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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team will cap off its early-season four-game home stand on Saturday at 4 p.m. when CNU takes on Hampden-Sydney in a non-conference battle at Captains Turf Field.
Entering the contest, Christopher Newport currently sports a 2-1 record, including victories over Ferrum and Randolph-Macon. Hampden-Sydney comes into town with a 4-1 mark. The Tigers, who are currently receiving votes in the latest USILA National Poll, are riding a four-game winning streak since dropping a 12-7 decision to second-ranked Salisbury in the season opener.
For those fans unable to make it to the game, live stats and a video stream will be available at CNUsports.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 has been led by a suffocating defensive unit, which includes three of the top-six leaders in caused turnovers in the Capital Athletic Conference.
Brandon Moloney sits second in the CAC with nine caused turnovers, while
Michael Mabry is third with six.
Thomas Courtney also ranks sixth in the league after forcing four miscues in his first three collegiate appearances.
Along with their success forcing turnovers, the Captains have been aggressive with ground balls. Moloney is second in the league with 19, while
Tony Cruz is third with 14. Cruz also leads the CAC with a .683 faceoff winning percentage. Meanwhile,
Matt Hayden has 11 ground balls and sits second in the league with a .662 save percentage during his time between the pipes.
On the offensive end,
Dave Magdeburger leads the team with eight points, including five assists.
Will Geise,
Ryan Mills, and
Joey Rolando also boast seven points apiece to help round out a well-balanced attack.
LAST TIME OUT On Wednesday, the Captains overcame an hour-long weather delay at the start of the contest to topple Randolph-Macon, 10-5. During the game, Mills posted four points, including three goals. Geise also added a pair of tallies, while Magdeburger contributed three assists. Hayden also tied his career-high with 17 saves, and Moloney forced four turnovers.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS Hampden-Sydney is led by head coach Ray Rostan, who is in his 37th and final season as a collegiate head coach. Before the year, he announced he would be retiring at the end of the 2016 campaign. One of the legends of lacrosse, he currently ranks eighth all-time among coaches at all levels of the NCAA with 333 career victories. Overall, he boasts a 333-192 career mark.
This year's team is led by Duncan Morris, who is the reigning Old Dominion Athletic Conference Men's Lacrosse Player of the Week. The junior leads the Tigers with 19 points, including 18 goals. Hunter Brown also has collected a team-high 12 assists, while Jake Koferl has scored 11 times.
On the defensive end, Mitch Renfrow has started all five games in goal while compiling a .548 save percentage and a 7.76 goals-against-average. Kyle Fraser has also forced a team-high five turnovers while adding 13 ground balls. On faceoffs, Wilson Booth has won 37 of his 56 attempts, while Jared Arntzen is 27-for-49.
SERIES HISTORY CNU and Hampden-Sydney have battled nine times with the Tigers holding a 6-3 edge in the all-time series. Christopher Newport had won three straight meetings before suffering a 10-3 setback last year.
UP NEXT Following Saturday's action, the Captains will hit the road for the first time this season as the squad travels to Greensboro, North Carolina for a match-up against Guilford on March 5 at 1 p.m.
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