Live Stats // Video Stream
SALEM, Va. -- On a four-game roll, the Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team will face its first top-20 opponent of the season on Wednesday at 7 p.m. when the Captains battle 11th-ranked Roanoke in a non-conference showdown at Kerr Stadium.
Coming into the contest, CNU sits at 4-1 overall, including 1-0 in road bouts. Meanwhile, Roanoke boasts a 6-1 mark with a 3-1 record at home.
For those fans unable to make it to the game, Roanoke will provide live stats and a video stream of the action at Maroons.Roanoke.edu. 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 continued to display a stout defensive unit, which has limited its last three opponents to six goals or less. Helping anchor the squad's defensive efforts,
Brandon Moloney has forced a team-high 14 turnovers while grabbing 23 ground balls. Meanwhile,
Michael Mabry has caused 10 turnovers, and
Harrison Drier has collected 18 ground balls.
In the crease for the Captains,
Matt Hayden sports a 6.75 goals-against-average and a .642 save percentage. The junior standout has made at least 10 stops in four of his five appearances this year and was named the CAC Defensive Player of the Week after a 17-save effort against Randolph-Macon on February 24.
On the offensive end, CNU features a well-balanced attack as six players have scored at least six times this season.
Dave Magdeburger leads the team with 14 points, while
Ryan Mills has 13.
Will Geise and
Joey Rolando boast double-digit point efforts as well. Additionally,
Tony Cruz has a 64 percent success rate on faceoffs this year.
LAST TIME OUT Coming off of a lengthy break, the Captains were last in action on March 5 when the squad toppled Guilford, 13-6, in Greensboro. During that contest, seven different Captains registered a goal, including four by
Matthew Crist. Magdeburger also contributed a game-high five points, including three assists, while Geise added four points of his own.
On the defensive end, Hayden helped quiet the Quakers as he notched seven saves to earn the victory.
SCOUTING THE MAROONS Roanoke enters Wednesday riding a three-game winning streak after rebounding from a 12-6 setback against York on March 2. In their last appearance, the Maroons upended Randolph-Macon, 18-5, on Saturday. During that game, Kevin Jackson scored six goals for Roanoke, while Will Pilat added five. Tyler McWilliams helped facilitate the attack with a team-high three assists, and Reid Kaminski won 12 of his 15 faceoff attempts.
Throughout the year, the Maroons have dominated possession as Kaminski boasts a .786 faceoff winning percentage, while Max Kraus has won 68 percent of his battles. The squad also features a well-balanced attack as five players already have double-digit goal totals, including 15 apiece by Pilat and IV Stucker. McWilliams leads the squad with 12 assists as well.
On the defensive end, Ian Davies and Burke McManus have split time between the pipes throughout the season. Both standouts have played over 200 minutes in the crease with Davies sporting a .613 save percentage and McManus boasting a .563 mark. Together, they have helped limit the opposition to a 7.86 goals-against-average, while Conn Curry has chipped in on the defensive end as well with 15 caused turnovers and 22 ground balls.
SERIES HISTORY CNU and Roanoke have only met once with the Maroons posting a 16-5 victory over the Captains in Salem on March 28, 2012.
UP NEXT Following Wednesday's action, Christopher Newport will open up Capital Athletic Conference play on Saturday at 1 p.m. when the Captains square off with Marymount in Arlington.
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