YORK, Pa. -- The 16th-ranked Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team will open up the Capital Athletic Conference Tournament on Wednesday at 4 p.m. when the Captains travel to 14th-ranked York (Pa.) for a first-round bout at Kinsley Field.
Entering the playoffs, CNU stands at 11-4 overall with a 5-3 record in conference action. York (Pa.) has a similar 11-5 record with an identical 5-3 mark against conference foes. The Captains enter the playoffs as the league's No. 5 seed, while the Spartans hold down the No. 4 spot.
The winner of Wednesday's clash will advance to the CAC semifinals for a showdown at top-seeded Salisbury on Saturday.
A LOOK AT THE CAPTAINS With the regular season in the books, Christopher Newport comes into the postseason ranked first in the conference in goals-per-game and draw controls. The Captains are averaging 13.67 goals per contest and have collected 200 draw controls. Equally stout on the defensive side, CNU boasts a .537 save percentage, which ranks first in the conference and 13th in the nation.
On an individual level,
Meaghan Galvin is first in the league with 72 points and 81 draw controls. Additionally, her .778 free-position percentage not only leads the CAC, but it also stands as the finest rate in the NCAA this year.
Catie Chess and
Sarah Culver are also tied for seventh in the league with 35 goals apiece, while
Kylie Chaplin ranks in the top-20 in assists with 10.
On the defensive end,
Emma Walsh sports a league-best .543 save percentage and has collected 33 ground balls.
Mariah Ginebra also sits eighth in the Capital with 20 caused turnovers, while Chess,
Tess D'Arcy,
Kirsten Mendelsohn, and
Lindsay Weaver also boast double-digit totals.
LAST TIME OUT On Saturday, CNU wrapped up the regular season with a 10-5 setback against York (Pa.) at Captains Turf Field. During the game, Chaplin posted a pair of goals and D'Arcy forced three turnovers, but the Spartans used a big second half to pull away. Galvin also secured five draw controls against YCP, while Walsh made eight saves between the pipes.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS York (Pa.) enters the postseason on a four-game tear. The squad has not allowed more than eight goals in any of its last four outings and has held its opposition to fewer than 10 tallies in all but one of its games this year. Not surprisingly, YCP ranks second in the conference with a 5.50 goals-against-average.
Rachel Donovan leads the CAC with a personal 5.57 goals-against-average while also boasting a .431 save percentage. Assisting on the back end, Megan Strauch and Melissa Meehling rank in the league's top-10 in caused turnovers, while Strauch also stands fourth with 42 ground balls. On the offensive end, Allison Kolacy is fourth in the conference with 22 assists, while Brittany Noell has a team-high 20 goals.
SERIES HISTORY York (Pa.) and CNU have met three times with the Spartans holding a 3-0 record in the series, including Saturday's victory at Captains Turf Field.
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