Live Stats // Video Stream
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team will take on St. Mary's (Md.) in a key Capital Athletic Conference match-up on Saturday at 1 p.m. when CNU hosts the Seahawks at Captains Turf Field.
Entering the weekend, Christopher Newport stands at 6-1 on the season, including 1-0 in the CAC. Meanwhile, St. Mary's boasts a pristine 7-0 mark with a 6-0 record away from home. Both squads are currently receiving votes in the latest IWLCA National Coaches Poll.
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 is currently riding a five-game winning streak, which includes four straight triumphs by at least 10 goals. Overall this season, the Captains are out-scoring the opposition by an average of eight goals per game, which leads the CAC and ranks 16th in the NCAA.
Featuring a well-balanced team, CNU sits 15th in the country with a .558 save percentage and 21st with a 15.57 goals-per-game average. The team is also controlling possession with an average of 14.43 draw-controls-per-contest. That mark leads the conference and currently ranks as the third-highest average in program history.
On an individual level,
Meaghan Galvin stands third in the NCAA with 50 draw controls and ninth with 17 assists. The junior standout also leads the CAC with 36 points and sits fifth with 19 goals. Meanwhile, on the defensive end,
Emma Walsh ranks first in the conference and 15th in the country with a .569 save percentage. Her 58 total stops also place her 17th in the nation.
LAST TIME OUT On Wednesday, the Captains continued their recent tear with a 19-8 victory over Randolph-Macon. During that contest,
Sarah Culver erupted for a team-high five goals, while
Colleen Bourgal struck four times. Galvin also made history during the game as she established new program records for career draw controls (189) and free-position goals (34).
On the defensive side,
Lindsay Weaver and
Tess D'Arcy both forced three turnovers, while Walsh made eight saves to earn the victory. D'Arcy and
Catie Chess also added three ground balls apiece, and
Sam Puglisi scooped up two and added a pair of goals.
SCOUTING THE SEAHAWKS St. Mary's has opened the season with seven straight victories, including two wins over nationally-ranked opponents. The Seahawks defeated No. 16 Washington & Lee, 8-7, on February 24 and recently downed No. 18 Washington (Md.), 14-8, on March 16 in Puerto Rico. During that contest, Tori Poffenberger notched nine points, while Meg Gesner added five. Kayla Dunn led the defense with 10 saves.
Overall this season, St. Mary's ranks among the top-30 nationally in assists-per-game (24th - 7.00), caused-turnovers-per-game (27th - 12.43), and points-per-game (27th - 20.86). Poffenberger and Shelby Newman have paced the attack as the two standouts rank among the top-five in the CAC in points. Poffenberger currently sits fourth with 30, while Newman is fifth with 28. Newman also leads the team and ranks seventh in the conference with 11 caused turnovers.
SERIES HISTORY CNU and St. Mary's have met 10 times with the Seahawks holding a 6-4 lead in the all-time series. Last season, SMC posted an 18-14 win in Maryland. Incredibly, of the combined 24 starters from last year's game, 20 will be back in action on Saturday. Among the familiar faces, Poffenberger tallied 10 points for St. Mary's against the Captains in 2015, while Chess, Galvin, and
Kylie Chaplin all had hat-tricks for CNU.
UP NEXT After this weekend's contest, Christopher Newport will return to action next Saturday when the Captains head to Frostburg State for a 3 p.m. bout.
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