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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- In the midst of a busy 10-day stretch, the Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team will host 17th-ranked Union in a key non-conference bout on Monday at 4 p.m. at Captains Turf Field.
Riding a six-game winning streak, the Captains enter the contest at 6-1 overall, including 3-1 at home. Meanwhile, Union sits at 3-2 on the season with a 2-1 record on the road.
For those fans unable to make it to the game, live stats and a video stream of the action 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 After a weeklong layoff earlier this month, Christopher Newport kicked off a daunting 10-day stretch last week. The Captains are in the middle of a five-game run that features three top-20 opponents and three road bouts. So far, CNU is 2-0 during the stretch, including an 11-7 triumph at No. 11 Roanoke last Wednesday to open the run.
Christopher Newport has been led by a stout defensive unit, which is surrendering just over seven goals per game. The 50 total goals allowed by CNU this season are currently the second-fewest surrendered by a team in the CAC. On an individual level,
Matt Hayden ranks third in the conference with a .621 save percentage and has held the last six opponents to eight goals or less.
Hayden also comes into Monday's action on the cusp of history. The junior currently has 26 career wins. That total is just one shy of matching Andy McGregor's all-time mark of 27, which the former standout established from 2010-13.
Helping out on the defensive end,
Brandon Moloney is second in the league with 18 caused turnovers, while
Michael Mabry is eighth with 13. Moloney has also been especially successful at corralling ground balls as the senior sits sixth in the conference - and first among non-faceoff specialists - with 35. His finest effort came on Saturday when he collected a career-high 10 ground balls against Marymount.
On the offensive side, CNU has been led by an effective man-up attack, which has successfully converted 45 percent of its extra-man opportunities. That percentage ranks second in the CAC. Overall,
Dave Magdeburger leads the team with 13 goals and nine assists, while
Will Geise is second on the team with 19 points.
Matthew Crist has been electric in recent weeks as well, scoring 10 goals in his last four outings.
LAST TIME OUT On Saturday, Christopher Newport kicked off Capital Athletic Conference action with a 14-8 victory at Marymount. Crist continued his surge with six points, including three goals, while Magdeburger added a team-high four tallies. Overall, eight different Captains found the back of the net against the Saints.
Tony Cruz also excelled against Marymount as the sophomore won 17 of his 21 faceoff attempts. His 17 victories tied the ninth-highest single-game total in program history.
SCOUTING THE DUTCHMEN Union had won three straight games before falling to Montclair State, 12-11, in overtime on Saturday. During that contest, the Dutchmen had a lead with a minute left in regulation, but the Red Hawks added the equalizer in the waning moments of the fourth quarter before driving home the clincher in the first overtime period.
Against the Red Hawks, Union showed off a well-balanced attack as 10 different players accounted for the team's 11 goals. Peter Richardson was the only player with multiple tallies, while Nolan Stauffer contributed three points, including a pair of assists. Paul Alberti chipped in with two points as well. On the defensive end, Sam Bebout made 17 saves for the Dutchmen.
Overall this season, Stauffer leads the team with 20 points, including 11 assists. Richardson also boasts a team-high 12 goals. Tom Lawton has been Union's faceoff specialist and has won 52 percent of his battles (67-of-129). Michael Froman leads the defense with eight caused turnovers, and Bebout sports an 11.36 goals-against-average and a .504 save percentage as well.
SERIES HISTORY Monday's contest will mark the first-ever meeting between Union and CNU.
UP NEXT Following Monday's action, Christopher Newport will have a quick turnaround as the squad heads to Virginia Wesleyan for a 7 p.m. contest on Wednesday.
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