ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. -- Christopher Newport men's soccer puts its 21-game unbeaten streak on the line again on Wednesday, traveling for an afternoon tilt at St. Mary's College of Maryland. The Capital Athletic Conference action will kick off at 1:30 pm as the 13th-ranked Captains (9-0-4, 2-0-2) will take on the host Seahawks (6-5-1, 2-2-0). 

This week, the Captains slipped to No. 9 in the D3soccer.com Top 25 and are now ranked 13th in the NSCAA National Rankings. The Captains are 2-0-3 over their last five games, with five CAC contests remaining on the 2015 slate. CNU holds a 14-5-1 advantage in the all-time series, and the Captains have won seven straight dating back to the 2005 season. 

Led by two-time Defensive Player of the Week Sean Christein, the Captains back line has been impressive all year long. Christein and the rest of the CNU defense has allowed just eight goals in 13 games for a 0.56 goals against average, while posting eight shutouts. Senior goalkeeper Nolan Mann has started every game and is the league leader in GAA and ranks fourth in save percentage with a .784 mark. 

Wednesday's matchup will feature two of the premier scoring threats in the conference as a pair of junior forwards will look to add to their already impressive seasons. For the host St. Mary's Seahawks, Nick Tait leads the conference with 11 goals and 30 total points. He has scored at least one point in seven of the last eight games and has been a catalyst for the league's leading offense, with 35 goals scored this season. On the other side of the field, CNU junior Patrick Burns will carry his 19 points on eight goals and three assists into the contest. Burns ranks tied for second in the CAC in scoring and total goals. 

Behind Burns, the Captains have gotten offensive production from a variety of places, including from senior Ryan Balfour. The fourth-year forward has 10 points on four goals and two assists, ranked second on the team. Five more CNU players have scored multiple goals this season, including three from rookie Zachary Ballard. 

St. Mary's (Md.) has featured a potent offense, averaging nearly three goals per game, but have also allowed over a goal and a half per game. The Seahawks were riding a six-game unbeaten streak before dropping the last two games to Salisbury, 2-1, and Marymound, 3-2. Alessandro Burlew and Zach Fontenot add depth atop the offense, as both have double figure scoring marks this season, while Burlew leads the team in game-winning goals. 

The game will be played as the front end of a doubleheader with the women's teams. A full recap will be available following the action at CNUsports.com.