Live Stats // Live Video
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team will face its first road test of the year on Saturday at 1 p.m. when the Captains travel to Guilford for a non-conference showdown at the Armfield Athletic Center.
CNU comes into the contest on a two-game roll after defeating Randolph-Macon and Hampden-Sydney last week. Overall, the Captains sit at 3-1 on the season. Meanwhile, Guilford enters the game with a 1-2 record so far this year.
For those fans unable to make it to Greensboro, Guilford will provide live stats and a video stream of the action at GuilfordQuakers.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 stout defensive unit, which has allowed 10 goals or less in each of the squad's four games this season.
Matt Hayden has been at the forefront of that effort and was honored as the CAC Defensive Player of the Week for his early-season performance. Overall this year, the junior goalie leads the league with 54 total saves, while his 6.85 goals-against-average places him third in the conference.
Along with Hayden, the entire CNU defense has been able to frustrate opposing attacks throughout the year.
Brandon Moloney currently sits second in the conference with 11 caused turnovers, while
Michael Mabry is tied for third with nine. Moloney is also fifth in the league with 23 ground balls, and
Tony Cruz is seventh with 15. Cruz also boasts a .630 faceoff winning percentage this year.
On the offensive end,
Joey Rolando has a team-high seven goals and 10 points.
Will Geise and
Ryan Mills have also found the back of the net six times, while
Dave Magdeburger leads the team with five assists. Overall, 13 different Captains have registered at least one goal this year, while nine have scored at least twice.
LAST TIME OUT On Saturday, Christopher Newport took down Hampden-Sydney, 9-6, at Captains Turf Field. During the contest, Rolando netted a hat-trick, while
Matthew Crist also contributed three points, including a pair in the final two minutes. On the defensive end, Hayden came through with nine saves, and Mabry forced three turnovers.
SCOUTING THE QUAKERS Guilford is coming off of a 12-4 setback against Elizabethtown on Wednesday. Against the Blue Jays, Adam Fiore collected a pair of goals, while Connor Manning won 11 of his 15 faceoff attempts. Parker Styles also made 10 saves against Elizabethtown.
Overall this season, Fiore leads the squad with seven points and is tied with Dylan Haupt for the team-lead with five goals. Zachary Berkowitz also has six points, including four tallies. On faceoffs, Manning is 24-for-45 this year and ranks second on the team with 10 ground balls. Styles has anchored the team between the pipes, starting all three games while accumulating a .574 save percentage and an 8.67 goals-against-average.
SERIES HISTORY Christopher Newport and Guilford have met four previous times with the Captains sporting a 3-1 record in the all-time series. The two squads last met in 2010 when CNU posted a 14-10 victory in Greensboro.
UP NEXT Following Saturday's contest, Christopher Newport will return to action on March 16 for a 7 p.m. battle against No. 10 Roanoke in Salem, Virginia.
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