FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- After leading the Christopher Newport field hockey team to a victory over No. 17 Lynchburg on Sunday, Alexis Morales has been named the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week.

The award is the first for Morales and the second straight for the Captains after fellow senior Marcella Sabbagh was celebrated last week.

Starring throughout the battle against Lynchburg, Morales headlined a stout defensive showcase. Putting a lid on the opposition, the Captains held the Hornets to six total shots during the 60-minute masterpiece. Only three of the attempts were on-cage, equaling the fewest by Lynchburg in a game since 2019.

On an individual level, Morales served as a flyer on a pair of penalty corners. She applied immediate pressure on Lynchburg's first attempt in the opening quarter and forced a delayed shot that was handled on the back end. Then, on the Hornets' final corner of the game, she once again stormed out to the top of the circle and walled off the shooter as the squad's ensuing attempt trickled past the left post.

Along with her work on the corner crew, Morales also intercepted a centering feed at the edge of the arc to close out a first-quarter rally by the hosts. Then, in the 56th minute, she helped stamp out a dangerous 3-on-2 breakaway after hitting the turf to disrupt the surge in the center of the circle.

In addition to her efforts on the defensive end, Morales also landed her second goal of the season, which proved to be the difference in the 2-1 win over the Hornets. In the 43rd minute, following a corner by the Captains, she secured a rebound off an initial save by the Lynchburg goalie and quickly painted the inside of the right pipe with a dart, which gave the visitors a 2-0 edge.

So far this season, the Yorktown, Virginia native has started all 10 games and ranks fourth on the team with 533 minutes of action. Aided by Morales' efforts, Christopher Newport currently sits 18th in the NCAA in scoring defense while surrendering just 0.90 goals per game. The team also has five shutouts, which stands as the eighth-highest total in the country.

Morales and the rest of her teammates will return to action on Saturday when Christopher Newport hosts Centre at noon.

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