NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – With a strong start to the 2013 campaign, the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team burst into the national rankings for the first time in program history, locking down the No. 19 spot in the latest Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll.

After taking down 15th-ranked Washington & Lee on Saturday, the Captains earned a place in the national spotlight. CNU, which currently sports a 1-1 record, earned 24 points in the poll. Trinity held down the top spot after earning 19 first-place votes, while Salisbury sits in second. Cortland, Gettysburg, and Middlebury round out the top-five.

The Captains will put their national ranking on the line tomorrow when the squad heads to St. Mary's for a 4 p.m. contest. The match-up will pit the future Capital Athletic Conference foes against one another for the seventh time in history. Currently, the Seahawks lead the all-time series, 4-2, although CNU won the previous match-up, 13-11, last year in Newport News.

Coming off of their thrilling 9-8 victory over the Generals last weekend, Christopher Newport has some momentum heading into Wednesday's clash. On Saturday, Ashton Marshall and Kylie Chaplin both scored in the last two minutes of play to seal the one-goal win at Captains Turf Field.

Honored as the USA South Player of the Week award for her efforts, Marshall already has 10 goals in her first two games after scoring seven in the season opener before tacking on three more against Washington & Lee. She also tallied an assist against Mary Washington and chipped in with a career-high three caused turnovers against the Generals.

Offensively, the Captains have also received contributions from a host of other standouts. Jessica Singer currently ranks second on the team with three goals, while Lauren King has four points after scoring twice and adding a pair of assists. Elena Obregon and Becca Geist have also found the back of the net twice so far this season.

Unbelievable between the pipes on Saturday, freshman goalie Hanna Slough has looked sturdy on defense for the Captains. Against the Generals, she stoned 16 shots, including four on free-position attempts, while earning the USA South Defensive Player of the Week award. She also leads the league with a .529 save percentage and sits second with a 9.58 goals-against-average.

The defense has also been aided by Emily Johnson, who leads the team with six caused turnovers and eight ground balls. Stephanie Green has also forced four turnovers, including a crucial one at the tail end of Saturday's game which helped lock up the victory.

Also boasting a 1-1 record so far this season, St. Mary's dropped a 19-9 decision at Dickinson on February 23 after earning a forfeit victory over Washington & Lee to open the year. In their setback against the Red Devils, the Seahawks were led by a well-balanced offensive attack, which saw Daniella Hanacek, Shelby Newman, and Taylor Sartor all score a pair of goals.

Newman also led St. Mary's with three ground balls and a pair of caused turnovers against Dickinson, while senior Lauren Gray collected a team-high four draw controls. Reigning All-Region selection Paige Decker also helped anchor the team's defensive efforts after posting a team-best 40 caused turnovers during the 2012 campaign.

Net-minders Kelly Shuman and Kayla Dunn split time in goal for the Seahawks during their first action of the season. Shuman posted a pair of saves during 20 minutes in goal, while Dunn had three during the first 40 minutes of action.

After Wednesday's battle against St. Mary's, Christopher Newport will continue its four-game road swing on Saturday when the squad heads to Lynchburg for a 4 p.m. showdown.

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