Postgame Press Conference

SALISBURY, Md. -- Capping off an epic overtime thriller, Lainey Pratzner landed the game's lone goal in the 65th minute to lead the sixth-ranked Christopher Newport field hockey team to a wild 1-0 victory over No. 10 York (Pa.) during the NCAA Sweet 16 on a sun-splashed Saturday afternoon at Sea Gull Stadium.

Scoring her first goal in over two years, Pratzner saved her finest moment for the biggest stage as the senior connected on a second-chance opportunity off a penalty corner in the first overtime period to seal the victory. The win vaulted Christopher Newport into the Elite Eight for the first time since the program's Final Four run in 2013.

Along with Pratzner's late-game heroics, Lindsey Loar drew a pair of penalty corners in the bonus session, including the penultimate play, which set up the final blow. Meanwhile, Lily Kerr came through with a game-saving stop in the fourth quarter to stymie a 2-on-1 breakaway by the Spartans.

With the victory, Christopher Newport improved to 16-2 on the season and set up a third showdown this year with No. 1 Salisbury. The Captains and Sea Gulls will meet again for a spot in the Final Four on Sunday at 1 p.m.

After playing to a scoreless draw following four quarters of back-and-forth action, York and CNU engaged in a legendary overtime session. Early on, the Captains generated a quick scoring opportunity after Courtney Hughlett broke through a double-team near midfield and flipped a pass to her sister, who barreled into the circle. With two more defenders to beat, Caroline Hughlett escaped the swarm and fired a missile that was kicked away by the keeper.

Looking to retaliate on the other end, a Spartan had some momentum on a sprint straight down the center of the field, but Brooke Billhimer walled off the initial push before winning possession of a loose ball in the right corner to kill off the threat.

Following the scare, Caroline Hughlett took the ball back up the left sideline before connecting with Loar, who battled through contact while drawing a foul at the top of the arc, which generated a corner attempt. On the ensuing play, Loar nearly took advantage of her own hustle with a redirection off a rope by Caroline Hughlett and a second-chance reverse on the doorstep, but both shots were stoned by the keeper.

Seconds later, Ellie Nuckols recovered the deflection and skipped a pass over the goalie to Courtney Hughlett, but her attempt was handled by a defender along the right post.

Following a successful clear by York, the Spartans had an opportunity to spin loose on a 3-on-2 rush, but Billhimer jumped a passing lane, sidestepped an attacker, and ran a give-and-go near midfield. After collecting the return feed, she cut around a defender inside the circle and hammered a diving dagger towards the goal, but the ball just caught the right side of the cage.

After the near miss, Christopher Newport went back on the attack as Katie Abendschoen intercepted a clear attempt just beyond midfield. Pushing the tempo, Pratzner laced a feed to Loar, who circled around a defender along the left baseline. Although she slipped free for a brief moment, the sophomore star was dragged to the turf with an illegal trip, which generated another corner attempt.

Taking advantage, Pratzner inserted the ball to Courtney Hughlett, who cut back around a pair of Spartans before finding Nuckols, who unloaded a screaming one-timer that was swallowed by the keeper. Although the goalie tried to punch the ball out of harm's way, Pratzner snared the rebound and went to work along the left post.

Getting to her backhand, Pratzner fired a spinner off the goalie. Following an initial save, she collected the ball again and split the wickets of the keeper. Eventually, her second-chance opportunity bounced off the pads of York's goalie and just slipped across the line for the game-clinching strike.

With Pratzner's winner, Christopher Newport picked up the program's first overtime victory in NCAA Tournament history. Adding even more luster to the accomplishment, the win also put an end to CNU's 23-game skid at Sea Gull Stadium, which began during head coach Carrie Moura's first-ever trip to face Salisbury on September 14, 2003.

Putting Saturday's achievement into perspective, Pratzner - who ended the slide - was just six months old when it began.

Long before the postgame celebration started, York and CNU engaged in a seesaw affair during regulation. Kicking things off in the first quarter, the Captains held strong against an early rush by the Spartans. During a 3-on-2, Morgan Shealer plucked a pass along the defensive 25, while Courtney Hughlett won a duel in the same spot. Moments later, on a long run up the left sideline, Billhimer ran stride-for-stride with an attacker before deflecting a feed in the left corner.

Still marching forward, York had its best look after a Spartan wiggled free along the right side of the arc. Hoping to connect on a centering feed, the attacker laced a pass towards her teammate, but Shealer broke up the play with a lunging, outstretched stab to stymie the threat.

On the other end of the field, Maddison Steele led an assault in the middle of the stanza. First, she unleashed a turnaround tracer in the middle of the circle, but her rip was blocked by a defender. Seconds later, she spun around a Spartan and worked her way up the right baseline, but her rush was cut off along the post.

Following Steele's surge, Christopher Newport kept the ball on the offensive end. Throwing up a roadblock, Nuckols intercepted a rally along the left sideline, Shealer picked off an aerial, and Delaney Norr wrestled possession away from a defender along the offensive 25. Kendall Gibson also snatched the ball right off the stick of a Spartan near midfield to end York's fourth clear attempt in a row.

With time winding down, the Spartans finally managed to sneak into their offensive end, but Caroline Hughlett came through with an interception along the 25. In a flash, she found Avery Mast, who controlled the outlet and burst up the right sideline to help draw a corner in the final moments of the opening period.

Unfortunately, Courtney Hughlett's burner from the top of the arc was kicked aside by York's goalie to keep the game scoreless after the first 15 minutes.

In the second stanza, the Captains opened the action with a subtle highlight on the defensive end. Early on, CNU tried to work the ball from right-to-left on the defensive side. Although Billhimer faced some pressure, the senior threaded the ball between the legs of a charging Spartan before finding Shealer, who handed the roller back to the attack.

With possession, Norr had a pair of solid looks. First, she spun past a defender along the baseline and bolted towards the cage, but her run was halted along the pipe. Later, she grabbed a long hit by Abendschoen and tried to land a snipe from the center of the zone, but a defender bottled her up at the last moment.

After York flipped the field, Christopher Newport's defensive unit held firm. Surrounded by three attackers, Gibson remained calm and grabbed control of a pass before punching it up the right boundary. Then, after the Captains were hit with a card, the squad was equally dominant while playing 10-on-11. Unfazed by the shorthanded situation, Courtney Hughlett picked off a pass along the edge of the arc, while Pratzner got into a shooting lane and forced an off-target attempt to sail through the circle.

As time ticked down in the first half, Mast secured a corner after drawing a foul with a charge up the right sideline. With one last chance before the break, Abendschoen uncorked a laser from the top of the circle, but a defender got just enough of the ball to send it spinning into the air before landing wide left.

In the third period, York got off to a strong start and earned a corner in the 35th minute. Facing a tenuous situation, Nuckols burned a path towards the top of the circle and forced a pass off the initial insert. Still chasing the play, she hit the brakes, cut to the left, and helped block a rip from the right side to end the rally.

Racing in the opposite direction, Abendschoen collected the deflection and lined a pass to Steele, who outran a midfielder and slipped an on-target feed through two defenders. On the receiving end, Mast grabbed the ball and went straight into the circle to collect the first of five consecutive corners by the Captains.

Peppering York's defense with a ruthless onslaught, Christopher Newport nearly broke through. On the squad's second corner, Riley Iasiello had a rope turned away by a diving save before Pratzner had a rebound gobbled up along the left post. Incredibly, Pratzner kept the play alive and popped the ball over to Billhimer, but a second Spartan was there to clean up the action along the right pipe.

Still applying pressure on the ensuing attempts, Courtney Hughlett had a shot blocked by a defender, while Abendschoen and Caroline Hughlett had tries erased by the keeper.

Following the parade of corners, CNU came back with one last look before the end of the period. In the 42nd minute, Abendschoen absolutely hammered a long hit into the circle. The ball spun perfectly past four defenders before landing on the stick of Emily Evans. With a chance to break the deadlock, the junior sent the spinner skyward, but it pin-balled off the goalie and the left post before settling out of bounds.

Entering the fourth quarter, York had a series of scoring opportunities, but Christopher Newport held up. On an early run, Shealer came through with a fantastic tackle to strip an attacker along the left baseline. Shortly thereafter, two Spartans worked their way free on a sprint towards the cage. With no one left to slow down the streakers, Kerr took on the pair by herself and made a sensational save with her pad to knock down a high-rising rocket.

Although York came back again, CNU was extra vigilant. Shealer applied pressure in the left corner before Courtney Hughlett picked off an errant pass along the edge of the arc. Then, Billhimer blocked a breakaway at the top of the circle, while Pratzner was a machine at the end of regulation.

Putting on a defensive clinic, Pratzner cut off a streaker along the right sideline, won possession during a one-on-one duel in the corner, and clamped down on another breakaway after staying on the hip of an attacker, which forced an off-target pass to spin wildly through the circle.

In the final minute, Christopher Newport had one last opportunity to end the game in regulation. Courtney Hughlett stole the ball from a defender, ran past a second Spartan, and sliced a roller towards Steele. In the middle of a crowd, the senior settled the ball and attempted a highlight-reel finish. Eventually, she went to her backhand and tried a diving reverse in the center of the zone, but it was snuffed out at the last moment.

Despite coming away empty-handed during the first four quarters, the Captains had enough left to survive overtime as Pratzner came through with the game's final highlight to walk away with the Sweet 16 victory.

Overall, CNU held a 19-3 advantage in shots and a 9-1 edge in corners. Meanwhile, Kerr picked up the victory and set a new program record with her 18th career shutout. It was also her seventh blanking of the year, matching the single-season mark set by Bailey Lien in 2013 and equaled by Kerr in 2022.

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