NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Perfect through the first seven weeks of the season, the Christopher Newport field hockey team moved to 10th in the NFHCA National Rankings, which sets up a critical top-10 showdown with No. 7 Salisbury at Captains Turf Field on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Earning 523 points in the latest poll, CNU also retained a pair of first-place votes and now sits just 36 points shy of ninth-ranked TCNJ. After slipping out of the top-10 for a brief moment last week, the Captains have remained firmly entrenched near the top of the poll throughout the season, including a week spent at No. 6 last month.

Reclaiming the top spot in the poll, Montclair State moved back to No. 1 and earned 13 first-place votes, while Bowdoin sits just behind the Red Hawks in second. Tufts, Middlebury, and Franklin & Marshall round out the top-five.

Flawless through 13 games, the Captains sit at 13-0, including 3-0 in the Capital Athletic Conference. Salisbury is also perfect in the CAC and sits at 9-2 overall. The program's only setbacks came in 1-0 losses against No. 20 Catholic and No. 11 TCNJ.

Exceptionally familiar with one another, CNU and Salisbury have battled 13 times in program history with the Sea Gulls holding an 11-2 record in those meetings. SU has won the previous five bouts, including a tight 3-2 decision in Maryland last season.

Christopher Newport enters Wednesday's action with a sturdy defensive unit, which ranks fourth in the nation in goals-against-average, fifth in save percentage, and 13th in defensive saves. Freshman Bailey Lien has been at the forefront of that effort, earning a pair of CAC Defensive Player of the Week awards while ranking third in the country with a 0.53 goals-against-average.

The Captains have also been bolstered by an experienced back line, guided by seniors Chelsea Hines and Shelby Judkins. The two standouts have combined for seven defensive saves and helped limit the opposition to just 102 shots this year, which is less than a third of what the CNU offense has uncorked in 2013.

Tremendously well-balanced on the offensive end, Lauren Cheatham has a team-high 12 goals, while Belle Tunstall has nine and Kelsey Clark boasts eight. Equally as skilled at facilitating the attack, five Captains have at least four assists, while Marlene Lichty has scored three times and chipped in with three helpers as well.

Especially stingy on the defensive side of the ball, Salisbury leads the NCAA with a 0.45 goals-against-average and a .907 save percentage. Rachel Clewer has been the lynchpin defensively, ranking first nationally in goals-against-average and second in save percentage. Amanda Cooper has also chimed in with four defensive saves.

Nationally-ranked on the offensive side as well, Salisbury is seventh in the country in scoring average and goals-per-game. Courtney Jantzen has led the way with 10 goals this season, while Yumi Kim and Mallory Elliott have seven apiece. Samantha Johnson has chipped in with nine assists as well.

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