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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team will host Wheaton (Mass.) in a non-conference battle at 4 p.m. on Wednesday at Captains Turf Field.
Entering the midweek bout, CNU sits at 4-2 overall, including 3-0 at home. The Captains are currently riding a three-game winning streak and have topped each of those opponents by at least five goals. Meanwhile, Wheaton (Mass.) enters the game at 1-3 overall, including 1-0 away from home.
For those fans unable to make it to the contest, live stats will be available at CNUsports.com. The Captains will also provide a broadcast of the action with Andy McGregor and Jake Myers on the call. Links to both features can be found at the top of this release and on the CNU schedule page.
A LOOK AT THE CAPTAINS
Will Geise, who was honored as the CAC Offensive Player of the Week on Monday, enters Wednesday on the cusp of history. The senior is just two goals shy of matching the all-time program record of 86, which was established by Ryan Merrell from 2007-09 and equaled by John Thompson from 2012-15. Additionally, he sits second all-time with 50 assists and 134 points. Thompson holds both of those marks with 58 and 144, respectively.
Fittingly, Geise has already made history this year as he equaled the single-game program record for points after posting nine against Messiah on Saturday. During the contest, he erupted for six goals and three assists, which tied Andrew Evans' nine-point showcase against Tri-State on March 8, 2008.
Overall this season, Geise ranks third in the CAC with 19 goals and fourth with 26 points. His .487 shooting percentage also leads the league. Among other statistical leaders,
Matt Hayden boasts a conference-best .625 save percentage, which also places him 19th in the NCAA. Meanwhile,
Tony Cruz is third in the league with a .635 faceoff percentage, while fellow FOGO
Nick Kirschke is ninth with 27 ground balls.
As a team, the Captains lead the CAC with a .626 save percentage and stand second with a .631 faceoff percentage. The squad's 13.00 goals-per-game average also ranks second in the league, while their 83 percent clearing rate is third.
SCOUTING THE LYONS
Wheaton dropped its first three contests of the year but bounced back with a 13-8 victory over New England College on Monday at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex. During the win, Will Morrison and Matt Morgan both notched three goals and a pair of assists. Mike Doucette also won 17 of 24 faceoffs during the battle, and Colin Walsh made 12 saves.
Overall this year, Morgan and Ryan Gjerset are tied for the team-lead with nine goals apiece, while Morrison has 12 points as well. Doucette has been a workhorse at the "X," taking 92 faceoffs and winning 54 of those attempts. In goal, Walsh has started all four games and boasts a .481 save percentage and a 9.96 goals-against-average.
SERIES HISTORY
Wednesday's contest will mark the first-ever showdown between Wheaton and Christopher Newport. In fact, the battle will be the first meeting between the two schools in any sport.
UP NEXT
Following Wednesday's tilt, Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday when the squad kicks off Capital Athletic Conference action at home against Marymount at 1 p.m.
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