Junior midfielder Emily Atkinson scored the game-winning goal just before time expired to give the University of Mary Washington women's lacrosse team a 19-18 victory over Christopher Newport University in double overtime on Wednesday at the Battleground. The Eagles improve to 8-3 on the season, and 2-1 in Capital Athletic Conference play.

The Eagles jumped out to an early lead, as Jenna Petrucelli and Corinne Wiederkehr scored in the opening minutes for a 2-0 advantage. The Captains answered with a pair of goals to tie the score with 25:09 left in the half, but again the Eagles pulled ahead, as Petrucelli scored a pair of goals less than a minute apart for a 4-2 advantage.

After a CNU score, Katie Williams scored her first goal of the day to up the lead to 5-3, but the Captains scored three straight to take a 6-5 lead with 15:15 remaining. From there, the Eagles reeled off five straight goals, with Williams scoring three straight bookended by Petrucelli goals, and UMW led, 10-6, with 8:24 left in the half.

The Captains scored twice to cut the deficit to 10-8, but Atkinson and freshman Kelsey Vincent answered to push the lead to 12-8, and after a CNU goal, Wiederkehr capped the first half scoring with a goal with 23 seconds left.

The Eagles came out strong in the second half, scoring three of the first four goals of the frame, including a pair from Atkinson, to lead, 16-10, with 16:47 remaining in regulation. From there, Christopher Newport went on a 6-0 run over the next 10 minutes, tying the score with 5:48 to play. Wiederkehr scored to give UMW a 17-16 lead with over four minutes left, but the Captains answered with 2:50 left to tie the score, and UMW goalie Taylor Paige made two key stops in the final seconds of regulation to send the game to overtime.

After gaining the draw control, UMW ran the clock until 26 seconds left, when Wiederkehr scored to give UMW the lead once more at 18-17. That lead proved to be short lived, as the Captains scored with 11 seconds left to send the game to extra period number two.

Both teams had opportunities in the second overtime, and the Eagles gained the ball after a Paige save with 24 seconds left and subsequent ground ball pickup from defender Mo Sunderland with 17 seconds left. UMW head coach Caitlin Moore called timeout with eight seconds left, and Atkinson took the ball from near midfield and all the way to goal after the stoppage and scored just before time expired for the game winner.

The Captains held a 38-36 edge in shots, while UMW led in ground balls, 25-21.CNU led with 22 draw controls to 18 for the Eagles. Paige played excellent in relief, making 11 saves in 56 minutes. Megan Gersbeck had five draw controls and Atkinson added four to go with three ground balls for the Eagles.

Katie Williams had six goals and one assist to lead UMW, while Petrucelli scored five goals, and Atkinson added four goals and an assist. Wiederkehr had three goals and three assists. CNU was led by Ashton Marshall's eight goals and three assists.

The Eagles will return to action on Saturday when they visit York College at noon.