Live Stats ||
Live Video
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- After opening the 2016 season with a pair of games away from home, the Christopher Newport women's soccer team will break in Captains Field for the first time this weekend, hosting the 2016 Captains Classic on Friday and Saturday. CNU (2-0-0) will face sixth-ranked Carnegie Mellon University (1-1-0) at 7:30 pm on Friday, followed by a matchup with Wheaton (Ill.), who is receiving votes in the Top 25, on Saturday.
The talented field of the Captains Classic will also include Virginia Wesleyan College, who will face off against the Thunder on Friday at 5:00 pm to start the tournament. After the CNU/CMU matchup on Friday night, the four teams will return to the field on Saturday at 5, when the Marlins and Tartans do battle before CNU takes on Wheaton at 7:30 pm.
Live stats and a live video webcast will be available for all four contests, with links found at CNUsports.com/live.
In the first two games this season, the Captains raced away from both of their first two opponents, outscoring the opposition, 10-0. A 7-0 victory over Austin College opened the year and CNU then took down Methodist University by a final score of 3-0. The offense has been led by forwards
Carson Pokorny and
Victoria Perry, with eight and seven points apiece. Pokorny, a freshman, has three goals and two assists, while the senior leading scorer from the last two years, Perry, has two goals and three assists.
The CNU defense has been formidable as well, allowing just five total shots in two games played. Starting in the back, rookies
Shaye Doherty and
Logan Montel have been joined by junior
Danielle Pratt and sophomore
Lauren Ciccone, locking down each of their first two opponents. In goal, junior
Carly Maglio has started the year with a pair of shutouts, making four saves.
The home opener will be one of the toughest in program history, as the Captains welcome in the sixth-ranked Tartans. Carnegie Mellon reached the NCAA Sweet 16 after posting a 17-2-1 overall record, and were a top ten team in the 2016 preseason. Led by two goals and three assists from rookie forward Ryan Casey, the Tartans have already scored 13 goals in two games. They dominated a game against Franciscan in the opener, 12-0, and then suffered a 2-1 loss to ninth-ranked Thomas More in game two.
Defensively, Carnegie Mellon has turned to rookie goalkeeper Mia Keyser, while three of four 2015 All-Region selections return to lead the field players. Sophomore midfielder Tori Iatarola also captured All-American honors out of the midfield and has kicked off the 2016 season with two goals and an assist. Fellow All-Region selections Keely Jelinek and Haili Adams are also back for the Tartans.
CNU will also face off against Wheaton College on Saturday evening, as the Thunder make a return trip to Newport News after the Captains traveled to Chicago last season. Wheaton was receiving votes in the NSCAA Preseason Top 25, and are ranked No. 22 in the week 1 D3soccer.com national rankings. The Thunder are 1-2 to start the year after being shutout by Washington University (Mo.) and Loras and downing Hope College, 3-1.
Through three games, rookie forward Autumn Rasmussen leads the offense with all three goals scored, while upperclassmen Sarah Frey and Morgan Whitman are on the register with assists. In goal, senior Kathryn McGregor has played all 270 minutes, making 17 saves.
Rounding out the tournament field will be Virginia Wesleyan College, who the Captains will play next week. The Marlins will play in the 5:00 pm game on both Friday and Saturday after starting the season 0-1. Va. Wesleyan dropped their season opener against TCNJ, 3-0.
