Live Stats // Video Stream
YORK, Pa. -- The Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team will conclude the regular season on Saturday at 3 p.m. when the Captains battle York in a vital Capital Athletic Conference match-up at Kinsley Field.
Coming into Saturday, CNU stands at 10-4 on the season, including 5-2 in league action. York has a matching 5-2 conference mark and a 9-7 overall record. Although both teams are guaranteed a spot in the upcoming CAC playoffs, Saturday's game is crucial in determining the seeding for the tournament.
Entering the final day of the regular season, the Captains can still finish anywhere from second to fourth in the league standings. With a victory over York and a loss by Frostburg State at St. Mary's, CNU would clinch the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye. Victories by both Frostburg State and CNU would give the Captains the No. 3 seed.
Regardless of the outcome, CNU is guaranteed at least the No. 4 seed and a first-round home game, which would take place on Wednesday evening. The semifinals are slated for next Saturday, and the championship bout will take place on May 2.
For those fans unable to make it out to Saturday's game, York will provide live stats and a video stream at YCPSpartans.com. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the CNU schedule page.
Saturday's contest will mark the fifth all-time match-up between the Captains and Spartans. Currently, York holds a 4-0 advantage in the series, including a 15-8 victory in Newport News last year.
Entering the battle, Christopher Newport is currently on a two-game roll. On Wednesday, the Captains upended St. Mary's, 13-10. Against the Seahawks,
Brooks Billings and
Garrison Ernst both posted hat-tricks for CNU, while
Nick Kirschke was exceptional on faceoffs as the sophomore won 21 of his 25 battles. He also collected nine ground balls and tallied three points.
Closing in on the end of the regular season, two Captains are approaching history.
John Thompson leads CNU with 35 goals this year. That total is three away from breaking the single-season program record. Coincidentally, he is also three shy of setting the program's career goals mark. Fellow senior
Brenden Dwyer is also two games away from establishing a new career mark for appearances. He currently ranks second all-time with 62 games played.
In addition to the senior stalwarts,
Will Geise leads Christopher Newport with 21 assists this season and is tied for the team-high with 39 points. Billings has also contributed 35 points, while
Dave Magdeburger has 32. On the defensive end,
Brandon Moloney has forced a team-high 16 turnovers while collecting 44 ground balls.
Matt Hayden also boasts a 9.45 goals-against-average and a .543 save percentage during his time between the pipes.
York enters Saturday following a 19-6 setback at Salisbury on Wednesday. Against the Sea Gulls, Tyler Hutson posted four goals, including the 200th of his career. He currently leads the CAC with 40 goals and 68 points. Dillon Hannah also has 45 points, including 30 tallies. On the defensive end, Caleb Abney has compiled an 8.02 goals-against-average and a .564 save percentage. Jake Katchmark has also won 59 percent of his 318 faceoff attempts.
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