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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Christopher Newport men's soccer team will host their last non-conference matchup of the year on Wednesday night, welcoming in the WildCats of Randolph College (5-1-2) for a 7:00 pm kickoff. The Captains (7-2-0) are looking to carry momentum from a pivotal bounce-back win over York into the matchup between regionally-ranked programs.
In this week's National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Regional Rankings, the Captains slipped a bit to No. 5, while Randolph jumped into the poll at No. 9. The new rankings set up another big regional head-to-head battle for fans of the South Atlantic region, with live stats and live video available at CNUsports.com/live.
CNU will lean on it's dangerous offense, averaging 3.33 goals per game this season with multiple goals in eight of nine games played. The Captains' offensive depth has been featured all season long, with eleven different goal scorers and 15 different players factoring into the scoring for CNU. Senior
Jimmy Grace leads the way with five goals and four assists (14 pts), while sophomore
Stephen Durbin has added five goals and two assists (12 pts).
Defensively, CNU has posted five shutouts this season, including one on Saturday in which the Captains came away with a 2-0 win over York (Pa.) in the CAC opener. Sophomore
Zach Pedini has been the starter between the pipes, and features a 1.06 goals-against average over 760+ minutes this season.
The WildCats are riding a seven-game unbeaten streak after opening the season with a loss to York (Pa.), 3-1. In Randolph's conference opener against Virginia Wesleyan on Saturday, the WildCats came away with a scoreless draw, ending a modest three-game winning streak.
Much like the Captains, the Randolph offense is balanced, with eight different goal scorers and no players in double figure scoring yet this season. Senior Troy Jurney and sophomore Adam Watson each have nine points, while junior Travis Brown has added seven. Defensively, Erick Cortez-Martinez has allowed only four goals this season for a 0.56 goals-against average, while registering 29 saves for an 87.9% save percentage. He is 5-0-2 on the year with three shutouts.
Following the matchup with the WildCats, CNU will turn it's focus to the remainder of the CAC schedule, beginning with a road trip to Wesley College this Saturday, October 1.
