SALISBURY, Md. -- The Christopher Newport field hockey team will travel to Salisbury for a Capital Athletic Conference showdown with the second-ranked Sea Gulls at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at Sea Gull Stadium.
 
Entering the fray, the Captains sit at 12-3 on the season, including 2-1 in league action. Meanwhile, Salisbury is 11-1 overall and 3-0 in the CAC. Christopher Newport has won four straight games coming into Wednesday's contest, while the Sea Gulls are on a seven-game tear.
 
For those fans unable to make it to the contest, Salisbury will provide live stats and a video stream of the action at SUSeaGulls.com. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the CNU schedule page.
 
A LOOK AT THE CAPTAINS
 
Christopher Newport currently ranks second in the NCAA with a 0.67 goals-against-average this year. The squad has yet to allow more than two goals in a contest and boasts seven shutouts. The seven blankings are currently tied for the sixth-most in the country and the fourth-highest total in CNU history. Meanwhile, the stingy CNU defense also ranks seventh in the nation with an .848 save percentage.
 
On an individual level, Bailey Lien stands fifth in the country in goals-against-average (0.73) and 12th in save percentage (.828). Sarah Miller is also tied for 17th nationally with six defensive saves, while Brittan Muir boasts a pair.
 
On the other side, Rachael Allshouse is the reigning CAC Offensive Player of the Week and enters Wednesday with a team-high 14 goals and 31 points. Her 14 goals are currently tied for the eighth-most in a single season in program history and the most ever by a sophomore. Meanwhile, Josie Morgan sits second on the team with 15 points, while Madison Doss and Abby Cryts also have five goals apiece.
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
On Sunday, Christopher Newport extended its winning streak for four games with a 3-1 triumph over Rhodes during a neutral-site battle in Charlottesville. Against the Lynx, Allshouse scored the equalizer at the end of the first half before Carol Thompson erupted for a pair of strikes after halftime. On the defensive side, Lien came through with seven saves for CNU, while Alexa Weaver added a defensive stop in the first half.
 
SCOUTING THE SEA GULLS
 
The Sea Gulls moved up a spot in the latest NFHCA National Coaches Poll on Tuesday and have been a mainstay in the top-five for over a month. Strong on both sides of the ball, Salisbury comes into Wednesday's battle ranked third in the NCAA in goals-per-game (4.42) and sixth in goals-against-average (0.75). The squad is also in the top-10 in scoring margin, scoring average, and penalty corners-per-game.
 
On an individual level, Becca Rinaca and Abbey Shobe are tied for the team-lead with 11 goals apiece, while Natalie Wilkinson has eight strikes and five assists. Defensively, Tressie Windsor has a .727 save percentage and a 0.77 goals-against-average, while Jillian Hughes has contributed three defensive saves.
 
SERIES HISTORY
 
CNU and Salisbury have met 19 times with the Sea Gulls holding a 16-3 edge in the all-time series. SU won a pair of one-goal decisions last year after wrapping up the regular season with a 3-2 double-overtime decision before notching a 2-1 triumph in the CAC semifinals. During the playoffs, Weaver posted a second-half goal, while Lien made five saves. Muir also contributed a pair of defensive stops during the contest.
 
UP NEXT
 
Following Wednesday's action, Christopher Newport will remain on the road for an 11 a.m. battle at Frostburg State on Sunday.
 
---CNU---