DOVER, Del. -- After a week of rest following a CAC-opening win over York (Pa.), the 23rd-ranked Christopher Newport women's soccer team is back in action on Saturday, October 1, traveling to Wesley College for a 6:00 pm kickoff. The Captains (7-1-0, 1-0-0) will look to add to a three-game winning streak as they face off against the Wolverines (4-3-1, 0-1-0), hoping to bounce back after a 4-2 setback in their league opener last weekend.
The game is being played as the back end of a doubleheader with the men's teams, with the game one kickoff slated for 3:00 pm. The women are scheduled to kick off at 6:00 pm, with live stats and live video available for both games. Links to both can be found at the soccer schedule on CNUsports.com.
Following their three-game winning streak, the Captains have re-entered the national rankings this week, checking in at No. 23 according to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Featuring one of the toughest defenses to crack in the nation, the Captains have five shutouts in eight games, and have allowed only one goal in the other three games.
Junior goalkeeper
Carly Maglio has played all 720 minutes between the pipes, posting a 0.38 goals-against average with 29 saves and a .906 save percentage. The back line in front of her has been led by juniors
Kira Warner,
Danielle Pratt, and rookies
Shaye Doherty, and
Keiley McCarthy. The unit as a whole is allowing just four shots on-goal per game, and just seven total shots per contest.
Offensively, the Captains have been very dangerous at times, averaging 2.75 goals per game with multiple goals scored in six of eight games so far. Senior
Victoria Perry, who ranks second all-time in scoring at Christopher Newport, leads the team again in her final season, with 15 total points. Perry has registered five goals and five assists this season, headlining a deep offense that includes 10 different goal-scorers.
The Captains will be facing a Wolverines squad that also features a stingy defense. Prior to allowing four goals to Frostburg State last weekend, Wesley had registered four straight shutouts, and five over the course of a six-game stretch. During that six-game run, Wesley outscored opponents 17-2 while posting a record of 4-1-1.
Like CNU, the Wolverines have relied on just one goalkeeper, as senior Sam Brannigan boasts a 0.97 goals-against average in over 740 minutes of action. She has five shutouts and an .862 save percentage coming into Saturday's tilt with the Captains. Offensively, rookie Aleya Cummings has burst onto the scene for Wesley, scoring 12 of the team's 19 goals so far. She leads the league in goals and points for the season, while also registering 17 more shots than the next player in the CAC.
Christopher Newport will return home for a mid-week matchup with Southern Virginia University on Tuesday, October 4, and will then hit the road for two straight conference games against Frostburg State on October 8 and St. Mary's (Md.) on October 12.
