ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. -- The eighth-ranked Christopher Newport men's soccer team returns to the field on Wednesday, September 9 as they travel to North Carolina Wesleyan (1-1-0) to face the long-time conference rival Battling Bishops at 4:00 pm. CNU, off to a 3-0-0 start this season, will face the Bishops for the 48th time in program history, with the series dating back to 1974. 

Of those 47 previous matchups, the Captains have won 21, lost 18 and tied eight with the Bishops, in what has proven as one of the most competitive rivalries in the region. CNU has won six straight and are 15-7-3 against N.C. Wesleyan in the 19 seasons under head coach Steve Shaw. 

So far this season, the Captains have been led by junior forward Patrick Burns, scoring four goals and adding one assist for a league-leading nine points. Burns was named the CAC Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday, after notching his second career hat trick and a pair of game-winning goals. Sophomore Andrew Gogolin and rookie Zachary Ballard also connected for goals last week, with Ballard's first collegiate goal also his first gamewinner. 

Defensively, senior goalkeeper Nolan Mann has started all three games for the Captains, posting a pair of shutout victories. He has a 0.63 goals against average in over 280 minutes played so far, while making a pair of saves. On the back line, Sean Christein has anchored a group that includes sophomores Zach Douglass, Cameron Vaughn and rookie Bobby Seifert. In three games, the CNU defense has allowed just four shots on-goal. 

Coming into Wednesday's tilt against the Captains, the Battling Bishops have played just two games and split away from home with a win at Bridgewater and loss at Lynchburg. In their home opener against the Captains, NC Wesleyan will look to ignite an offense that averaged over 2.5 goals per game last season and finished the year with a 13-6-1 overall record. 

Against Bridgewater, Dori Bjarneyjarson and Olafur Einarsson scored for the Battling Bishops, while senior Matt Moore chipped in an assist. Sophomore goalkeeper Jesper Olsson has played both games between the pipes, allowing three goals with seven saves.