BABSON PARK, Mass. -- Piecing together a masterpiece in a battle between a pair of top-five programs,
Caroline Hughlett established a new career-high with six points, including a pair of goals, while carrying the fourth-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team to a 6-1 victory over No. 3 Babson on Saturday afternoon at MacDowell Field.
Against the Beavers, Hughlett scored twice and added a pair of assists during another well-rounded showcase. Her six total points equaled the most by a Captain against a nationally-ranked opponent in program history. She matched current teammate
Lindsey Loar, who had a hat-trick against No. 14 Rowan last year, as well as former legends Caitlin Cahill and Ashley Traylor, who had similar eruptions against No. 20 Johns Hopkins in 2011 and No. 17 Alvernia in 2006, respectively.
Carving out her own place in the history books,
Calli Martin chipped in with a goal and an assist against Babson. With that performance, she became the first freshman in school history to record three points against a nationally-ranked foe. Later, fellow first-year phenom
Isabel Tamayo pocketed her first career goal as well. Following Martin, she became the 21st freshman to score against a top-25 opponent, while the tandem became the first duo to accomplish the feat in the same game.
Along with the history-makers,
Ellie Nuckols landed the first blow of the contest in the 17th minute before
Courtney Hughlett wrapped up the festivities with a penalty stroke at the end of regulation.
Overall, the six goals equaled the most against a nationally-ranked opponent in program history, matching the squad's output during a 6-0 win over No. 20 Johns Hopkins on September 25, 2011. Incidentally, two starters from that 2011 contest were in attendance at Saturday's game as current assistant coach and CNU Hall of Famer
Marlene Lichty was on the sidelines while Massachusetts native and former standout Kelsey Rigby was cheering from the stands.
With the victory, Christopher Newport improved to 2-0 on the season, while the setback dropped Babson to 1-1. It also snapped the Beavers' 23-game home winning streak, which had been the second-longest active run in the country.
From the outset, CNU dominated possession while peppering the opposition with a sustained assault. Early on, Loar generated a pair of quick corners after drilling a seed off the foot of a defender at the top of the zone before applying pressure near the right edge of the arc. Although the hosts held up against the initial onslaught, the Captains never lost their footing.
Continuing to feed the attack, Christopher Newport's back line built a wall on the other side of the turf.
Kelly Via dipped low to pick off a pass along the circle before Nuckols snatched one near the right sideline. Moments later,
Gigi Stephan wrestled possession away at midfield, while
Kate Engle pressured a Babson defender into an errant pass, which killed off a clear attempt.
Later in the stanza,
Kendall Gibson intercepted a feed along the left boundary, while Engle and
Ellen Gallagher double-teamed a Beaver in the corner, which forced another turnover at the end of the opening period.
Still staring at a scoreless tie entering the second stanza, Christopher Newport went right back to work. Jump-starting a surge, Loar found herself engulfed by four defenders. Amazingly, she wiggled her way through the crowd and found Martin, who quickly generated a corner. Moments later, after
Caroline Hughlett secured a second attempt, the Captains found an opening.
On the squad's eighth corner of the contest,
Caroline Hughlett fired a spinner that deflected off the stick of a defender. Eventually, the ball bounced out to Nuckols, who redirected the rocket into the bottom left corner of the cage for the game's first goal.
Looking for an answer, Babson found some life on the offensive end, but CNU's defense continued to stand tall. On the Beavers' initial rush, Via knocked down a laser in the center of the circle before Nuckols escorted it out of the zone. Shortly thereafter,
Ella Fallen turned away a backhand bullet from close range before kicking away two straight tries on a dangerous penalty corner in the 21st minute.
Later in the period, the Captains found themselves playing shorthanded after getting hit with a card, but Christopher Newport never relented. Via cleaned up a roller that snuck into the circle along the right side before Gallagher came through with a tremendous tackle at the top of the arc to stymie a secondary surge. Then, in the waning moments of the first half, Martin absorbed a body check to flip possession before poking a pass away along the sideline to close out the first 30 minutes.
Following the break, the visitors stretched their lead. Early in the third quarter,
Riley Iasiello barreled through a scrum before splitting a pair of defenders with a pinpoint pass. On the receiving end, Martin took the ball, reversed course, circled past a third defender, and unleashed a screamer towards the cage. Stationed on the inside,
Caroline Hughlett was shadowed by two Beavers but managed to deflect the rocket through the crowd for her first goal.
After
Emma Weber helped thwart Babson's response while forcing a turnover near the center stripe, the attack continued its assault. In the 42nd minute,
Courtney Hughlett hammered a long outlet pass that sliced through five defenders before landing on Loar's stick. From the left side of the arc, the senior All-American cut inside before connecting with
Caroline Hughlett, who launched a one-timer past a diving keeper to grab a 3-0 lead.
Entering the final moments of the third frame, Christopher Newport's defense added the last highlight of the period. After Babson secured a corner, the Hughlett twins chased the ball around the edge of the circle to prevent an initial shot. Although the Beavers eventually snapped off an attempt,
Avery Mast was perfectly positioned on the interior to block the rip before it could do any damage.
In the fourth quarter, Babson garnered another corner, but Nuckols applied pressure to two different shooters at the top of the zone before a tracer spun wide. Later,
Morgan Shealer wrestled possession away from an attacker along the circle before winning a physical confrontation with a midfielder just moments later. Gibson also stripped a Beaver who attempted to push up the right side on an ensuing rally.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the field, CNU put its youth movement on full display. In the 49th minute,
Caroline Hughlett was upended along the baseline but managed to keep the ball in play. Taking advantage of the situation, Gallagher burst over to the end line, plucked the roller, and fired it back towards the center of the circle. Eventually, her pass connected with Martin, who laced a shot inside the left post for her first collegiate goal.
Less than five minutes later, Tamayo joined the party. After the freshman slipped behind the defense on the left side of the zone, she secured a feed from
Caroline Hughlett and unleashed a missile past Babson's sprawling keeper to nail down a 5-0 lead.
Although the hosts eventually ended the shutout in the 59th minute, Christopher Newport made sure to cap off the game in style. With time winding down,
Mari de Castro saved a roller from slipping across the baseline with only seconds remaining in regulation. Her hustle paid off as the Captains turned the possession into back-to-back corners. On the final attempt,
Hailey Ward took control on the doorstep and drilled the ball off a downed defender, which earned CNU a penalty stroke.
With no time left on the clock,
Courtney Hughlett stepped up to the dot and rifled a blast inside the left post for the game's final tally.
Overall, CNU held a 22-7 advantage in shots and a 14-3 lead in corners. Remarkably, Christopher Newport was able to accomplish all of that against an experienced Babson squad that returned seven starters and 18 total players from a program that advanced to last year's Final Four.
Adding another layer to Saturday's phenomenal performance, the 6-1 win by the Captains equaled the largest home setback by Babson since a 7-0 loss against Middlebury on September 22, 1998. It also matched the fourth-largest home loss by the Beavers in their illustrious history, which dates back to 1983.
CNU will conclude its early-season road swing on Monday when the squad travels to No. 10 Endicott for an 11 a.m. test.
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