NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Adding the final touches to a tremendous regular season campaign, the third-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team showed off a well-balanced attack while storming past Marian, 9-0, on a sun-soaked Sunday afternoon at Jennings Family Stadium.
Against the Sabres, six different Captains scored a goal, while 10 players registered at least one point. Headlining the assault,
Caroline Hughlett and
Lindsey Loar contributed five points apiece, while
Emma Weber added her second multi-goal eruption of the season.
With her performance, Hughlett became the fourth player in program history to reach 100 career points. The senior standout eventually finished the contest with 103, moving past CNU Hall of Famer Wendy Wilson for third on the school's all-time charts.
Several other veterans added their own historic footnotes on Sunday as well. Loar climbed to fifth on the program's goals list after landing the 38th strike of her tenure, while
Courtney Hughlett became the first Captain to reach 40 career assists. Meanwhile,
Ellie Nuckols officially became the most accomplished inserter in program history after setting up the 21st successful corner of her career. She moved past former legend Madison Doss, who was the inserter on 20 successful corners from 2014-17.
Nuckols also scored her second goal of the season, while
Riley Iasiello and
Isabel Tamayo found the back of the cage as well. Meanwhile, seven different players pitched in with an assist, including
Ellie Kidd, who recorded the first point of her career with a helper in the third quarter.
On the defensive end, Christopher Newport limited Marian to only seven shots.
Ella Fallen made a pair of saves, while
Kearney Cunningham blocked two rips in the second half. Nuckols, Weber, and
Hailey Ward also deflected shots as the Captains collected their seventh straight shutout.
With Sunday's showcase, CNU has not allowed a goal over the past 420 consecutive minutes of action dating back to September 30. That is currently the second-longest streak in program history, trailing only a 613-minute run during the 2007 campaign.
Overall, the Captains polished off the regular season with a 14-1 record. On the other side, the setback dropped Marian to 6-10.
Less than three minutes into regulation, Christopher Newport opened the scoring. Off a corner,
Courtney Hughlett rifled a long-range laser from the top of the arc. Although Marian's keeper made an initial save,
Kelly Via collected the rebound and shoveled it through a defender on the right side of the circle before Nuckols cleaned up the play along the post for the game's first goal.
Although the Captains jumped out to an early lead, the Sabres nearly evened the score in the middle of the period. During a dangerous rally, Marian picked up a corner. Pushing back on the play, Nuckols served as the flyer and blocked the first attempt, but the visitors kept possession. Pounding away, they popped back-to-back shots, including a dart from close range and a lengthy blast from the left side. However, Fallen was up to the challenge as she made a kick save on the first try before punting the second blast out of the circle.
Later, the Sabres returned to the offensive end and secured another corner, but Nuckols and
Caroline Hughlett blanketed a pair of attackers at the top of the arc to prevent the squad from even attempting a shot.
Along with their defensive efforts, the Captains added another goal in the 13th minute. Tracking down a loose ball near the right sideline, Nuckols caught up to the roller, circled underneath a defender, and tossed a pass back to Iasiello, who was free inside the arc. Looking to capitalize, Iasiello launched a liner towards the left post. Although a defender was in the way, Loar slipped underneath the Sabre and deflected the blast for her first tally of the game.
In the second stanza, Christopher Newport unloaded on the opposition and slapped three goals on the scoreboard. In the 18th minute,
Courtney Hughlett cracked a knuckler into the circle as Loar and Weber battled down low. Although the keeper hit the turf and prevented any initial damage, she tried to push the ball out of the circle, but
Caroline Hughlett was in the perfect spot.
Positioned between three defenders, Hughlett secured the bouncer and spun a dart inside the right post for a 3-0 lead.
Just over two minutes later, Christopher Newport came back for more. Once again,
Courtney Hughlett opened the assault as the senior hammered a shot from the top of the zone. Although the goalie made another stop, Loar shuffled the rebound back to Weber, who split the wickets of the keeper with a missile from the left side for her first goal of the contest.
Later, with time winding down in the first half, CNU added one more tally. Off a corner, Nuckols inserted the ball to
Caroline Hughlett, who used a backhand flip to connect with
Calli Martin. From the top right, the freshman loaded up and unleashed a scorcher. On the interior, Iasiello got her stick on the rocket and sliced it through two defenders and the goalie for a 5-0 halftime lead.
After the break, the Captains deposited two more goals in the first four minutes of the third quarter. First,
Caroline Hughlett slipped behind three defenders and chipped a pass from her sister through the crowd for her second goal. Then, just moments later,
Gigi Stephan punched the ball away from a Marian defender before Hughlett regained possession in the right corner.
Just as effective as a facilitator, Hughlett threaded the needle while showing pinpoint precision to send a pass through three Sabres. On the receiving end, Tamayo collected the ball and slammed a shot through a fourth defender for her second goal of the season.
Later in the period, Hughlett helped set up another goal on a corner in the 41st minute. This time, the senior All-American inserted the ball to Kidd, who ripped a rope from the top of the arc. Stationed on the left side of the zone, Loar got just enough of the initial shot to send it spinning inside the post for her second strike of the contest.
Meanwhile, the Captains continued to keep a tight lid on Marian's attack. On a corner by the visitors, Ward blocked a tracer in the center of the zone before firing the ball to Stephan, who quickly cleared the back end. Although the opposition returned just a few moments later, Nuckols dipped low and stonewalled an initial rush before Cunningham made a terrific play to knock down a liner in front of Fallen.
In the fourth quarter, Christopher Newport continued to play lockdown defense. Early in the stanza, the Sabres secured a series of corners, but CNU held firm. On the first attempt, Nuckols applied immediate pressure at the top of the arc, which forced an attacker to cut back. Although the visitors still managed to uncork a shot, Cunningham was there again to block it on the inside.
Seconds later, Marian picked up another corner, but
Ellen Gallagher raced in and collected an errant insert that squirted free near the 25. Then, in the waning moments of the contest, Weber showed tremendous hands as the sophomore got low and blocked a deep dagger while staying in the face of a shooter.
With little left to prove, Christopher Newport added one final goal in the 58th minute. On the play,
Caroline Hughlett handcuffed a defender with a snipe from the right side. Although the Sabre eventually gained possession and tried to slap the ball out of the circle, Weber came roaring up the field.
Preventing a clear, she snatched the spinner, stepped just inside the arc, and whacked a one-timer that sailed through two defenders before landing inside the left post for the game's final tally.
In the end, CNU held a 48-7 advantage in shots and a 22-7 lead in corners. Fallen earned the win after making two saves in her 42 minutes of action, while
Anna Mosciano was perfect during her 18 minutes in the cage.
The Captains will now settle in and wait for the unveiling of the NCAA Tournament bracket, which is slated for November 8.
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