NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Notching its first-ever regular season conference championship last week, the Christopher Newport field hockey team jumped to third in the NFHCA National Coaches Poll as CNU prepares for its semifinal bout against Wesley in the Capital Athletic Conference playoffs, which will be held at Captains Turf Field on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

On a program-record 18-game winning streak, Christopher Newport moved up one spot from last week after earning 10 first-place votes and 831 points in the latest poll. CNU's No. 3 ranking now stands as the highest in team history, eclipsing the fourth-place spot that the team held last week and in 2007.

Locking down the top spot for the fourth straight week, Montclair State picked up 32 first-place votes. Tufts moved up to second with 858 points, while CNU, Bowdoin, and Middlebury round out the top-five. The same squads have comprised the poll's top-five for three straight weeks.

Along with the Captains, fellow CAC members Salisbury and Mary Washington also earned spots in the national poll. The Sea Gulls sit at eighth, while the Eagles are 11th. Overall, CNU sports a 3-0 record against teams in the latest rankings after upending both of its league opponents after also defeating No. 20 Catholic earlier in the year.

Not only has Christopher Newport remained in the national poll throughout this season, but the Captains have now been in the NFHCA top-20 for 56 consecutive weeks dating back to the 2008 campaign. Since first receiving national recognition in 2005, CNU has earned a top-20 billing in 74 total polls.

Sailing to its first undefeated regular season in program history, Christopher Newport will begin its first-ever conference tournament on Wednesday against Wesley. After spending the first 13 years as an independent member of the NCAA, CNU joined the CAC over the summer and quickly captured the regular season crown with a 6-0 mark during its first league slate.

Incredibly, the Captains currently rank among the NCAA leaders in nearly every statistical category, placing in the top-10 in goals-against-average, scoring margin, goals-per-game, and scoring average. Through 18 games, the squad has limited its opposition to just 0.78 goals-per-game, which ranks fourth in the nation. At the same time, the offense has been scoring 4.44 goals-per-contest, which is the seventh finest rate in the NCAA.

Locking down opposing offenses, Bailey Lien is third in the nation with a 0.66 goals-against-average and fourth with an .839 save percentage. She has been helped by a suffocating back line as three-time CAC Defensive Player of the Week Shelby Judkins and fellow seniors Jordan Snider and Chelsea Hines have swallowed up the opposition and limited their counterparts to fewer than eight shots per game.

Sensational on the offensive end as well, Judkins has scored in each of the last four contests, including three multi-goal efforts. Snider and Allie Hackbarth also found the back of the cage during CNU's 4-1 victory over Mary Washington on Wednesday.

Belle Tunstall has been the top offensive force throughout the year, leading the team with 16 goals and 11 assists. Lauren Cheatham and Kelsey Clark have also scored 13 times apiece, while Hackbarth sits second on the squad with seven assists.

Entering the postseason on a bit of a skid, Wesley had dropped its final six regular season contests before upending St. Mary's, 2-1, during an overtime bout in the first round of the playoffs. The Wolverines wrapped up the regular season with a 1-5 mark in league action and now sit at 9-10 overall.

Electric on the offensive side of the ball, Madison Leone leads Wesley with 12 goals and seven assists. Lauren Mears has also found the back of the cage seven times, and Gracie Daniels is tied for second on the team with five assists. Defensively, Sarah Daniels has a 1.85 goals-against-average, while Brooke Gannon is among the national leaders with 20 defensive saves.

---CNU---