FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- Nyla Lewis and Vivian Pope swept the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Field Hockey Player of the Week honors after leading Christopher Newport to a victory over No. 18 Lynchburg on Friday evening at Jennings Family Stadium.

Against the nationally-ranked Hornets, Pope landed the game-winning goal during the 2-0 triumph, while Lewis anchored a stout defensive effort, which helped the squad post its third straight shutout.

The award marked the first for both standouts. Meanwhile, with her honor, Lewis became the fourth different Captain to secure the Defensive Player of the Week award in 2021, while Pope became the second player to earn the league's top offensive accolade.

Leading the way on the defensive side of the ball, Lewis was a stabilizing force on the midfield unit and helped the Captains hold Lynchburg to only one on-target shot, which was the fewest by a nationally-ranked foe in program lore. The shutout also marked the 13th time in school history that Christopher Newport blanked a top-20 opponent, and it snapped Lynchburg's streak of 24 consecutive games with at least one goal.

On an individual level, Lewis was a focal point on the defensive penalty corner unit, which brushed aside six attempts during the game. She secured a rebound on Lynchburg's first try, intercepted a pass at the top of the circle on the fifth attempt, and broke up the final corner with a tackle on the right side of the zone, which helped polish off the shutout. Additionally, the Charlottesville native also served as the stopper on Christopher Newport's offensive corner in the 21st minute, which resulted in the game-winning goal.

While Lewis was leading the defense, Pope was pacing the attack. Landing the biggest goal of her young career, she opened the scoring with a dagger in the second quarter. Serving as the inserter on a corner, she dished a perfect entry feed to Lewis, who started an around-the-horn journey that saw the ball end right where it started. Moments after sending the roller into play, Pope planted herself on the end line and capped off the action with a deflection behind the goalie to snatch the early lead.

A stalwart on the midfield unit, Pope finished Friday's game with a pair of shots and also helped out on the defensive end while holding the high-powered Hornets in check throughout the 60-minute showcase. Overall this season, the Yorktown native now has seven points, including a pair of goals, in 11 appearances.

Lewis, Pope, and the rest of their teammates will return to action on Wednesday when Christopher Newport concludes Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference action with a 6 p.m. tilt against No. 17 Salisbury.

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