NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The No. 7 Salisbury University field hockey team suffered its first Capital Athletic Conference loss of the season, 3-2, in a top-10 showdown at Christopher Newport University on Wednesday night.

The Captains (14-0, 4-0 CAC) got on the board first, scoring just under 10 minutes into the match when Kelsey Clark found the back of the cage off a Belle Tunstall assist.

That advantage would last just nine minutes before junior Mallory Elliott knotted the score at 1-1. Classmate Summer Washburn had the ball at the top of the circle, after sophomore Samantha Johnson inserted on a penalty corner. Washburn sent a feed down to Elliott, five yards in front of the goal, and the Delmar, Del., native finished for the 1-1 tie.

Over the next nine minutes, Salisbury (9-3, 2-1 CAC) controlled play, with three penalty corners and five shots before Johnson gave her team a 2-1 lead, ripping a shot from eight yards out, for an unassisted goal, her third of the season.

But the Captains would strike back, with just 30 seconds showing on the clock in the first half. Tunstall put home a tally, on Lauren Cheatham's helper to even the game at 2-2 heading to the halftime break.

Salisbury held a 7-4 edge in shots and had a 4-1 advantage in penalty corners at the break.

The Sea Gulls put two shots on goal in the first two minutes of the second half, one turned away by CNU keeper Bailey Lien and the other, off the stick of senior Emily Voshell, stopped by a defensive save from Jordan Snider, keeping the game tied.

Salisbury also got a defensive save, as senior Katie Hastings made the play on Shelby Judkins' effort in the 45th minute.

But Christopher Newport got the game-winning goal five minutes later, on an unassisted tally from Marlene Lichty.  

Junior goalkeeper Rachel Clewer made a pair of saves in the match, while Lien turned away four Salisbury chances.

The Gulls are back in action on Saturday, October 19, traveling to No. 8 University of Mary Washington. That game is slated to begin at 1 p.m.