WILMINGTON, N.C. -- Riding a three-game winning streak, the Christopher Newport women's lacrosse team will put its recent roll on the line against No. 6 Catholic when the Captains battle the Cardinals in a neutral-site tilt at Cape Fear Academy in Wilmington, North Carolina on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Christopher Newport enters the bout with a 3-2 overall record, including a 1-1 mark away from Newport News. Meanwhile, Catholic is a pristine 2-0 this season with victories over No. 5 Salisbury and No. 19 St. Mary's (Md.).
A LOOK AT THE CAPTAINS
After dropping the squad's first two battles of the year, Christopher Newport has bounced back with a three-game winning streak.
Meaghan Galvin and
Kaitlyn Ready have led the resurgence and were both honored with CAC Player of the Week accolades. Galvin was named the top offensive player after erupting for 13 points last week, while Ready earned the defensive award after registering 15 saves while posting victories in her first two collegiate starts.
Through five games, Galvin currently ranks 10th in the NCAA with 24 points this year, while her 14 assists place her fourth in the country. Equally impressive on the offensive side,
Sarah Culver has scored a team-high 17 goals, which puts her 11th in the nation. Galvin and Chess also rank among the national leaders with 10 strikes apiece.
Along with the leading scorers,
Erin Callahan and
Samantha Wettengel have also collected at least one point in each of the team's last three outings, while
Tess D'Arcy has scored a goal in four straight contests. Meanwhile, on the defensive end, D'Arcy has a team-high seven caused turnovers, while
Katie Gaskin has six, including five during a tremendous effort against Roanoke on March 4.
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
Catholic has gotten off to an impressive start in 2017 while climbing to sixth in the national rankings. In the opener against fifth-ranked Salisbury, the Cardinals trailed early in the second half but strung together three straight goals, including two by Anna Stumme, to pull out the 9-8 victory. Stumme and Alexis Bosilovic finished the game with three goals apiece.
Five days later, Catholic continued its roll by upending No. 19 St. Mary's (Md.), 15-11. Nicolette Crisalli scored six times for the Cardinals, while Laura Dunn added eight points, including four goals. For that performance, Dunn was named the Landmark Conference Athlete of the Week.
Overall this season, Allie Bond ranks second in the NCAA in draw controls, averaging 11.50 per game. Meanwhile, Nancy Hernandez sits 37th in the country with a .542 save percentage, while Dunn is ranked in the top-100 in assists and points.
SERIES HISTORY
Catholic and CNU have met nine times with the Captains holding an 8-1 edge in the all-time series. However, Christopher Newport won the last meeting, 9-8, in 2016. During that outing, Culver posted four goals for the Captains, while Chess added a pair. For Catholic, Stumme led the team with three points, including two goals.
UP NEXT
Following their spring break trip, the Captains will travel to Randolph-Macon for a 7 p.m. showdown on March 15.
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