BRIDGEWATER, Va. -- Lindsey Loar posted her third consecutive multi-goal outburst, while
Courtney Hughlett matched her career-high with four points as the top-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team knocked off Bridgewater, 4-0, on Wednesday at the Jopson Athletic Complex.
Erupting for a pair of goals against the Eagles, Loar added her name to the history books. Coupled with her recent hat-tricks against New Paltz and Messiah, Loar became just the second Captain to post multiple goals in three straight appearances. She also became the first to accomplish that feat in a single season. Previously, only Wendy Wilson had two strikes in three consecutive outings after the CNU Hall of Famer finished the 2000 campaign with a pair of darts against McDaniel before opening 2001 with back-to-back outbursts against Randolph-Macon and Mary Baldwin.
With her two tallies, Loar also jumped to seventh on the program's career list with 34 total goals. She moved past longtime legend Megan McCreedy, who had 33 from 2001-04.
Along with Loar's efforts, Hughlett finished with a strike and two assists, while freshman
Ellen Gallagher kicked off the scoring with her first collegiate goal in the opening quarter.
Aided by the work of the offensive stars, Christopher Newport punctuated a historic scoring streak on Wednesday. After notching a goal in all four quarters during each of their previous two victories against New Paltz and Messiah, the Captains added a tally in the first three frames against Bridgewater. Since the NCAA switched from halves to quarters, that 11-period scoring streak marked the longest in program history, besting a nine-frame run from October 1-10, 2023.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the field, CNU limited Bridgewater to only two shots. Between the pipes,
Ella Fallen brushed aside the only on-target attempt of the game to help the squad collect its third straight shutout victory. With that performance, Fallen also became the third Captain to record a win in each of her first six collegiate starts, joining longtime legends Elexa Nosonchuk and Bailey Lien.
With the triumph, Christopher Newport improved to 6-0 on the season, while the setback dropped Bridgewater to 4-3.
Early on, both squads looked sharp on the defensive end. The hosts stymied a pair of quick rips by Loar and Hughlett before CNU silenced Bridgewater's response. On the squad's first surge of the game,
Kelly Via stayed deep to slow down the rush along the right sideline before
Ellie Nuckols picked off an errant feed on the left side of the circle. Later,
Avery Mast dropped low for a slick tackle near midfield before
Gigi Stephan broke up a rally along the baseline.
Although Bridgewater eventually generated a corner in the seventh minute, Nuckols and Hughlett applied tight pressure at the top of the arc before Fallen punted a shot away from the cage.
Following the defensive stand, CNU broke through on the other side of the field. In the right corner,
Emma Weber picked the pockets of a defender on a failed clear up the sideline. Then, the sophomore flipped the ball back to Hughlett, who rifled a bouncer to her sister. On the receiving end,
Caroline Hughlett settled the feed and fired the ball across the zone to Gallagher, who slipped behind the defense and redirected the rocket into the back of the cage for the opening blow.
In the second quarter, Christopher Newport built a wall along the center stripe and prevented the Eagles from clearing their defensive end for 10 straight minutes. Putting on a clinic,
Kendall Gibson and
Calli Martin broke up an early rush in the middle of the turf before
Caroline Hughlett ripped the ball away near the left boundary. Then,
Courtney Hughlett pressured an opponent into an off-target pass, Gibson collected an aerial, and Stephan thwarted a push at midfield.
Finally, after working the ball down the turf, Bridgewater picked up a corner, but CNU held firm. Serving as the flyer, Loar suffocated the opposition as the senior prevented an initial shot at the top of the circle before chasing the ball out to the 25, which allowed reinforcements to arrive on the scene. After killing the play,
Caroline Hughlett connected with
Riley Iasiello, who flipped the field in a matter of seconds.
Looking to capitalize on the ensuing possession,
Courtney Hughlett threaded a pass between four defenders. Securing the feed on the interior, Loar blasted a missile that bounced off the goalie and spun into the back of the cage, which gave the visitors a 2-0 edge entering halftime.
Following the break, Christopher Newport doubled its advantage with two more goals in the third stanza. On a corner in the 34th minute, Stephan inserted the ball to
Courtney Hughlett, who was stationed on the left side of the zone. With some space to work, she scooted around an approaching Eagle, pushed inside, and dropped a dime to Loar. Polishing off the play, the senior spun to her right and slammed a shot past the goalie for her second straight tally.
Just two minutes later, the Captains came back for more. This time,
Caroline Hughlett slapped a seed off the foot of a defender, which earned a corner. Taking advantage, Nuckols inserted the ball to
Courtney Hughlett. Pulling to her right, the first-team All-American cleared the first defender and whistled a one-timer that split the wickets of the keeper for her second goal of the season.
That play also marked the 15th time that Nuckols served as the inserter on a successful corner during her career. That moved her into a tie with former standout Mauri Ware for the fourth-most in program history, only five shy of matching Madison Doss' all-time school record.
Staring at a 4-0 deficit entering the fourth quarter, Bridgewater attempted to break through over the final 15 minutes, but Christopher Newport was steady on the defensive side. Early on, Martin and
Caroline Hughlett double-teamed an attacker to force a turnover at the 25 before Mast intercepted a crosser inside the circle. Later,
Kearney Cunningham made a fantastic play to win a one-on-one duel while pinned to the left sideline, and
Kate Engle stole a long hit with multiple attackers in tow.
Later,
Morgan Shealer stripped an Eagle along the right sideline, and Mast picked off a pass before it could land on the stick of a streaker, who slipped behind the defense.
With 90 seconds remaining, Bridgewater nearly found an opening, but
Courtney Hughlett orchestrated one of the finest defensive plays of the season. Working in transition, an Eagle wiggled free on a breakaway down the center of the field. As the last line of defense,
Anna Mosciano came out of the cage to cut off the attacker. That pressure forced the player to pull to her left. Making up ground while showcasing world-class speed, Hughlett burned up the turf and caught up to the play. Then, as the Eagle loaded up for a blast, she dove, knocked the ball away, and sent the shooter crashing to the turf to prevent any follow-up attempts while capping off the 4-0 win.
In the end, Christopher Newport held an 18-2 edge in shots and an 11-2 lead in corners.
The Captains will return to action this weekend with a trip to Massachusetts for a pair of neutral-site tilts against Vassar and No. 6 Middlebury.
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