NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The summer is coming to a close and as is customary at Christopher Newport University, one of the biggest signs that the fall season is beginning is with the annual Joe Pombriant/CNU Soccer Classic. This weekend, the Captains host the 11th Annual Joe Pombriant/CNU Classic as they welcome in opponents from Randolph-Macon College, Virginia Wesleyan College and Wesley College. Game times will be 5:00 and 7:30 pm on Friday and Saturday night, with live stats available at cnusports.com.

The Captains will open the fall season against the Yellow Jackets at 7:30 pm on Friday night, following the opener between Va. Wesleyan and Wesley at 5:00 pm. CNU defeated R-MC last year, 6-0, on the road, renewing a long-standing rivalry that dates back to 1976 after a one-year hiatus. CNU will then take on the cross-water foes from Va. Wesleyan on Saturday night, playing against eachother for the first time in this tournament. The Marlins hold a 23-11-3 advantage in the all-time series.

This season, the Captains will return first team All-American Jalon Brown after one of the finest offensive seasons in program history in his second year. Brown scored 39 points last year, leading the team with 14 goals and 11 assists while becoming the first second-year player in school history to earn first team All-American honors. Also returning is All-Region defender Alec Faulkner, moving up to the midfield in his third year, along with senior Caleb Lewis on the outside. Lewis has put together a steady career, entering his final season with seven goals and 12 assists. 

Head coach Steve Shaw is entering his 18th year at the helm, the dean of CNU coaches, having led the team to five straight NCAA tournament appearances. He will usher in a new era of CNU men's soccer as the team enters the Capital Athletic Conference in 2013. The team on the other side of the Classic this weekend, will be one of his newest conference rivals as the Wesley Wolverines come in to Newport News. Led by long-time head coach Steve Clark, the Wolverines have won 230 games under his tutelage. Wesley graduated both of their All-Conference players from a year ago, when the team went 5-11-2. 

Virginia Wesleyan will be under first-year head coach Chris Mills, taking over a squad that reached the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Championship Game last season. The Marlins finished 2012 with an 8-10-2 overall mark, but momentum shifted in season with the late surge. Leading the way in 2013 will be four All-ODAC selections, including Brian Cornell and Travis Walke, who combined for 11 goals last season.

Randolph-Macon will be looking for a bounce back campaign in 2013 after a rough season a year ago, going 2-12-3. One of those wins, though, came against the Marlins, and the Yellow Jackets feature a tough scoring threat in All-Conference rookie Andrew Oakes. The second-year player will look to build on his team-leading six goals from a year ago, while starting goalkeeper, Chris Lowe, will also return between the pipes. 

Live stats for all four contests will be available at cnusports.com