Live Stats // Video Stream
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The 15th-ranked Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team will wrap up the regular season on Saturday at 1 p.m. when CNU hosts 16th-ranked York (Pa.) in a key Capital Athletic Conference matchup on Senior Day at Captains Turf Field.
With playoff positioning on the line, CNU enters the contest with an 11-3 record, including a 5-2 mark in the CAC. York (Pa.) sits at 10-5 overall with a 4-3 record in league action. The Captains are currently tied for second in the league standings with St. Mary's (Md.) and Mary Washington. York is one game behind in fifth place.
Entering the final game, the Captains can finish anywhere from second to fifth in the standings. The top-two seeds will receive first-round byes, while the No. 3 and No. 4 teams will host first-round games next Wednesday.
For those fans unable to make it to Saturday's game, live results 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 will honor its four senior members prior to Saturday's game. Together,
Kylie Chaplin,
Kirsten Mendelsohn,
Sam Puglisi, and
Hanna Slough have played an integral role in the Captains' success over the past four seasons. Since 2013, the squad earned its first-ever spot in the national rankings and has spent time in the top-20 during three of the last four years.
Along with national prominence, the four seniors helped Christopher Newport win a USA South Championship in 2013 before reaching the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. Later, they helped the Captains make the transition to the vaunted Capital Athletic Conference during their final three seasons.
On an individual level, Chaplin, an All-Conference and All-State performer, ranks seventh in program history in free-position goals and ninth in assists and draw controls. Slough has also been a decorated contributor between the pipes, earning USA South and CAC All-Conference honors while ranking among the top-two all-time at CNU in career victories and saves.
Equally valuable on the defensive side of the ball, Mendelsohn currently ranks ninth all-time with 48 caused turnovers while earning 44 starts on the back line over the past four years. Meanwhile, Puglisi has been a contributor all over the field while anchoring the midfield unit. Since 2013, she has started 38 games while forcing 26 turnovers and adding 11 points, including seven this year.
LAST TIME OUT On Wednesday, CNU dropped a 12-4 decision to 13th-ranked Mary Washington in Arlington.
Meaghan Galvin led the team with three points, which bumped her career total to 201. She is just the seventh player in CNU history to eclipse the 200-point plateau. Meanwhile,
Emma Walsh made 11 saves for the Captains, while
Colleen Bourgal and
Catie Chess also scored.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS York (Pa.) has been led by an outstanding defensive unit, which has surrendered just 5.53 goals-per-game. That rate ranks 10th in the NCAA. Anchoring the back end, Rachel Donavan sits eighth in the NCAA with a personal 5.63 goals-against-average while also sporting a .404 save percentage. Megan Strauch has also forced a team-high 21 turnovers, while Melissa Meehling has caused 19.
On the offensive end, Allison Kolacy leads the Spartans with 33 points and 21 assists. Meehling and Brittany Noell are tied for the team-lead with 18 goals apiece. Overall, seven different players have posted at least 10 goals this year, while Katelyn Cattrano also sits second on the team with 23 points.
SERIES HISTORY York (Pa.) and CNU have met twice with the Spartans capturing both games. Last season, YCP registered a 13-7 win in Pennsylvania. Chess led the Captains with three goals during that contest, while
Carly Wilson added a pair.
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