KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Christopher Newport men's soccer team, unbeaten through the first six games of the season, moved up one spot in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division III National Rankings released today, listed as the No. 7 team in the Top 25. Also, in the second week of the D3soccer.com National Rankings, the Captains were ranked fifth in the country, falling from the top spot a week ago. 

CNU (5-0-1) will put their unbeaten record on the line on Wednesday, as they travel to Methodist University for a 5:00 pm kickoff. The Captains and Monarchs have played 45 times in program history, with CNU holding a 28-15-2 overall advantage in the series. The two programs met last year and played to a 1-1 draw. 

The first regular season rankings by the NSCAA listed defending national champion Tufts University as the top-ranked team, off to a 3-0 start this year. The rest of the teams ahead of the Captains are Trinity (Texas) at second, followed by Kenyon, Franklin & Marshall, the University of Chicago and Loras. Fellow CAC league member Salisbury University is currently listed among the other teams receiving votes. 

Christopher Newport, led by Steve Shaw in his 20th season, is off to the team's best start since 2011, when the Captains ran off a record of 17-0-1 before their first loss. Shaw is now one win shy of 275 for his career at CNU, and continues to climb the all-time coaching ranks among Division III head coaches. 

This season, the offense has been led by junior Patrick Burns, scoring 11 points on five goals and one assist. Rookie Zachary Ballard and senior Ryan Balfour have each chipped in four points as well so far, while the defense continues to impress for the Captains. Led by senior defender Sean Christein and goalkeeper Nolan Mann, the Captains have four shutouts in the first six games, and have allowed just five goals for a 0.78 goals against average. 

Methodist opened the year with two wins and a tie in their first three games, including a 3-2 decision over Lynchburg in the season opener. The Monarchs have slipped over their last three, however, falling to Virginia Wesleyan, John Carroll and Marymount as they ride a three-game losing streak into Wednesday's match. Three of their eight goals this season have come on penalty kicks, all converted by senior Eirik Nordseth, who leads Methodist in scoring through the first six games. Nordseth has six goals and one assist for 13 points this season, while Seth Harrison and Haakan Walhstrom have each added scores this year. 

Live stats and video will be available of Wednesday's matchup, with links found at CNUsports.com or the Methodist Athletics website. 


NSCAA NCAA Division III Men - National - Poll 1 - September 15, 2015

Rank	School	Prev.	W-L-T
1	Tufts University	1	3-0-0
2	Trinity University (Texas)	6	5-0-0
3	Kenyon College	9	5-0-0
4	Franklin & Marshall College	12	5-0-0
5	University Of Chicago	18	5-0-0
6	Loras College	11	4-0-1
7	Christopher Newport University	8	5-0-1
8	St. Lawrence University	13	4-0-1
9	Montclair State University	24	5-0-0
10	Amherst College	10	2-0-0
11	Messiah College	3	3-1-0
12	Denison University	NR	4-0-0
13	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	RV	5-0-0
14	University of Wisconsin-Whitewater	NR	5-0-0
15	Calvin College	16	3-0-1
16	Whitworth University	14	4-0-0
17	Carnegie Mellon University	NR	4-1-0
18	The College of New Jersey	NR	5-0-1
19	Eastern Connecticut State University	NR	5-0-0
20	University of Texas-Dallas	RV	4-1-0
21	Plattsburgh State University	NR	7-0-0
22	Elizabethtown College	NR	5-0-0
23	University of St. Thomas	NR	4-0-0
24	Washington University (Mo.)	NR	2-1-2
25	Brandeis University	NR	5-1-0

Also receiving votes: Salisbury University (6), Ohio Wesleyan University (5), SUNY Oneonta (2)