Live Stats // Video Stream
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- After securing the No. 3 seed in the Capital Athletic Conference Tournament, the Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team will open up the playoffs at home on Wednesday at 4 p.m. when CNU hosts Mary Washington in a first-round bout at Captains Turf Field.
Entering the postseason, Christopher Newport boasts an 11-4 record, including a 6-2 mark in conference action. Mary Washington earned the No. 6 seed in the playoffs after wrapping up the regular season with a 7-7 record and a 4-4 mark against CAC foes.
For those fans unable to make it to Wednesday's game, Christopher Newport will have live stats at CNUsports.com. The Captains will also provide a live stream of the action with Andy McGregor and Jake Myers calling all of the action. Direct links can be found at the top of this release and on the CNU schedule page.
Wednesday's match-up marks the 11th all-time meeting between the Captains and Eagles. Mary Washington holds an 8-2 edge in the series, but CNU won the previous meeting with a 14-11 triumph in Fredericksburg on April 1. During that contest,
John Thompson,
Dave Magdeburger, and
Randy Foster all scored three times for Christopher Newport, while
Matt Hayden made nine saves to secure the victory.
Entering the playoffs, CNU ranks among the national leaders in nearly every offensive category. The squad currently sits seventh in the NCAA with a .347 shooting percentage and eighth with a 14.67 goals-per-game average. The Captains also rank in the top-10 in assists- and points-per-game, while their .436 conversion rate in man-up situations stands 14th overall.
On an individual level, Thompson leads the team and sits fourth in the CAC with 37 goals. Along with the senior standout, Magdeburger and
Will Geise are both in the league's top-10 in assists, while
Alex Barber is sixth with a .442 shooting percentage. Foster has also been electric recently, including a three-point performance during CNU's 7-6 victory at York in the regular season finale on Saturday.
Defensively, Hayden has compiled a .553 save percentage and a 9.17 goals-against-average. He also came through with back-to-back double-digit save efforts last week, including 16 stops against St. Mary's on April 15. Helping out,
Brandon Moloney has forced 16 turnovers and collected 48 ground balls, while
Harrison Drier has 11 and 49.
The Captains have also been strong on faceoffs as the team has won 60 percent of its battles.
Tony Cruz led the way against the Eagles earlier in the year with a 20-for-26 performance.
Nick Kirschke has also excelled in recent weeks, highlighted by a 21-for-25 effort against St. Mary's.
Mary Washington enters the playoffs on a two-game roll, including a tremendous 6-4 victory at No. 18 Frostburg State last Wednesday. Colin Bressan has been the key to the Eagles' recent run as the freshman goalie registered back-to-back 19-save efforts and has not allowed more than nine goals since his setback against CNU earlier this month.
On the offensive end, Jack Bondurant has a team-high 32 goals, while Miles Davis leads the team with 16 assists. Jared Golden has been UMW's faceoff specialist, winning 47 percent of his 265 battles. He also has accumulated 59 ground balls.
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