NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Winners of their last 10 games, the Christopher Newport field hockey team earned the No. 10 spot in the latest NFHCA Coaches Poll and will look to continue their winning ways on Wednesday when the squad hosts No. 18 Catholic at 6 p.m. at Captains Turf Field.

Holding onto a top-10 spot for the 10th straight poll dating back to last season, CNU earned 643 points in the latest rankings. Montclair State remained in the top-spot with 43 first-place votes, while Franklin & Marshall, William Smith, Bowdoin, and Tufts round out the top-five.

Along with the Captains, two other members of the Capital Athletic Conference sit in the top-10 nationally. Salisbury is currently seventh overall, while Mary Washington is eighth. The CAC joins the NESCAC as the only two leagues with three teams ranked in the NFHCA top-10.

The Captains not only rank among the country's elite in the coaches poll, but the squad also sits among the top-10 nationally in numerous statistical categories as well. Currently, Christopher Newport is eighth in the NCAA in goals-against-average and ninth in scoring margin. Incredibly stout on the defensive end, the team also ranks seventh in save percentage and defensive saves.

The defense has been fronted by freshman goalie Bailey Lien. On an individual level, she ranks fourth in the nation with a 0.49 goals-against average and an .889 save percentage. She has held the opposition scoreless in seven of her 10 appearances and led CNU to five shutouts. That is currently one more than the team had all of last season.

Helping out in front of Lien, the Captains have 11 defensive saves, including five by Chelsea Hines. Jordan Snider has also contributed three stops, while Shelby Judkins has a pair. Overall, the defense has continually clamped down on the opposition and helped CNU post a 299-83 advantage in shots so far this year.

Equally as strong on the offensive end, Lauren Cheatham has a team-high 11 goals and 26 points. Overall, the sophomore speedster has collected a point in every game and scored a goal in all but two this season. She also has three multi-goal efforts, including back-to-back performances against Eastern Mennonite and Randolph Macon.

Hammering home eight goals apiece, Belle Tunstall and Kelsey Clark have also established themselves as potent weapons on the offensive end. Additionally, Tunstall is tied with Snider for the team-lead in assists with five, while Allie Hackbarth has four to go along with a pair of goals.

Entering Wednesday's match-up on a minor two-game skid, Catholic sits at 5-3 overall. Facing a demanding early-season slate, the Cardinals upended Salisbury, who ranks seventh in the latest NFHCA poll, and fell to Mary Washington and Drew, who both sit in the top-20 nationally.

Catholic has been led by Kim Hermann, who boasts a team-high five goals and 11 points. Taylor Elliott and Rebecca Lukaszczyk have also scored three times, while Maura Campbell has a team-best three assists. On the defensive end, Megan Comunale ranks among the national leaders with a 0.83 goals-against-average and an .857 save percentage.

Kicking off a two-game road trip later this week, Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday when the Captains battle St. Mary's in a CAC showdown at 11:30 a.m.

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