Live Stats // Video Stream
WINCHESTER, Va. -- The Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team will kick off the 2016 campaign on Saturday at 4 p.m. when the Captains head to Shenandoah for a non-conference battle with the Hornets at Sprint Field.
Saturday's action will mark the dawn of a new era for the women's lacrosse team as
Lisa Valentine will begin her tenure as the fourth head coach in program history. Meanwhile, Shenandoah enters the battle with a game under its belt already as the Hornets dropped a 13-4 decision at Mary Washington on Wednesday.
For those fans unable to make it to Saturday's contest, Shenandoah will provide live stats and a video stream of the action at SUHornets.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 Although the 2016 squad will feature a new head coach, the Captains welcome back a veteran-laden roster that includes a pair of returning All-Region performers. Last season,
Meaghan Galvin and
Mariah Ginebra both secured first-team All-Region accolades after Galvin led the team with 69 points, while Ginebra anchored the defense with 20 caused turnovers.
In addition to the All-Region honorees, CNU returns four additional All-Conference performers in
Kylie Chaplin,
Catie Chess,
Tess D'Arcy, and
Hanna Slough. Overall, the Captains return nine starters from last year's team, including five of their top-six leading scorers.
Entering the year with high expectations, Christopher Newport finished tied for third in the Capital Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. The team is coming off of a 9-8 campaign in 2015, which included a 5-3 record in league play.
SCOUTING THE HORNETS Shenandoah was selected fifth in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Preseason Poll after posting a 12-5 record last season, including a 7-2 mark in league action. Miranda Rudacille is the team's leading returning scorer after she tied for second on the squad with 45 points last year. In this season's opener against Mary Washington, she also scored one of the team's four goals during the 13-4 setback.
Meanwhile, Rachel Levy returns between the pipes as the sophomore goalie registered an 8.31 goals-against-average and a .489 save percentage last year. On Wednesday, she split time in goal against the Eagles, making six saves before Brittany Bain came through with eight stops in the second half. Brittany Arndt also had six draw controls against Mary Washington, while Annie McCorry collected a team-high five ground balls.
SERIES HISTORY The Captains and Hornets have battled 18 times with Christopher Newport boasting a 16-2 record in those meetings. The two teams last met during the 2012 USA South Championship Game with CNU claiming the crown with a 13-9 victory in Burlington, North Carolina.
UP NEXT Following Saturday's contest, Christopher Newport will return home for the start of a three-game homestand beginning with a 1 p.m. battle against Washington (Md.) on February 27.
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