NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Adding another game to its unbeaten streak to start the season, the Christopher Newport men's soccer team traded first-half goals with North Carolina Wesleyan (2-2-3) and settled for a 1-1 draw at home to cap a six-game start to the season at home. The Captains are 4-0-1 so far this season and will head out on the road for its first game away from Newport News next week.
In addition to starting the year unbeaten through five completed games, Christopher Newport also extended a seven-game unbeaten streak at home. CNU has also not lost in 12 straight games against the Bishops dating back to 2010.
A pair of seniors connected on the first goal of the match in the 18th minute on a restart when
Colin Skwirut set up
Yazan Yaghmmour for the score. After a foul by N.C. Wesleyan that set the Captains up in the attacking third, Skwirut set up to deliver a ball into the box from the right side. His cross was placed perfectly on the back post where Yaghmmour use his size and verticality to elevate over the defense and power home a header for the score.
Yaghmmour's second goal of the season came on Skwirut's team-leading third assist and second of the weekend.
In the 29th minute, the Captains gave up just the second goal surrendered yet this season by the CNU defense. Riccardo Baisi dribbled up the right side before playing a long pass into the box where Gareth Siemers was waiting on the near post for a header into the right side of the goal.
After giving up the equalizer, the Christopher Newport offense ratcheted up the pressure for the remainder of the first half. The first big moment came five minutes later after another foul near the box by the visitors. Yaghmmour took the shot on the restart and placed a beautiful, bending shot toward the upper 90 but the Bishops keeper made a big save to stop the shot.
At the end of the first half, CNU narrowly missed pulling ahead on a beautiful combination of passes in the final minute of action. Starting in the back,
Jackson Carlyon spun the ball to the right for
Declan Karney. Karney had time to look ahead and he blistered a low liner up the middle to
Evan Rupe, who made a stunning, sprawling one touch pass to the right side for
Drew McWhinney. After drawing his defender away from the goal, McWhinney chipped it over the top for a sprinting
Ryan Buckon in the box; Buckon beat one to the ball and centered a pass that Rupe left for sophomore
Ethan Arnolds on the back post. Arnolds tried to slide a shot through traffic to complete the go-ahead connection, but his attempt was blocked away from the goal with just seconds left on the clock.
Right at the start of the second half, senior goalkeeper
Matt Yates was challenged with a shot from within ten yards, but he read the attempt well and snared it for the pivotal save. CNU then thought it had the lead again minutes later when
Michael Hackworth challenged the Bishops keeper for a save and
Caleb Lewis followed with a powerful shot into the back of the net. He was a step offsides, though, and the goal was nullified to keep the score knotted at one.
CNU took six of the last seven shots in the game as the offense worked hard for the victory, but the ball never found the back of the net. It marks the first tie of the season for CNU. The Captains outshot the Bishops, 17-9, including six shots on-goal.
The Captains will get back to the pitch on Saturday, September 26 when they hit the road for the first time this season. CNU will travel to Montclair State University for a 5:00 p.m. kickoff.
