ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Christopher Newport men's soccer team will play for its postseason lives on Wednesday, traveling to Marymount University (7-8-1, 3-4-1) for a 7:00 pm kickoff in the Capital Athletic Conference regular season finale. In the last game of a full slate of conference action on the final day, CNU and Marymount will square off in a game that will determine which team will advance to the CAC Tournament starting this Saturday, October 31. Weather permitting, live stats and a live video webcast will be available with links found at CNUsports.com.
After starting the year unbeaten through the first 14 games, the Captains (10-2-5, 3-2-3) are looking to bounce back after an 0-2-1 slide in the last three contests. Christopher Newport holds a slight two-point edge in the conference standings over Marymount, meaning CNU needs only a tie to clinch a spot in the postseason tournament. Should either team win, they would lock up one of the final postseason spots. In the complex and congested league standings, a tie would not necessarily eliminate the Saints from the postseason, as other results would factor into the equation.
Both teams hope to avoid the math and simply win their way into the postseason tournament on Wednesday. Leading the way for the Captains is junior
Patrick Burns, tied for second in the CAC scoring column with 21 total points this year. With nine goals and three assists, Burns has paced a CNU offense that features eight players with multiple goals scored this season.
The Captains defense has been the catalyst most often for CNU this season, allowing just 14 goals in 17 games played for a 0.76 goals-against average. The back line and goalkeepers have secured eight shutouts and, despite being pressed into extra time already a record eight times this season, allowed just four goals after halftime. The team goals-against average drops to 0.20 after the intermission. Leading the back line is senior
Sean Christein and rookie
Bobby Seifert in the middle, with
Sammy Blosser,
Cameron Vaughn and
Zach Douglass factoring in on the outside. In goal, senior
Nolan Mann leads the league with a 0.58 goals against average, while rookie
Zach Pedini has filled in with four straight starts, posting a 1.30 GAA.
Marymount, also fighting for their postseason lives, features a balanced offense and defense after scoring 20 goals this season with 23 goals allowed. Logan Cropper has played every minute between the pipes for the Saints, boasting a 79.5% save percentage. Offensively, Rodney Ngoh is the lone Marymount player in double figures with 13 points on six goals and one assist. Rookie Mynor Lopez ranks second on the team with seven points on three goals and one assist.
The game will be played as the second contest in a doubleheader with the women's teams. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 pm at Long Bridge Park.
