MANHEIM, PA – An early season top-20 battle in Division III field hockey went in favor of #16 Christopher Newport University over #9 University of Rochester by a 1-0 score on Sunday afternoon at the Spooky Nook Complex.
 
Both teams move to 1-1 on the year, in a reversal of fortunes from their opening games on Friday.  Rochester topped York (PA) on Friday 3-1, while Christopher Newport was beaten by #4 Messiah College 5-1 that same evening.
 
On Sunday, the lone goal of the game came in the 37th minute off the stick of Mauri Ware for the Captains.
 
The games stats were nearly dead even across the board.  Shots were even at 19 apiece, while the Yellowjackets had the edge in corners 8-7.
 
Rochester's goalie Kate Kujawa made a career-high tying 10 saves, while Colleen Maillie added a defensive save.  For CNU, Olivia Davis made nine saves in the cage, with teammate Bailey Miller making a key defensive stop as well.
 
UR's first shot of the game nearly found the net, but Ava Schwartz's attempt in the eighth minute clanged off the post and away to safety.  Davis made two other saves in the opening quarter, denying Leona Fisher and Karina Bridger.
 
Christopher Newport started the second quarter with a flurry, earning a quick penalty corner, but the shot off the set piece by Sarah Mueller sailed wide.  Another shot shortly after by Emma Logue was saved away by Kujawa.
 
Rochester had three back-to-back chances in the 20th minute off a penalty corner.  After Juney Lee inserted, Maya Haigis' shot was blocked, and two rebound attempts from Kira Ozer were saved by CNU's keeper.  Just before the half, UR earned another PC, but Haigis had her shot attempt from the top of the circle sail wide of the Captains cage.
 
Shortly after halftime, Christopher Newport applied pressure offensively, holding possession in the Rochester zone for the first three minutes.  A pair of penalty corners yielded five total shots, but none entered the goal thanks to three saves by Kujawa and Maillie's defensive save, with the fifth being blocked.
 
The Captains broke through in the 27th minute when after a penalty corner shot was saved, Ware scooped in a rebound for the lone goal of the contest.
 
Rochester looked to counter, with its best chance coming towards the end of the third quarter, but Ozer's shot attempt in the 43rd minute was cleared off the line by Miller.  Two more penalty corners closed the quarter, but UR couldn't muster a shot off of either attempt.
 
UR started the fourth with a quick PC, but a Haigis blast was kicked away by Davis.  Fisher then hit the post in the 51st minute, with Ozer's follow up getting tapped just wide.
 
Kujawa and the Yellowjacket defense kept CNU off the board the rest of the way, but Rochester's offense was unable to register a shot over the final nine minutes leading to the defeat.
 
UR's next game is scheduled for Saturday at noon against Houghton College back home at Edwin Fauver Stadium.