginia on Tuesday night, the Christopher Newport women's soccer team improved to 8-1-3 overall. The Captains were led by a brace from rookie
Alessi Carrier with a goal scored in each half to lift CNU to the win.
Carrier scored her second and third career goals with the two-goal performance and picked up the first brace by a CNU player since
Molly Seventko scored a pair against Mt. St. Joseph on September 7, 2025. It was also the first brace by a freshman since the 2019 season when Sarah Rhiel put away a couple against Methodist University on September 14.
In addition to the offensive fireworks, the Captains continued its dominant defensive season with another shutout, the team's ninth, in 12 games played this year. Senior goalkeeper
Amy Sidaway made five saves, the second most in a single game this season, to lock up her 42nd career shutout and moving into a tie for 13th most in NCAA Division III history.
The Captains jumped out to a 1-0 lead early in the contest when Carrier picked up her first goal in the eighth minute of play. After
Grace Shifflett played a pass across the top of the box to Carrier, she spun and took on her defender with a hesitation move to the right. After creating just enough space, Carrier unloaded a laser into the left side of the goal to power the Captains into the lead.
CNU continued to pressure the Southern Virginia goalkeeper with four more shots on-goal in the first 18 minutes of action before the Knights started to slow the CNU attack.
Lexi Hazelgrove,
Anaya Lozano, and
Avery Spell all put bullets on frame before Carrier's second attempt on target was saved on a tremendous back-to-back rejection after Spell's dart was stoned.
Late in the first half, Sidaway was challenged with a long-range shot from the Southern Virginia attack and the senior netminder timed her leap and punched away the shot over the crossbar to keep the shutout in tact.
The second half started like the first, with CNU taking control of most of the movement forward including early attempts by Shifflett, Lozano, and Hazelgrove turned away from the keeper. In the 66th minute, though, a beautiful combination play led to the Captains' doubling the lead.
Starting the play out of the midfield, freshman
Caelyn LaFlamme played a pass out wide for
Catie Borsuk. Borsuk, at midfield, took one touch before laying in a dynamite through ball over the defense that Carrier read perfectly. The rookie settled the ball with her first touch and drew out the goalkeeper with her second; at the right moment, she tucked in a finessed shot into the right pocket, out of the reach of the Knights for the score.
CNU had several chances to add to the lead including a bending, blazing shot from Shifflett that caromed off the right post.
Ellie Diehl also nearly came through with a header off a corner kick but a reactionary stop kept the Captains from extending.
Christopher Newport has three games left in the regular season before hosting the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Tournament on Captains Field from November 5-8. CNU will make their final road trip of the regular season this Saturday, October 24, when they take on Mary Washington at 2:30 p.m.
