NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Both of the Christopher Newport soccer programs are on the road to Georgia this weekend, as the Captains will take on LaGrange College and Piedmont College in USA South action. The conference doubleheader action will begin at LaGrange on Saturday and continue on Sunday at Piedmont, with both women's games slated for 1:00 pm, followed immediately by the men's tilt at 3:00 pm.

The weekend set will conclude the conference regular season for the men's team, as CNU looks to challenge for the 2012 USA South Regular Season Championship. The Captains currently trail Averett University (8-4-2, 5-2-0) in the standings and are tied with N.C. Wesleyan (8-2-2, 4-1-1), but hold the tiebreak advantage over the Bishops and have a game in hand versus the Cougars. Head coach Steve Shaw has guided the Captains to an 11-2-2 overall record, going 4-1-1 in conference play. 

This week, Christopher Newport earned a spot in the national rankings for the first time since the preseason poll, entering the rankings at No. 20 nationally. The Captains have been led by sophomore Jalon Brown and senior Andrew Bonorden, who rank 4th and 5th, respectively, in the league scoring column. Both players have scored 11 goals this season, while Brown has chipped in seven assists to Bonorden's four. The potent offense is averaging nearly three goals per game (2.87), while the defensive unit has been strong as well. Alec Faulkner, Tommy O'Neal, Caleb Baker and Brendan Cook have provided rookie goalkeeper Nolan Mann a sturdy back line, holding opponents to just 1.13 goals per game. 

The LaGrange men's team is winless in league play, going 0-6 against conference opponents, with a 3-11 overall mark. The Panthers have struggled defensively, as junior goalkeeper Donnie Palmer has given up 38 goals, playing the bulk of the minutes between the pipes. Offensively, LaGrange has scored 15 goals this year, led by junior midfielder Kevin Folsom with seven. He leads the team in points with 16, adding two assists to his scoring line.

On Sunday, CNU will face Piedmont College, coming in with a 4-8-2 overall mark, going 0-4-2 against conference opponents. The Lions opened the year 4-2-1, but have struggled over the last seven games, going 0-6-1. The team boasts a skilled freshman keeper, posting a save percentage of nearly 75%, but have struggled to get things going offensively, scoring just 20 goals so far this season. Sidney Smith and Justin Whitaker lead the way offensively, with 14 points each.  Live stats will be available at the 3:00 pm kickoff. 

On the women's side, Christopher Newport is locked in battle for positioning in the league conference standings, making this weekend a pivotal set for the Captains postseason seeding. The second through eighth place teams in the league are separated by just seven points with three games remaining, with CNU currently tied for fourth place. The top four teams in the standings after the regular season will earn a first round home game in the USA South Conference Tournament. Head coach Ruth Keegan has guided her squad to a 7-8 mark overall, with a 5-3 record against league competition. 

The Captains season has been highlighted not only by team success but several individual accomplishments. Junior forward Emma O'Reilly leads the way for the Captains, and continues to cruise up the all-time scoring charts in the process. O'Reilly's career-high 13 goals this season have launched her into a tie for third all-time with Ashleigh Dota ('06), with 32 goals scored. She is just five shy of the all-time record set by Sam Ciaravino in 2010, with 37 career tallies. O'Reilly is also moving up on the career points list, tied for fourth with 69 career points (Laura McFerrin '01). 

Senior Dani Gunderson has also had a stellar season, leading the Captains in scoring with 12 goals and four assists for 28 total points, tied for the 9th highest-scoring season in program history. Junior Carly Utterback is one assist shy of tying the all-time single season record for helpers in a year, posting nine so far this year, and rookie Chelsea Wolfe has tied the freshman record for assists, with seven. 

This weekend, CNU will face off against a LaGrange squad that has posted eight wins so far this season, going 8-9 overall with a 1-7 mark in conference play. The Panthers offense is one of the best in the league, led by Brittany Gray. Gray is one of the league's top scorers, tied for the conference lead in goals with 14 and second overall in points, with 32. The junior forward is backed up by another dynamic scorer, Sydney Dorsey, with 13 goals and a pair of assists so far this year. The team has scored 39 goals with 27 assists, averaging over two scores per game. Defensively, junior keeper Chelsea Totaro has a 75% save percentage and a 1.36 goals against average.

On Sunday, The Captains will travel to Piedmont and take on a Lions team that is very much involved in the league logjam in the middle of the standings. Piedmont is 11-4-1 overall with a 4-3-1 record against conference foes. The conference battle will likely have major playoff implications as both teams fight for a home game in the USA South Quarterfinals. Piedmont is led by an impressive defense that has allowed just 18 goals in 16 games this season, good for a 1.10 goals against average. Offensively, Laura Goodwin and Dilyn Maclean have each scored seven goals to lead the way. Live stats will be available at the 1:00 pm kickoff.

Stay tuned to CNUsports.com for updates, recaps and box scores from the weekend's matches.