ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. -- In one of the biggest conference games remaining on the schedule, the Christopher Newport women's soccer team, ranked 21st nationally in this week's NSCAA Top 25, will travel to St. Mary's College of Maryland for a Wednesday afternoon tilt. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 pm in a battle between the two remaining undefeated teams in conference play.

The Captains have pieced together the finest start in program history, running their overall record to 10-1-0 with a perfect 4-0-0 record in conference play. St. Mary's (Md.) is 7-4-0) with a matching conference mark heading into Wednesday's first-place bout. 

In this week's NSCAA National Rankings, the Captains slipped from No. 19 to No. 21 in the Top 25, but held onto their spot at No. 4 in the South Atlantic regional rankings. William Smith and Williams continue their back-and-forth at the top of the poll, with William Smith earning this week's number one spot, while Lynchburg College, the lone non-conference game left on the schedule for CNU, is ranked 10th. 

The Captains have continued to ascend the D3soccer.com national rankings as well, now pegged as the No. 17 team in the nation as of Monday's week six poll. 

Christopher Newport has been dominant on both sides of the ball, particularly in conference play. Through the first four games of the CAC season, the Captains are outscoring opponents 23-1, and have moved up to 13th nationally in scoring offense (3.73 goals per game). Defensively, CNU remains among the top 20 nationally, powered by junior goalkeeper Carly Maglio, who ranks 20th in the nation in goals-against average (0.36). Maglio is also ranked 24th in save percentage (.905), while securing seven shutouts in the first 12 games of the year. 

Offensively, senior Victoria Perry ranks third in the CAC in total points with 22, and is closing in on the Captains' all-time scoring title with 99 career points. Perry's former teammate, Emma O'Reilly, is the all-time leader, with 103 points. 

On the other side of the field, another one of the league's leading scorers will be employed by the Seahawks, as Gillian Sawyer, leads the way for St. Mary's (Md.). Perry and Sawyer are the last two conference player of the year selections in the league, and boast three All-Region selections between them. This season, Sawyer has 11 goals and three assists for 25 points, ranking second in the league. 

The Seahawks rank second in the league in points scored behind the Captains, while also featuring the third-best defense in terms of goals-against average. Winners of four straight games overall, St. Mary's has been strong on their home field, boasting a 3-1 record. 

Live stats and a live video webcast will be available starting at opening kickoff, which is set for 4:00 pm. 
 

NSCAA NCAA Division III Women - National - Poll 5 - October 11, 2016

Rank	School	Prev.	W-L-T
1	William Smith	2	12-0-0
2	Williams College	1	10-0-1
3	Trinity University (Texas)	3	10-0-0
4	Thomas More	4	13-0-1
5	Stevens Institute Of Technology	5	11-0-0
6	Arcadia University	7	13-0-0
7	University of Wisconsin-Whitewater	6	13-1-0
8	Brandeis University	8	12-0-1
9	The College of New Jersey	9	10-0-1
10	Lynchburg College	10	8-0-3
11	University Of Chicago	11	10-1-0
12	Messiah College	14	9-2-0
13	St. Thomas, University of	12	10-0-1
14	Rowan University	13	12-0-1
15	Washington University (Mo.)	15	9-2-1
16	Pacific Lutheran University	17	9-0-3
17	Johns Hopkins University	RV	9-1-2
18	Connecticut College	18	9-1-0
19	Carnegie Mellon University	RV	7-3-1
20	Hardin-Simmons University	20	11-1-0
21	Christopher Newport University	19	10-1-0
22	Swarthmore College	16	11-1-0
23	Buffalo State College	NR	10-1-2
24	University of Wisconsin-La Crosse	24	10-2-0
25	Pomona-Pitzer Colleges	RV	8-0-2

Also receiving votes: Franklin College (4), Amherst College (3), Montclair State University (2), New York University (1)