Live Stats
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Riding a three-game winning streak, the Christopher Newport field hockey team will look to cap off the regular season in style on Wednesday evening when CNU hosts No. 14 Mary Washington in a Capital Athletic Conference contest at 6 p.m. at Captains Turf Field.
Although the Captains and Eagles have both clinched berths in the upcoming CAC Tournament, Wednesday's game still has major playoff implications. The winner of the battle will lock up the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye. The remainder of the seedings will be affected by outcomes from other games in the conference.
Christopher Newport enters the tilt with an 11-5 record, including a 3-2 mark in the CAC. Mary Washington sits at 13-4 overall and 4-1 in league play. In 13 all-time meetings, the Captains hold a 9-4 lead in the series. CNU also won last year's tilt, 4-1, in Fredericksburg.
For those fans unable to make it to Newport News, live stats will be available at CNUsports.com. A direct link can be found at the top of this release and on the CNU schedule page.
The Captains come into Wednesday on a bit of a roll after taking down Centre and St. Mary's in back-to-back overtime games before toppling Frostburg State, 2-1, on Saturday. Against the Bobcats over the weekend,
Belle Tunstall scored her record-tying 41st career goal, which ties her with Wendy Wilson atop the program's all-time list.
Samantha Snider also came through with the game-winner against FSU.
On the defensive end,
Bailey Lien was especially dominant during the last two games. In 146 minutes of work, the sophomore registered eight saves and picked up both victories. For her efforts, she was honored as the CAC Defensive Player of the Week.
Overall this season, Lien and
Savanah Cummings have formed a formidable combination between the pipes. The two standouts have limited the opposition to 1.56 goals per game. They also sit first and second in the CAC in save percentage. Cummings leads the way with an .861 mark, while Lien is second at .778.
The Captains also boast a well-balanced attack that features eight players with at least two goals. Tunstall leads the way with seven goals and six assists.
Taylor Williams has also found the back of the cage six times, while
Carol Thompson has four helpers. Impressive in recent weeks,
Sarah Miller and
Alexa Weaver both have a pair of goals in October, while
Madison Doss has helped anchor the corner unit with two assists.
Mary Washington enters the regular season finale following a 6-5 overtime setback against No. 1 Salisbury on Saturday. Prior to the loss, the Eagles had won five straight contests. Overall, Jenna Steele leads UMW with 18 goals, while Christine Downie has 10. Haley Kane has been the squad's top facilitator with nine assists. Megan McLaughlin has paced the defense with a 1.67 goals-against-average and a .755 save percentage.
Following Wednesday's action, the CAC Tournament will begin this weekend. The No. 4 and No. 5 seeds will meet in a first-round tilt on Sunday. The top-three squads will all earn a first-round bye prior to their semifinal contests next Wednesday.
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