Live Stats // Webcast

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team will look to wrap up its regular season home slate with a perfect record when CNU hosts St. Mary's (Md.) at 4 p.m. on Wednesday at Captains Turf Field.
 
Entering the bout, CNU sits at 9-4 overall, including 4-2 in league action. The squad is also a pristine 7-0 at home this season and has won its last eight contests at Captains Turf Field dating back to last year. That stands as the longest run in program history.
 
Meanwhile, St. Mary's (Md.) comes into the contest at 1-12 with a 1-5 mark in CAC play.
 
For those fans unable to make it to the game, 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
 
Entering the final week of the regular season, Christopher Newport has already locked up a berth in the upcoming CAC playoffs. Depending on the results around the conference, the Captains could finish as high as second in the league standings and currently are tied with Frostburg State for third. One win, coupled with a Mary Washington loss, would assure CNU of a home game. Two wins, and a York loss at Salisbury, would create a tie for the No. 2 seed. Frostburg State could stretch it to a three-way tie for No. 2 if the Bobcats were to win out as well.
 
With a cloudy playoff picture, the Captains are focused on the task at hand - continuing its strong play at home against St. Mary's (Md.). At home this year, CNU has beaten its seven opponents by an average of 12 goals per contest. Dominant in all facets of the game, the squad boasts a .710 faceoff percentage and a .664 save average at home, while Will Geise has paced the attack with 32 goals and 46 total points.
 
Overall this season, Geise leads the conference and ranks 19th in the NCAA with a 3.46 goals-per-game average. He also stands 17th in the country with seven man-up goals. Meanwhile, Matthew Crist is third in the CAC with 30 assists, while Tony Cruz's .632 faceoff percentage is second in the league. The junior also ranks 20th among all active players in the NCAA with 458 career faceoff victories.
 
On the defensive side, Matt Hayden is second in the league with a .590 save percentage. He also ranks eighth among active goalies at all levels of the NCAA with 580 career saves. That total places him second on the program's all-time charts, just 16 behind Andy McGregor's standard of 596.
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
On Saturday, the Captains continued their explosive performance at home with a 19-4 triumph over Wesley. During the game, Geise contributed seven points, including five goals. With that showing, he broke CNU's single-season points record, bumping his total to 63 this year. Meanwhile, Randy Foster struck four times for the Captains, and Crist dished out four assists.
 
Equally electric, Cruz won 13 of his 14 faceoffs, and Josh Wagner forced a team-high three turnovers in the fourth quarter. Hayden also picked up the victory after notching six saves during his time in the crease.
 
SCOUTING THE SEAHAWKS
 
St. Mary's (Md.) enters Wednesday on a four-game skid after picking up its first victory of the year with a 20-7 triumph at Wesley on March 25. Despite the recent stumble, the Seahawks have been competitive throughout the season and have six setbacks by five goals or less. Two of those closely-contested losses have come in their last two outings against Mary Washington and Marymount.
 
So far this season, the Seahawks rank 24th in the NCAA with 439 ground balls and 29th with 153 saves. On an individual level, Max Alderman stands 20th in the country 146 stops this season. He has registered at least 10 saves in 10 of his appearances, including a 20-stop showcase against Illinois Wesleyan in March.
 
On the offensive side, Max Groen leads SMC with 35 points and 22 goals. Steve Jones has also struck 21 times, including four hat-tricks and an eight-goal explosion against Illinois Wesleyan. At the "X," Michael Bucci has won 52 percent of his 252 faceoff attempts. Tilghman Meiser has also won 40 of his 96 battles.
 
SERIES HISTORY
 
St. Mary's (Md.) and Christopher Newport have met eight times with SMC holding a 6-2 edge in the all-time series. However, the Captains won last year's bout, 18-10, in Maryland. During that contest, Crist scored five goals for CNU, while Foster added four. On the other side, Alderman made 13 saves for the Seahawks, and Conor Jordan tallied four goals.
 
UP NEXT
 
Following Wednesday's action, CNU will cap off the regular season on Saturday when the squad heads north for a showdown with No. 3 York (Pa.) on Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
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