NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Scoring three goals in the second half, the Christopher Newport men's soccer team rolled to its fifth straight multi-goal victory with a 3-0 win against Mount Union (2-3-1) at Captains Field on Friday night. CNU improved to 4-0-0 on the season as the offense continued to hum while the defense added a third shutout in four completed games.
The second half featured three different goal scorers including the game-winning header from
Carson Friedlein in the 59th minute of action.
Drew McWhinney added a highlight-reel bullet in the 72nd minute and the team's leading goal scorer,
Riley Usher, added his fifth strike of the season in the 82nd minute to wrap up the explosive offensive performance.
The Captains and Purple Raiders were deadlocked after 45 minutes despite Christopher Newport creating multiple opportunities in the first half. CNU outshot the visitors, 7-1, in the first half and piled up five corner kicks to none.
In the second half, the momentum finally pushed the home team ahead when the Captains converted on another of the seven total corner kicks in the game. Senior
Colin Skwirut took the kick from the right corner and delivered a perfectly placed cross into the box where Friedlein was waiting on the near post. He elevated and headed home the score for his first goal of the season and his fourth career gamewinner.
The first insurance goal would come off the foot of senior
Drew McWhinney in the 72nd minute.
Yazan Yaghmmour collected the ball near midfield and drove up the pitch before looking inside for McWhinney with a defender on his hip. Yaghmmour slid a pass to his teammate's right foot and McWhinney used the momentum to spin on his defender and turn toward the middle. With enough daylight to survey the goal, McWhinney took a touch and then unloaded a blazing line drive from 20 yards into the upper 90 for an electrifying finish.
Yaghmmour was key in the final goal of the match as well when he completely flipped the field with a mammoth long ball over the top to
Michael Hackworth. Hackworth trapped the ball and immediately sprinted up the field between two defenders before sliding a pass through to Usher for a one-on-one chance with the keeper.
The second half outburst came on six shots as Christopher Newport finished the game with a 13-3 advantage in total shots including a 4-1 edge in shots on goal. The CNU defense, led by Yaghmmour, Friedlein,
Declan Karney, and
Jackson Carlyon, picked up its third shutout in four game. Senior goalkeeper,
Matt Yates, needed to make just one save but it was a tremendous diving stop with the tips of his fingers on a long-range rip in the second half.
CNU will return to action on Saturday as they host North Carolina Wesleyan at 7:00 p.m.
