VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- Capitalizing on one of the most efficient performances in program history, the second-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team rolled to a 10-0 victory over Batten on Wednesday evening at Birdsong Field.
Against the Marlins, the Captains notched the ninth double-digit goal outing in school history and their first since an identical 10-0 win over Batten - then known as Virginia Wesleyan - on September 25, 2023. However, the efficiency with which CNU reached the 10 goals made Wednesday's contest a performance for the record books.
During the game, Christopher Newport boasted a .588 shooting percentage after scoring on 10 of the squad's 17 total attempts. That marked the third-highest rate in program history and the finest effort since the team posted a .600 mark on five shots during a 5-3 setback against McDaniel on October 22, 2000.
Meanwhile, it was the finest showing in a game in which the Captains attempted at least 10 shots. The previous benchmark in that category came on October 11, 2005 when CNU had a .583 rate during a 7-0 win at Shenandoah.
Headlining the attack,
Avery Mast established a new career-high with five points after securing two goals and an assist. Remarkably, that explosion came just five days after she matched her previous standard with a four-point eruption during a win over Vassar last Friday.
Along with Mast,
Lindsey Loar handed out three assists, equaling the fifth-most by a Captain in program history. Coupled with her hat-tricks against New Paltz and Messiah earlier this season, she became just the third player to have a three-goal game and a three-assist outing in the same year. Previously, CNU Hall of Famer Wendy Wilson accomplished the feat in 2001, while fellow All-American Abby Asuncion did it in 2022.
Among other offensive stars,
Hailey Ward had three points, including her first career goal, while freshman
Maddy Gagnon also found the back of the cage for the first time.
Kate Engle,
Courtney Hughlett,
Riley Iasiello,
Gigi Stephan,
Victoria Trejo, and
Emma Weber also chipped in with strikes for the victors.
Overall, 11 Captains attempted at least one shot on Wednesday, and nine of those players eventually scored. The nine different goal-scorers equaled the most in a single game in school history, matching the squad's well-balanced attack in a 13-0 win over Shenandoah on September 16, 2006.
Adding her own historic footnote,
Ellie Nuckols pitched in with her first career multi-assist showcase after handing out a pair of helpers against the Marlins. Her first assist came on a corner in the 10th minute, which opened the scoring in the first quarter. That was the 18th time in her career that she served as the inserter on a successful corner, bumping her past former legends
Emily Evans and Jackie Kotoriy for the second-most in school history.
With the victory, Christopher Newport improved to 8-1 on the season, while the setback dropped Batten to 5-5.
In a game featuring 10 goals, the Captains actually put their defense on display in the early part of the opening period. On Batten's first rush,
Calli Martin made a terrific tackle at the top of the circle to stop a Marlin in her tracks. Later, Nuckols picked off a pair of clear attempts near the right sideline before Martin came back with another takeaway along the opposite boundary.
Still suffocating the opposition,
Kendall Gibson won a footrace with a streaking attacker to grab control of a lengthy hit that dribbled into the circle, while
Kelly Via gobbled up an errant feed in the center of the zone to kill off a subsequent threat.
Following the defensive work, CNU went on the attack. On a corner in the 10th minute, Nuckols inserted the ball to Mast, who rifled a one-timer from the top of the zone that deflected off the stick of a defender and ricocheted into the back of the cage. Two minutes later, Loar took control of a ball near the 25. With some room to operate, she fired a long hit that cruised into the circle and sailed past three Marlins. On the interior, Engle scooted in from the right side and used a nice lift to send it spinning past the goalie for a fast 2-0 lead.
In the second quarter, Christopher Newport continued its assault. Early on, Batten's keeper tried to kick the ball out of the zone, but Mast hustled inside. In a flash, the junior intercepted the clear attempt and whistled a missile that split the goalie and the right post for her second tally of the contest.
Moments later, Mast capped off her day with a highlight-reel assist on a successful corner. Following an insert by
Ellie Kidd, Mast used a no-look pass to connect with
Courtney Hughlett, who tattooed the back of the cage with a rocket that flew past five different Marlins.
Closing in on the end of the first half, CNU added one more goal in the 22nd minute. After killing a Batten surge,
Caroline Hughlett danced through a crowd while breaking down three midfielders along the center stripe. Working quickly, Martin eventually took control in the left corner and cracked a crosser into the circle. Stationed near the right pipe, Iasiello grabbed the centering feed and punched it around the goalie to give the visitors a 5-0 lead entering halftime.
The five-goal advantage equaled the squad's largest lead after two quarters since a 6-0 edge against Bridgewater on September 1, 2021.
Following the break, Christopher Newport shined on both sides of the field. First, Nuckols orchestrated a great run to set up the squad's sixth goal. The senior charged up the right boundary, cut down the baseline, and sidestepped a defender before tossing a pass into the middle of the circle. On the receiving end, Ward settled the ball, pulled back to her right, and elevated a shot that deflected off a defender and bounced past the goalie for her first career tally.
Moments later, on the other side of the field, Batten broke into the circle and had a decent look at the cage, but Kidd contested the shot with tight pressure along the left side of the zone, which forced the rip to sail past the post and kept the shutout intact entering the fourth frame.
Looking to close out the game in style, Christopher Newport put its offense on display again. Early on, Stephan inserted the ball off a corner. Although the pass deflected off a stick and trickled towards the 25, Ward tracked it down. She collected the roller, circled past a defender on the right side of the field, and pounded a pass back to Stephan, who finished what she started with a dagger near the left pipe.
Just over a minute later,
Willow Yost absolutely badgered a defender along the left sideline to force a turnover on a failed clear. After regaining possession, she drew a crowd near the top of the arc before punching a feed inside to Gagnon. Fighting on the interior, the freshman chipped the ball past one defender before slipping a bouncer through the keeper along the left pipe for her first career goal.
Later in the period, Trejo collected a loose ball in the center of the circle. Ripping it away from two Marlins, she pulled it around a third defender and smacked it underneath the goalie for the team's ninth strike. Then, just 70 seconds later, CNU capped off the scoring with one last corner.
On the play, Kidd secured the insert at the top of the arc. With the defense closing in, she shook the flyer and used a gorgeous reverse to launch a screamer towards the cage. On the inside, Loar deflected it around the keeper. Although the ball eventually clanked off the left post, Weber was there to clean up the trash and score on the doorstep for the game's final blow.
Overall, CNU held a 17-1 advantage in shots and an 11-0 edge in corners during the battle. On the back side,
Ella Fallen picked up the win with a pristine first half, while
Anna Mosciano capped off the shutout with a perfect performance over the final 30 minutes.
Following Wednesday's action-packed outing, the Captains will have a lengthy layoff before continuing the season on October 11 with a 1 p.m. showdown at Roger Williams in Bristol, Rhode Island.
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