VIDEO: Women's Soccer Update

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The top-seeded Captains of Christopher Newport will host one of two Capital Athletic Conference women's soccer semifinal matchups on Tuesday, as they welcome in 5th-seeded Mary Washington (9-8-2) for a 6:00 pm kickoff. The Captains (14-4-1) earned a first round bye while the Eagles advanced by virtue of a 3-2 penalty kick shootout victory over 4th-seeded Salisbury following a scoreless draw. Tuesday night's game will be streamed live online and live stats will be available at CNUsports.com/live. 

Tickets for the CAC Semifinal Game will be $5 for Adults, $3 for Kids, CNU students will be FREE with a valid ID.

For the third straight year, the Captains captured the CAC regular season crown, sharing the 2015 title with St. Mary's (Md.) after matching 8-1-0 records in league play this season. In three years under head coach Dan Weiler, Christopher Newport has posted a 23-2-1 overall record in CAC action for a winning percentage of 90%. The Captains still seek their first CAC Tournament Championship, however, after falling in the 2013 title game and 2014 semifinals. 

"We're really proud of our accomplishments in the conference," head coach Dan Weiler said. "Certainly we have work to do -- in playoffs, in the last couple years, we've stumbled a little bit. So that's a new emphasis for us now that the regular season is done, is to focus on playoffs." 

This season, the road to the championship begins with Mary Washington, who the Captains defeated, 3-2, in the regular season on the road. Christopher Newport scored two goals in the first half and clinched the win with a crucial insurance tally in the late stages of the game, before the Eagles cut the lead back to one with just 2:32 remaining in the game. Senior midfielder Lindsay Mondloch led the way, scoring the game-winning goal and assisting on a score earlier in the contest. The win was part of a season-best eight game winning streak, and the Captains have now won nine of their last ten games. 

Leading the way offensively this season has been defending CAC Player of the Year, Victoria Perry. The junior forward ranks second in the CAC in total goals (13) and points (32), and became just the third player in program history to register back-to-back 30-point seasons. She picked up two more goals in the regular season finale, helping propel the Captains to the top seed in this week's conference tournament, and leads the conference in game-winning goals, with five. After Perry, the Captains are very balanced offensively, with fellow junior Allie McWilliams and Mondloch as the only other players in double figure scoring. McWilliams is having a break-out campaign with eight assists and three goals for 14 points, while Mondloch has saved her finest season for her senior year, posting 13 points on three goals and seven assists. 

Defensively, the Captains have been strong all season with nine shutouts and a 0.93 goals-against average. CNU senior defender Megan Weast will be facing a familiar face as she squares off against one of Mary Washington's most dangerous scoring threats, her twin sister Lizzie Weast. Mary Washington's Weast scored a game-tying goal against the Captains earlier this year and ranks second on the team with 17 total points. Along with Weast, the CNU defense has been led this year by junior Sam Rabinek and sophomores Kira Warner, Carly Melkus and Danielle Pratt. Senior Abby Johnson has controlled the defensive midfield as well, as CNU has allowed just 18 goals in 19 games this season. 

The Eagles advanced to Tuesday night's CAC Semifinal with a strong defensive performance on the road against Salisbury. Mary Washington did not allow a shot on goal in the scoreless draw, and rookie goalkeeper, Haley Randall, secured the shootout victory. Randall has played in nearly 1500 minutes this season for the Eagles in her first year, posting a 1.17 goals-against average. 

Offensively, Weast is joined by rookie Marisa Madaras and junior MaryFay Jackson in double figures. Madaras leads the team with nine goals and two assists for 20 points, while Jackson has added four goals and five assists for 13 total points. The Eagles offense averages 2.0 goals per game and has been held scoreless just twice in their last 12 games. 

Live stats and a live video webcast will be available at kickoff, which is slated for 6:00 pm. The other CAC Semifinal will kick off earlier in the day at 2:30 pm, featuring the #6 York (Pa.) Spartans traveling to #2 St. Mary's (Md.). The winning teams will advance to Saturday's CAC Championship Game, held on the higher seed's home field.