CHESTERTOWN, Md. -- The Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team will face its first road tests of the 2017 season when the Captains head to Washington (Md.) for a 4 p.m. battle on Friday at Kibler Field before trekking to Haverford on Saturday for another 4 p.m. showdown at Swan Field.
Entering Friday's tilt, CNU currently sits at 0-1 following a hard-fought setback against Washington & Lee on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Washington (Md.) will be making its season debut against the Captains, while Haverford is 0-1 after a 14-2 setback against No. 10 York (Pa.) last weekend.
For those fans unable to make it to the contests, both schools will provide live stats and a video stream of the action. Direct links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the CNU schedule page.
A LOOK AT THE CAPTAINS
Christopher Newport kicked off the 2017 campaign on Wednesday with a 7-5 setback against Washington & Lee at Captains Turf Field. After the Generals stormed out to a 5-2 halftime lead, CNU showed impressive resolve and knotted the score with five minutes left in regulation. Unfortunately, W&L tacked on two late strikes to inch ahead and seal the victory.
During the game,
Catie Chess scored three points, including a pair of goals. Reigning All-American
Meaghan Galvin also added three points and two assists, while
Lindsay Weaver and
Samantha Wettengel recorded strikes as well.
Carly Wilson also contributed an assist on the game-tying goal. Meanwhile, on the defensive side,
Emma Walsh contributed her sixth career double-digit save effort after notching 11 stops.
Tess D'Arcy also forced two turnovers, and
Mariah Ginebra collected four ground balls.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Washington (Md.) is coming off of a 2016 campaign in which the Shorewomen posted an 11-7 record, marking the program's seventh-straight winning season. The squad returns senior attacker Katherine Vincent, who earned first-team All-Conference nods last year after leading the team with 73 points and 48 goals. She also set a new single-season program record with 19 free-position strikes and is just one tally away from becoming the 13th player in team history with 100 career goals.
Along with Vincent, Anna Inserra earned All-Conference accolades last year after leading the Shorewomen with 50 draw controls and 36 ground balls. Washington (Md.) also features a deep collection of goaltenders, including seniors Maddie Mullen and Haylee Soloman. Mullen collected a team-best 96 saves in 15 games last spring, while Soloman had 61 stops and a league-leading .545 save percentage.
Haverford is also coming off a strong 2016 season in which the Fords posted a 10-7 record, including a 6-3 mark in Centennial Conference action. The team returns five of its seven leading scorers from last year, including first-team All-League selection Sarina Manetta. The senior midfielder registered 23 goals and 11 assists last season, while Molly Lausten contributed a team-high 31 goals.
On the other side of the field, Haverford welcomes back Madison Jones, who has anchored the back line while securing All-Conference plaudits for her work. Last year, she caused 20 turnovers and grabbed 24 ground balls, while fellow defender Claire Cote forced 25 miscues. Between the pipes, Rachel Romens is the team's most experienced goalie after contributing 10 saves and a 5.72 goals-against-average in three appearances last year. Her finest performance came against Bryn Mawr when she earned the start and picked up the victory during an eight-save outing.
SERIES HISTORY
Washington College has faced CNU twice with the Shorewomen capturing both contests. Last season, Christopher Newport dropped a 14-11 decision despite a four-goal outburst by Chess. Meanwhile, Haverford and CNU will be meeting for the first time on Saturday.
UP NEXT
Following this week's action, Christopher Newport will return home on Wednesday for a 4 p.m. contest with Virginia Wesleyan.
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