NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- After dropping two of the first three games of the season, the Christopher Newport men's soccer team has not lost since September 9, running together a streak of nine straight wins. On Saturday night, the Captains (10-2-0, 5-0-0) will look to make it 10 straight, while attempting to remain perfect in conference play as they host Penn State Harrisburg at 7:00 pm.
The Capital Athletic Conference matchup against the Lions is part of a league doubleheader with the women's teams, kicking off at 5:00 pm. For fans who can't make it to Captains Field, live stats and a live video webcast will be available at CNUsports.com/live.
Penn State Harrisburg comes into the game with a 10-5-0 overall record and 3-2-0 mark in CAC action. The all-time series favors the Captains, 4-1-0, dating back to the 2013 season when both teams joined the CAC.
Each team features a dynamic senior midfielder tied atop the league's scoring column with 24 points this season. Penn State Harrisburg's Chase Vilga has scored nine goals while facilitating on six more, while Christopher Newport's
Jimmy Grace leads the league with 10 goals while adding four helpers. They lead the league's top offenses, as the Captains come in averaging 4.33 goals per game while the Lions are averaging 2.60.
Christopher Newport's offense leads the nation and has 52 goals scored already this season. Behind Grace, junior
Stephen Durbin is just one point shy of his senior teammate with 23 points (10g, 3a). Seniors
Andrew Gogolin and
James Lee have added 15 points (6g, 3a) and 11 points (5g, 1a) to help add depth to the dominant attack.
On the other side of the pitch, Penn State Harrisburg features four double-figure scorers including Vilga. Rookies Joey Aman and Toma Nichik have 13 and 10 points, respectively, while junior Justin Elnahrawy has pitched in 11. In 15 games played, the Lions have given up just 14 goals this season with rookie goalkeeper Hunter Cooper leading the way. Cooper has a 0.88 GAA in over 800 minutes of action with four shutouts.
Following Saturday's matchup with the Lions, the Captains will return to action to close out the home slate against Salisbury on Wednesday, October 18. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 pm against the Sea Gulls.
