COLLEGE FIELD HOCKEY
No. 1 CNU earns spot in NCAA semifinals
Christopher Newport earned its second-ever NCAA Division III semifinal berth, beating archrival Salisbury 1-0 Sunday at Jennings Family Stadium.
The top-ranked Captains (19-0) beat the fifth-ranked Sea Gulls (19-2) with a goal in the 50th minute. Courtney Hughlett passed to her twin sister, Caroline Hughlett, who blasted the ball toward the net. Riley Iasiello deflected it into the cage for her third game-winning goal of the year.
CNU will go to Hartford, Connecticut, to face No. 6 Tufts of Boston in a semifinal Friday. The Captains’ other semifinal trip came in 2013, when they lost 4-1 to eventual champion Bowdoin at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex.
Lily Kerr made four saves for her 64th career victory and her ninth 60-minute shutout of the season. CNU led 6-1 in penalty corners, though Salisbury led 9-7 in shots.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
UVA 19th, JMU 21st in new AP poll
Virginia climbed a spot to No. 19 and James Madison rose three spots to No. 21 in the Associated Press poll after victories Saturday. In the coaches’ poll, UVA is 19th and JMU 22nd.
Va. Union in playoffs
Despite losing to J.C. Smith in Saturday’s CIAA championship game, Virginia Union gained an at-large spot in the 32-team NCAA Division II playoffs and a first-round home game. The Panthers, seeded third in their region of eight, will play host to California University of Pennsylvania at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hovey Field in Richmond.
The winner of that game will take on the victor between No. 2 region seed J.C. Smith and Frostburg State.
COLLEGE MEN’S SOCCER
Lynchburg ousts CNU in NCAA round of 32
Host Lynchburg, ranked 13th nationally, knocked out No. 22 Christopher Newport 2-1 in the NCAA Division III round of 32.
The Captains went ahead in the 19th minute when they took a corner kick and Lynchburg committed an own goal, but the Hornets pulled even in the 34th on Keaton Napior’s goal, which former Gloucester High standout Kohlby Wilson assisted.
In the 60th minute, after CNU committed a foul in the box, Lynchburg’s Benjamin Velasquez netted the decisive penalty kick.
First Colonial grad helps H-SC make NCAA history
Jack Delaney of Virginia Beach, a senior from First Colonial High, had the first goal and an assist as No. 23 Hampden-Sydney, playing at home, shut out Otterbein of Ohio 3-0 for the Tigers’ first NCAA Tournament victory in school history. H-SC finished 14-5-2 Sunday with a 3-0 loss to No. 6 Emory.
SMU beats UVA for ACC title
Southern Methodist shut out Virginia 1-0 in Cary, North Carolina, for the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship.
The Cavaliers (12-2-4), seeded first and ranked fourth nationally, saw their 14-game unbeaten streak end. They yielded a penalty kick in the 57th minute to the Mustangs (11-4-4), which Stephan Soghomanian netted. SMU was seeded seventh and ranked 25th nationally.
UVA players Jesus De Vicente, Sebastian Pop and Nick Simmonds made the all-tourney team. The NCAA selection show will be held at 1 p.m. Monday on NCAA.com.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S SOCCER
Penn State Harrisburg ousts CNU
No. 14 Christopher Newport suffered a rare home loss — 2-1 in the NCAA Division III championship tourney’s first round to Penn State Harrisburg. The Captains finished 14-2-3 after outshooting Harrisburg 13-5.
The unranked Lions then beat No. 11 Rowan 1-0 Sunday in the round of 32 on CNU’s field to advance to a round-of-16 match against Mary Washington. Kylie Yap netted a looping shot from beyond the box with just 1:22 left in regulation.
Also in the first round, Mary Washington defeated No. 20 Vassar 1-0 on Maury High graduate Cassidy Shaw’s goal in the 61st minute. Mary Washington then beat No. 10 Williams in penalty kicks Sunday after their 2-2 standoff, and Shaw scored in the 51st minute of that match.
WORLD
McIlroy drops playoff but wins Race to Dubai
Rory McIlroy’s banner year in golf ended with fitting drama Sunday when he eagled the last hole in regulation to force a playoff but lost out to Matt Fitzpatrick, who won the season-closing World Tour Championship for a third time.
The consolation for McIlroy? A fourth straight Race to Dubai title — crowning him as the year’s No. 1 player on the European tour.
Back from injury, LeBron James returned to the Lakers from their G League affiliate and will be a full participant at practice today as his season debut nears, ESPN reported. …
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen boosted Brazil’s hopes for its first ever Olympic medal in Alpine skiing after giving the country its maiden victory in a top-level ski race. He won the opening slalom of the World Cup season Sunday in Finland.
