YORK, Pa. -- A tough test awaits the Christopher Newport men's soccer team on Saturday, as the Captains (6-3-1, 1-0-0) travel to take on the fourth-ranked team in the country, York College (Pa.) (9-1-0, 1-0-0). The game will kick off at 3:00 pm in York, with a live video webcast and live stats available online. 

The new conference foes for CNU are not an unfamiliar squad, having been a frequent participant of CNU's annual Joe Pombriant/CNU Classic since 2001. In ten all-time battles, the two teams have an even break in the all-time series, standing at 4-4-2. Last season, the Spartans defeated CNU in the Classic, 2-1, for one of just four losses on the season for the Captains. 

Last time out, Christopher Newport saw its modest five-game winning streak come to a close as Greensboro College slipped by their former league opponent, 2-1, at Captains Field on Wednesday night. CNU had put together a nice five-game run that saw them outscoring opponents 13-2. 

The offense is averaging over two goals per game, led by All-American Jalon Brown. Brown leads the CAC in both goals (7) and total scoring (18 pts) and has paced the CNU attack so far this season. Sophomore Ryan Balfour has added ten points, scoring four goals and two assists, and defender Tommy O'Neal has also scored three times. 

The Spartans are one of the nation's top teams so far this season, moving up in the D3soccer.com rankings to number four in the country, and ranked 9th nationally by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Racing out to a 9-1 start to the season, York (Pa.) has already posted one marquee win on the schedule with a victory over the then top-ranked Messiah College Falcons. 

York has won five straight games, allowing just one goal in the spurt and outscoring opponents 9-1 in the win streak. While the offense has been strong and balanced, a dominant defense is what leads the Spartans this season. The team has allowed just three goals in its first ten games, good enough for the second best goals against average in the nation. Junior goalkeeper Brad Schmidt has started all ten games and boasts a 0.32 GAA for the season.

Leading scorers for York are a pair of reserves, as Jake Hower and Brendan Saberton have each put nine points on the board despite just seven combined starts in ten games. The team has also featured 16 assists on 18 goals so far this season, with 12 different Spartans factoring into the scoring. 

Links for the live video webcast and live stats will be available at CNUsports.com. Kickoff is set for 3:00 pm at Graham Field on the campus of York College of Pennsylvania.